More than 100 Neighbors Attend Orchard Church Meeting

More than 100 neighbors who live in the Hickory Meadows neighborhood attended an emotionally charged community meeting Wednesday night organized by leaders of the Orchard Free Evangelical Church, 1330 N. Douglas Avenue, and overwhelmingly voiced opposition to the church's plan to build a parking lot. 

The plan is just that - the church has not formally presented plans to the village for approval, yet. Church members said holding a community meeting is a requirement set forth by the village before formal considerations can be made.

A number of issues came to the surface during the two-hour meeting. 

An overarching criticism from neighborhood members was the lack of communication from the church to residents when information about the parking lot plan began to surface in February. 

Many neighbors stated there really isn't a parking issue.

Orchard Free Evangelical Church Board Member John Clarkson said numerous police complaints had been made by residents against church members who park on residential streets during Sunday services. 

One neighbor stated he made several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the village, and learned there have been three police complaints filed this year, and around 35 over the last seven years against the church relating to parking. 

When one resident asked the entire group if they would call the police because of church members parking on neighborhood streets, there was an overwhelming "no" response. 

Other concerns related to safety of neighborhood children with increased traffic flow coming out of the proposed new parking lot on Olive Street, in addition to fears of increased rodents and wildlife resulting from the demolition of the eight homes owned by the church where the proposed lot would be. 

Emotions ran high when residents talked about families who lived in the church-owned homes. Though people in the audience stated they were evicted, Clarkson clarified, stating their leases were not renewed.

Neighbors complained not enough notice was not given, making the end of the school year especially stressful for families renting the homes who have school-aged children. 

Other comments related to the church not being a good neighbor, not only by low communication, but also by failing to consider negative affects the more than 200 additional parking spaces would have on property values, in addition to the loss of dozens of trees.

Comments about the overal aesthetic of the neighborhood changing drastically with a large parking lot right in the middle of it also were made by several people in attendance. 

One neighbor suggested the church find a new location, stating they are a "misfit" in the neighborhood. Many members are drawn not from the neighborhood itself or even the village, but from more than 70 zip codes in the Chicagoland area as stated on the church's website. 

Others suggested the church instead sell the homes they previously rented out, based on Clarkson's statement early on in the meeting that the church is unable to continue expensive upkeep of the aging residences. 

Now that the meeting has occurred, Nicholas Peppers, attorney for Orchard Church said he will be working with Orchard Church officials to gather and organize the comments at the meeting, and refining where they can before they present a formal plan to the village.