Plan commission approves Redemption Hour Ministry’s special use to reopen former St. Anne’s church

The Crest Hill Plan Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a special use permit and related zoning variances that will let Redemption Hour Ministry reactivate the former St. Anne’s church at 1800 Dearborn Street.

Pat Ainsworth, Crest Hill’s community and economic development director, summarized the application and staff analysis, saying the building (constructed in 1953) sits on a 45,900-square-foot lot and currently exceeds the R-1 lot coverage limit. Ainsworth said staff and the applicant worked together on a list of six conditions for approval.

Why it matters: The building was previously a Catholic parish property owned by the Diocese of Joliet that stopped regular services in 2024. Redemption Hour Ministry is seeking to purchase and occupy the structure for indoor worship and community uses; staff noted the building’s preexisting, nonconforming features require a retroactive special use and variances to match current code.

Applicant presentation and commitments: The applicant’s representative described Redemption Hour Ministry as an 18-year-old, nondenominational congregation that rents space now and seeks to purchase the property to host worship services and community programs. The representative said the church’s regular congregation is about 70 people, that services would typically run Sundays 10:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and that the organization will not permit alcohol on the premises.

Staff and conditions: Ainsworth highlighted five zoning variances in the staff report — lot coverage (existing 58 percent vs. 50 percent allowed), a five-space parking deficit, a zero-foot lot setback where 10 feet is required, absence of parking-lot landscape islands, and noncompliant stall depth — and attached a KLOA traffic engineering analysis showing staff’s parking calculations. Staff’s six recommended conditions include: compliance with submitted drawings; removal of four pews (reducing posted seating); construction of a trash enclosure by Dec. 31, 2025; repaving the parking lot by June 12, 2026 (building and paving permits required); and a requirement that the conditions run with the property on any future transfer.

Public comment and endorsement: Neighbors spoke at the hearing. Resident Christine Richey said she supports a church at the site but asked for clarification about ministry programs such as monthly homeless drives and “street evangelism.” Longtime resident Ray Slinski described local alley and parking history. Maureen Hartman, retired general counsel for the Diocese of Joliet, told the commission that Bishop Ronald Hicks supports Redemption Hour Ministries and provided historical attendance figures for St. Anne’s: she said the parish’s October 2023 average Sunday attendance was about 121 people (roughly 60 per Mass), and peak attendance for a single Mass that October was 78. Hartman also described large community events previously hosted at the parish and noted that Redemption Hour’s proposed scale is smaller than prior parish activity.

Vote and next steps: Commissioner Jeff Peterson moved the approval; Commissioner Ken Carroll seconded. The roll call vote was 5-0 (Butler, Peterson, Carroll, Slabazewski, Thomas). The plan commission recommended the special use and variances to the City Council; staff said the council will review the case at the June 23, 2025 workshop.