Elmhurst's Redeemer Lutheran parking lot debate returns to commission

ELMHURST – Redeemer Lutheran Church's application to the city of Elmhurst for an amended conditional use permit for the reconfiguration of its parking lot and sale of buildable lots was pushed back Dec. 11 to the Zoning and Planning Commission for further review.

Assistant City Manager Mike Kopp announced at the Development, Planning and Zoning Committee meeting Dec. 11 that the church, 345 S. Kenilworth Ave., Elmhurst, had presented changes to the application to city staff earlier that day. The changes were substantial enough to move the issue back to the commission, he said.

Redeemer Lutheran Church would like to sell land plots it currently has for parking near its Redeemer Center to be able to pay for improvements to the church, such as making the church more handicap-accessible.

The church originally had proposed 160-feet-deep lots to keep the lots it's selling in character with the rest of the block's homes so they could be as close as possible to the 60-by-190 feet residential properties on the block.

However, the city wanted the setback for the properties to be 30 feet, the residential requirement, instead of a 27.5-foot setback the church had proposed. The church has adjusted the proposal to include 155-feet-deep lots to accommodate the rear yard setback. The church plans to allow that additional five feet of space to be used by the proposed new property owners for additional planting space.

The church had been asked to make a landscaping plan for the area that would be dense all year-round to block headlights from cars in the parking lot and had come up with plans for that, Kopp said in a phone interview Dec. 12. The church also proposed putting parking along the north side of the Redeemer Center if needed, through a "land banking" agreement with the city. The City Council could then decide whether the church would need to install more parking spots in that area, Kopp said.

David Hanni, congregation president at Redeemer Lutheran, said they made the changes in response to community concerns.

"We thought those three changes would address the concerns that were raised but still allow us to raise sufficient funds to complete at least most of our project," Hanni said at the meeting.

Hanni said in a phone interview Dec. 12 the church wants to install a three-level interior elevator and refinish areas near the elevator, move and turn the pipe organ so it faces the altar area, add a fire alarm system, do asbestos abatement, and make various changes to make the church more handicap accessible. These changes include rebuilding bathrooms, lowering the communion rail to floor level, using movable risers in the choir loft and removing some pews in the main sanctuary. Currently, the only handicap-accessible accomodation is an individual chair lift from a side entrance to the church, he said.

"We have not done anything on the Cadillac level," Hanni said about the plans.

He said they have raised about $550,000 through a capital campaign, which ran from 2014 to 2017, and the total project cost is roughly $3.1 million, which would be paid for with the capital campaign, an estimated $2.5 million worth of land sales and equity. The elevator alone would cost about $1.6 million, he said.

Hanni said four of the six lots the church has for sale have been sold subject to the subdivision plan going through, while two remain to be sold.

"We're shrinking our campus, consistent with the fact that we're not a big church," he said, noting attendance is anywhere between 90 and 130 people at church services.

Neighboring residents have challenged the church's application, including during public comment at the Dec. 11 meeting.

Jolana Kakavas, a resident in the 200 block of South Kenilworth Avenue, said her biggest concern is safety in taking a left turn after going southbound from Kenilworth Avenue to go east on St. Charles Road and getting emergency vehicles into the parking lot. She also asked that an independent traffic study be conducted.

Alderman Noel Talluto said the changes the church proposed to city staff Nov. 11 might address concerns Zoning and Planning commissioners had.

The Zoning and Planning Commission had recommended 5-2 that the committee deny the application for zoning relief in a Nov. 8 report to the City Council. Two commissioners were absent for that vote.