ROCKFORD, Illinois (LifeSiteNews) — Residents of a neighborhood housing an abortion center are suing the facility’s owner, the city, and a zoning committee in an attempt to close the killing business.
Last month, a private practice opened in a single-family home in Rockford, Illinois, with the sole purpose of distributing chemical abortions. Following the center’s opening, the neighborhood has been “substantially and negatively impacted,” leading four residents to take legal action to close the facility.
“This dispute presents an unusual and disturbing case of a Rockford zoning officer (the ‘Zoning Officer’) and the ZBA [Zoning Board of Appeals] abdicating their solemn duty to enforce the City of Rockford Zoning Ordinance (the ‘RZO’),” the lawsuit states. “This case is not complex and comes down to the simple fact that a medical clinic is not allowed as a home business under the RZO, and that the Zoning Officer has illogically and quite absurdly concluded that a ‘home business’ can be a ‘non-home business’.”
The plaintiffs, who include a husband and wife and two individuals who all reside in the same neighborhood as the abortion center, argue that the facility is causing unrest and harm to residents and are requesting that it close.
“The subject property is a one and a half story single family home,” the lawsuit explains. “And is located in a typical residential neighborhood where it is surrounded in all directions by single family residential homes.”
Dennis Christensen, an abortionist who has killed thousands of unborn in Wisconsin and came out of retirement to continue committing abortions, was permitted to run the center as a “medical clinic” under the title “Rockford Family Planning Center.” The facility offers chemical abortions in the first trimester and referrals for second-trimester surgical abortions.
RELATED: Wisconsin abortion center goes out of business after three decades
The Zoning Officer mentioned in the lawsuit granted Christensen an extension of a special permit which enables home businesses. The permit was granted decades ago to a previous owner of the house, who ran a chiropractic practice at the location. However, with the exception of chiropractors, the city prohibits medical and dental clinics to be run as home businesses.
Additionally, in order to legally run a home business, the owner must permanently reside at the same address. Christensen was approved to open his abortion center on the grounds that the house would be his secondary address.
The lawsuit points out that in an initial letter to request permission to run the murder business, Christensen’s attorney stated that the center “would dispense medication and provide basic medical treatment.” However, the letter “curiously fails to mention that chemical abortions will be performed [sic].”
The letter also mentioned proposed business hours, “including potential operations on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. thru 12:00 p.m.” Special Use Permits, which Christensen was seeking, typically “limit hours of operation as a condition of the permit being granted.” However, the hours were not disputed by the Zoning Officer and, after classifying his two employees to fit regulations, the abortionist was granted permission to open the facility.
The plaintiffs highlighted the negative impact which the abortion center has had on their family neighborhood, stating that hundreds have “flooded the neighborhood with protest on multiple occasions,” with at least two incidents involving a physical attack between protestors. An “overall [threat] to safety and increased police presence” is also evident, and traffic has required police direction to enable residents to enter and exit their neighborhood. Once, a police car crashed into another vehicle.
City noise ordinances have also been violated by protestors using loud speakers and “the property values of Plaintiffs and others in the neighborhood have decreased.”
On January 5, LifeSiteNews reported that Danniel Pribble, a Catholic activist and father of three, had been attacked while peacefully praying outside the Rockford facility. Pribble explained that a pro-abortion individual threw a thermos of coffee at him on December 27.
“We are pleased to see this case move forward,” Kevin Rilott, president of local pro-life organization Rockford Family Initiative, said in a statement. “A business whose goal is to end the lives of children in the womb has no place in Rockford let alone a residential neighborhood. The current administration of the abortion clinic at 611 Auburn St has a long history of violating the law and placing women’s lives in danger.”
“In the weeks they have been open we have seen incidents of threats and violence from abortion supporters. All of this combined with a nonexistent special use permit and the clear violations listed in this lawsuit they are guilty of the havoc they have caused for residents of this neighborhood. It is clear this abortion clinic should never have been allowed to open.”
Last month, Illinois enacted a radical bill expanding abortion availability and limiting safety measures. The amendment includes welcoming out-of-state abortionists to kill babies as well as enabling birthing centers to commit abortions.
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