Village, Church Working Together to Move Forward in Zoning Spat

Village officials and representatives from Liberty Temple Full Gospel Church—the church that alleged the village discriminated against its efforts to relocate to a long-vacant space inside a Bolingbrook shopping center—are now working together to review construction plans and process the necessary permits needed for the church to operate out of the space.

Meanwhile, the status hearing in a Chicago federal courtroom that was supposed to take place Wednesday has been pushed off to June 3.

Jim Boan, the village attorney, said village officials are currently reviewing the church’s plans for the space inside the Bolingbrook Commons shopping center, located near the intersection of Route 53 and I-55.

The two sides had been at odds .

Essentially, the spat was over whether the property the church was trying to move into was zoned B-2, which would require a special use permit for the church, or B-4 commercial urban development, which would allow the church to move in without such a permit.

U.S. Judge Harry Leinenweber said on April 12 it was  and ruled against the village on the matter. A few weeks later, Leinenweber issued a temporary restraining order against the village.

Earlier this month, the village board officially put a new zoning map on record—one that lists the Bolingbrook Commons shopping center as B-2 community retail.

Tom Ciesielka, a representative of the church, said plans are on track and should be completed by the time both sides are scheduled to reappear in court.