Yes, PP Aurora needed special use permit
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At Tuesday night’s Aurora City Council meeting, pro-life attorneys presented evidence Planned Parenthood committed further deceit than originally thought by evading the special use permit Aurora zoning ordinances require for nonprofit medical centers. PP did this by creating a for-profit front company, Gemini Office Development.
A nonprofit medical center has to undergo a rigourous approval process that requires public notice in a local paper and public hearings. If a mere 20% of surrounding property owners object, a 2/3 supermajority approval for use by the City Council would be required.
Thursday morning, the Aurora Beacon reported Aurora officials had rejected this argument.
The Chicago Tribune reported a similar response by Aurora officials, although more hesitant.
Around midnight this morning, Aurora attorney Vince Tessitore faxed a response to City officials that included a 2-page memo and 18 pages of corroborating documents.
Tessitore’s conclusion is similar to Eric Scheidler’s in an email he sent yesterday with preliminary thoughts to Aurora’s quick negative analysis of the information presented by pro-life attorneys:
What’s disturbing about this announcement isn’t WHAT the City is saying – because they’re wrong – but THAT the City is saying it.
We handed them a clear way out of this mess. They could have at least said, “Wow, we need to look into this.”
They could have said, “We never considered the special use permit issue because we thought Gemini was a for-profit medical office. This is worth a closer look.”
Instead, less than 24 hours after learning about this important zoning issue, they came out emphatically insisting that the special use permit doesn’t apply to PP.
How is one to make sense of this eagerness to defend PP’s alleged right to do business at New York and Oakhurst? I shudder to think.
It appears more and more certain PP has friendlies on the inside.
UPDATE, 6:56a: Here’s more analysis by Eric on Families Against Planned Parenthood blog. [HT: Jeff a CPLA]
UPDATE, 9:45a: Is it possible Aurora officials were in a position to so quickly disparage Tessitore’s Tuesday memo because someone on the inside changed the zoning ordinance in December 2006 specifically to try to cover for PP?
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
I don’t know much about Aurora politics, but I *do* know Mayor Weisner won the election – thanks in part to Barack Obama. Planned Parenthood also gave $5000 to Illinois Democrats before last election. There are already rumblings of corruption, because of a lobbyist Wiesner hired, who was a good friend of Obama’s, on the city dime ($84,000 a year, part time)
Does anyone know someone local who keeps tabs on the politics?
I know someone who works at the City and she said that she knew the mayor was talking to PP but she didn’t know the facility was being built. She thought it was in the works and that when it went through council it’d be stopped. She didn’t know if was an undercover op.
Kristen,
You would do Eric, Vince and Aurora residents a big favor by contacting Eric or Vince with that information. Vince’s office phone is shown on the letterhead in his memo above.
Vince Tessitore is an Aurora attorney who specializes in real estate and zoning law. He knows what he’s talking about. I’m not a lawyer, but his presentation of the facts is straightforward. And it certainly appears as though the City Council of Aurora is giving in to Planned Parenthood.
The question is: will the residents of Aurora allow their elected officials ignore the rule of law and the will of the people?
Or will Aurora residents demand justice?
I don’t have any proof that he was talking to them. The person I know if VERY pro-life and I’m sure if she had anything concrete she’d show Vince. I’ll contact him but I can’t really offer him anymore information than I did here. I’ll talk to my friend and ask if she has any hard evidence.
Kristen, Thanks. Anything can help at this juncture. God bless you.
Milehimama,
You present very telling political information. Where can we find more about what you have stated, i.e. in re: the highly paid lobbyist and Obama’s support for da mayor?
I turned that up on Google yesterday in 5 minutes between the baby’s nap and the Jehovah’s Witnesses at the door. Hopefully this weekend I’ll have time to dig some more.
I’m trying to complile a list of officers/board members/employees for PP Chicago or other Illinois offices. If you have any, please forward them to me. I found the pre-election campaign contribution reports for Weisner online but I need names to look up and see if – and how much – was contributed.
The Obama/Weisner connection came from Openline blog, which I don’t really follow – but I *do* get WGN local news (inexplicably!) and I remember hearing about that a while back, because Obama was just testing the political waters (this was before any of the big debates, etc.)
Update 9:45
After reading hundreds of posts, I noticed how everything is tying back to the Mayor! Also, with Carrie Ergo being his spokesgirl, and never having “too much to say”. I had this feeling when he was “sick” on Tuesday, that it wasn’t a virus or food sickness, but one of the conscience! Let’s hope the State’s Attorney can expose the underlying motives here! This is making me absoutley sick!!!
I just went on the City of Aurora website, & this statement from Ms. Ergo from 9/20/07 made me think..
“While this has become a highly politicized issue, for the City of Aurora this has always been about making sure all local laws were followed in the development of the facility.”
Can we remind the City Council members about this statement???
Paul,
Here’s one link:
http://openline.blogspot.com/2006/04/fleecing-of-aurora-dan-shomon.html
I don’t live in Aurora anymore but from day one, my mom who does, has said that she thinks their “illustrious” mayor is in on the plan for PP to go forward. I’ve got one smart mom!!