Schaumburg resolves dispute over church soccer field

Schaumburg officials believe they've resolved a months-long dispute between St. Peter Lutheran Church and its neighbors about the use of the church's field by a youth soccer club.

An amended special-use permit village trustees approved Tuesday lays out guidelines for any future use of the field, on the north side of the church property at 202 E. Schaumburg Road, by any group not affiliated with St. Peter Church or School.

The new permit requires that landscape buffering between the church's property and the Plum Rose subdivision be installed by Oct. 1, and prevents the use of portable toilets on or near the field.

The permit also bars the church from using the portable lighting that had been a central complaint of neighbors, though the church is free to file a future request for lighting, said Tom Farace, Schaumburg planning and permits manager.

“(Neighbors are) happy to see that the lights aren't there anymore,” Farace said.

The dispute revolved around St. Peter allowing Sports Club United to use their soccer field since 2011. The games had drawn the attention of neighbors, who complained to the village about nighttime noise and the use of portable lights last fall.

Church officials were not aware they needed an amendment to their special-use permit that would allow groups unaffiliated with the church or school to use the field.

Use of the lights was stopped shortly after the complaints, and meetings were set up to negotiate the screening of the soccer field and its adjoining parking lot from the neighborhood with landscaping, Farace said.

Because Sports Club United will merge this summer with the Schaumburg Athletic Association and play all its future games at established SAA locations, the group no longer will need to use St. Peter's field. However, the church already is receiving requests from other organizations to use the soccer field, officials said.