THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008
Hold Off On How To Handle PADS Process
By CRAIG ADAMS
Journal Reporter
Park Ridge Procedures and Regulations Committ1e members put off until June a decision regarding the process needed for establishing a PADS homeless shelter site site at St. Mary's Episcopal Church.
"We're going to come back in the next meeting in early June and decide what to do," said Ald. David Schmidt (1st) regarding the meeting on Tuesday, May 6. "It's going to be on the agenda as an action item."
Schmidt brought the committee information on a case from 2006 regarding the United Methodist Vision Church v. Village of Long Grove.
"The facts are a little bit different, but the principles are the same," he explained. "Just because you're a church doesn't mean you're exempt from zoning laws as long as the city is applying a neutral zoning law on an evenhanded basis."
Schmidt believes the case law forces the city to abide by its zoning ordinance requiring a special use permit for a homeless shelter.
"If the court says we can, then I almost think we must," Schmidt said. He explained it would be no different from a developer coming in to the city and being granted permission without going through the process. Schmidt read the decision to the committee that then opened the meeting to citizens wishing to speak.
"A few of the people discussed the process," he said, although many spoke again about their opposition to the shelter. He expects the committee to reach a decision at the June meeting.
"We're simply going to be submitting a report to the city council," he said. While not wanting to predict the opinion of the other two aldermen on the committee, James Allegretti (4th) and Thomas Carey (6th), "I don't want to speak for them," he did express his outlook.
"I suspect our advice to the council will be that they (St. Mary's) have to go through the special use process. I suspect that the council will agree with our recommendation."
If those are the decisions, Schmidt believes the church may have problems getting approval for the shelter.
"I suspect they might have a difficult time. I think they have a tall order here," he said. The special use permit includes several factors including compatibility with the neighborhood. "I just don't see it meeting that standard here," he added.