Thomas More Society Pro-Life Law Center

Dec. 12, 2007 — Under a legal assault by Thomas More Society attorneys, the Aurora Zoning Board of Appeals has ordered the City of Aurora to reveal documents concerning the city's use of the wrong zoning ordinance in approving the construction of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility.

Supporting Documents

>Motion for Subpoenas, 30 KB PDF
>Exhibit A–I, 7.2 MB PDF
>Exhibit J, 2 MB PDF
>Exhibit K, 1 MB PDF
>Exhibit L, 100 KB PDF

Media Coverage

• Group seeks repeal of clinic's legal status, July 24, 2008, Chicago Tribune

• Aurora, Planned Parenthood sued for zoning violations, Feb. 15, 2008, CitizenLink

• Aurora residents sue city and Planned Parenthood for zoning violations, Feb. 15, 2008, Brown Pelican Society

• Aurora residents sue city and Planned Parenthood for zoning violations, Feb. 15, 2008, LifeSiteNews

• Now we're getting somewhere, Feb. 14, 2008, FoxValleyFamiliesAgainstPlannedParenthood

• Lawsuit targets clinic zoning, Feb. 14, 2008, Beacon News/Sun-Times

• Ruing the day an abortion clinic came to town (Blog and comments pro and con) Feb. 14, 2008, Beacon News/Sun-Times Blog

• Lawsuit against Aurora, Planned Parenthood alleges zoning violations, Feb. 14, 2008, Chicago Tribune

• Aurora pro-life advocates sue city over Planned Parenthood abortion business, Feb. 13, 2008, LifeNews.com

• Non-profit mega-clinic fails to meet zoning requirements, Jan. 7, 2008, World Net Daily

• Attorneys target clinic's zoning, Dec. 14, 2007, Chicago Tribune

• Aurora revisits abortion zoning fight (including audio clip interview of TMS attorney Peter Breen), Dec. 12, 2007, WBEZ

• Aurora, Ill. zoning board postpones appeal on new abortion center, Nov. 28, 2007, LifeNews.com

• Aurora city council will vote on parental notification on abortion, Nov. 14, 2007 LifeNews

Aurora Officials Acknowledge Ordinance Blunder in Issuing Zoning Permits for Planned Parenthood “Mega Clinic”

City Has Been Relying on the Wrong Ordinance Throughout Controversy Putting Spotlight on Tomorrow Evening's Zoning Board Hearing; Lawyers to Aurora, “Stop Withholding Public Documents!”

Dec. 11, 2007 — City of Aurora officials quietly acknowledged a crucial mistake regarding a zoning ordinance on which they had relied during earlier investigations into the nation's largest Planned Parenthood facility at 3051 E. New York St. in Aurora, Illinois. In two recent motions to dismiss an appeal by Aurora citizens to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Aurora's chief lawyer began referring to ordinance 093-124 rather than to section 093-123, which had expired and which they had been citing previously. In addition, the city cited the wrong ordinance as a basis for favorable zoning determinations in a pair of investigations undertaken by two touted zoning experts, private lawyers acting on behalf of the city, which led to Mayor Tom Weisner announcing the renewal of Planned Parenthood's temporary occupancy permit (now due to expire December 17th). If the proper ordinance had been cited and complied with, Planned Parenthood should never have opened. The zoning determinations, on the basis of which Planned Parenthood has been open and operating, are being challenged by Aurora citizens, represented by lawyers from the Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm based in Chicago. On Wednesday, December 12, the Aurora Zoning Board of Appeals will meet to hear these and other issues.

“City officials are not being candid with Aurora's citizens. They made a major mistake and they are trying to keep it out of the public eye despite compelling evidence of egregious zoning violations,” states Tom Brejcha, Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society of Chicago. “In fact, they have been stonewalling and barring our access to critical public documents. The citizens of Aurora should be questioning what their civic leaders are trying to cover up.”

Read entire TMS Press Release, 70 KB PDF.