Church leaders claim Antioch resale shop not subject to zoning laws
Church leaders trying to save the God's Will Resale Shop in Antioch fired back at village leaders Monday, claiming their property should not be restricted by current zoning laws because the building is being used for the ministry.
Bonnie Adriansen, who runs the resale shop on behalf of St. Ignatius Episcopal Church of Antioch, said church and village leaders entered into an agreement about 60 years ago that all buildings on the 5.1-acre property along Deep Lake Road are part of the overall church ministry.
Therefore, she said, the resale shop the village is trying to shut down should not be restricted under village residential zoning laws, as the village claims in an Oct. 5 petition for a court injunction.
Village officials filed for an injunction in Lake County circuit court to shut down the resale shop, which operates on the same property as St. Ignatius church.
In court documents, village officials claim the resale shop opened illegally inside a converted storage building in a residential area. Zoning on the land does not allow for a commercial structure to operate, court documents read.
The village also argues that the shop does not have a handicapped-accessible bathroom as required by state law for all commercial structures.
However, Adriansen said accessible bathrooms are available inside the church, located about 180-feet from the resale shop. International building codes allow for a bathroom to be located within 500-feet of the facility, she said.
"The village of Antioch chooses not to accept those international codes," she added.
Village officials attempted to work with the church and resale shop for an extended period of time to bring the building into compliance, the documents state. However, the talks broke off and the injunction was filed. The village is seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction against use of the building as a resale shop.
The two sides are due back in court Friday.