Plainfield Board Mulls Zoning Change for Churches

If you were planning on opening a church in one of Plainfield’s business districts, you might have to say a little prayer for it to happen.

Plainfield Village trustees asked for a change to zoning laws to require churches to obtain a special permit to move into retail centers or similarly zoned property, The Chicago Tribune reports.

“The way I understand it, this is not a motion or a vote against religious assemblies,” Plainfield Village Trustee Edward O’Rourke said. “It’s just adding a layer of review.”

Village Planner Michael Garrigan told the Tribune the trend of churches moving to business districts became an area of concern because of the traffic they may generate.

With the zoning law, the burden of proof to determine how a church would affect neighboring property remains with the village.

The Plainfield Village Board is expected to vote on the matter in June.