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First Baptist Church petitions to split lot and sell a buildable parcel; neighbors cite safety, privacy and drainage concerns
Summary
At a June 17 DuPage County zoning hearing, First Baptist Church asked to split its parcel and create a buildable lot by shrinking a reserved lot from 40,000 sq ft to about 23,230 sq ft and cutting a setback to about 6.11 ft. The petitioner said proceeds would fund building repairs; multiple neighbors objected on safety, privacy and drainage grounds. The officer will issue a written recommendation July 1 to the county development committee.
The DuPage County zoning hearing officer heard testimony June 17 on a petition from First Baptist Church seeking two variances to subdivide church property so the congregation can sell a buildable parcel and use the proceeds for repairs.
Jeffrey Tideman, identified as one of the church’s leaders and a deacon, presented the petition and the exhibits, including a current survey dated January 15, 2026. The petition requests reducing a reserved Lot 2 from the required 40,000 square feet to roughly 23,230 square feet and reducing the interior side setback for the church (a place of assembly) from 40 feet to about 6.11 feet. Tideman said the sale would create a flag drive from Claren Hills Road and fund needed repairs such as a new roof and boiler.
The case drew multiple neighborhood objections. A nearby homeowner recorded in the hearing as Mr. Ram (the record spells his last name R H E A U N E) asked the officer to accept his submitted exhibits and said the proposal would require cutting a 24‑ft private drive through forested backyard and create a roughly 10‑ft elevation difference that could require retaining walls and pose safety and drainage problems for children and adjacent yards. Other neighbors — recorded as Mr. Gedrimas (G E D R I M A S), Kelly, and Ryan Standridge (S T A N D R I D G E) — said they opposed the change because it would reduce privacy and remove trees.
Brooks Burns, who had submitted an email objection that was made part of the record, told the officer he believed the petition failed to show the unique practical hardship normally required to justify a zoning variation.
Colleen, identified as the church’s real estate agent with CPMM Inc., testified that earlier driveway routing ran into a small wetlands area, so the church sought to use and extend an existing driveway off Claren Hills Road rather than reroute through wetlands, and that several buyers had expressed interest before the wetlands complication.
Tideman offered a rebuttal, saying the church would ensure safety and reiterating financial pressures including insurance and capital needs. The hearing officer repeatedly noted that solely economic hardship is generally not sufficient to support a zoning variance and told the petitioner that the record would be closed and a written recommendation issued on July 1. He explained that his recommendation would go to the county development committee and then, potentially, to the full county board for final action.
The officer closed the hearing on the petition and said his recommendation to the county development committee would be issued in writing on July 1; he said subsequent committee and county board schedules would determine final action.
Next steps: the hearing officer will issue a written recommendation July 1 to the county development committee, which may accept, modify, or reject that recommendation before the full county board considers any final decision.
