Palatine ZBA recommends wider driveway for group home at 1133 S. Vermont

The Village of Palatine Zoning Board of Appeals on May 14 recommended approval of special-use relief to allow a wider driveway and circular turnaround at 1133 South Vermont Street, a house operated as a group home. The vote was unanimous; the recommendation will go to the Village Council at its next meeting.

Petitioner representative Ted Behnke said the house has operated as a group home since about 2002 and serves seven women; the driveway change is intended to allow van loading and safer evacuation. "So this property has been a group home since 2002, roughly, and it serves 7 ladies in that home," Behnke said, explaining the need for a level loading area and improved access for a lift-equipped vehicle.

A nearby resident, Jim Kazakovich, raised public-safety concerns about storm flooding and a reportedly failing septic system, saying that when Salt Creek floods "there's at least a foot of water in that corner there," and asked whether residents could be evacuated safely. Staff responded that the applicant had withdrawn a proposed front addition (so only driveway relief remained), that building-permit-level review will require soils and septic information and a Cook County sanitary permit, and that the village engineer and public works will review floodplain impacts before any building permit is issued.

Board members discussing the motion said the circular driveway would remove staff vehicles from the roadway and improve safety; staff recommended approval subject to the conditions in the packet (compliance with submitted plans, grading plan and later building-permit reviews). The board recorded a roll-call vote of unanimous yes; the clerk read names in the roll call and the board found the standards met. The board's advisory recommendation will be transmitted to the Village Council for final action.