Local Businesses Demand City Council Stop Abortion Clinic

Eleven Rockford businesses located in the immediate vicinity of the potential abortion clinic at 4236 Maray Drive have signed an open letter to the public officials of the city of Rockford, demanding that the City Council amend the area zoning regulations to exclude abortion clinics. They will present the open letter to the City Council on Monday, October 17th at 5:30PM.

The business owners are making the demand because they worry that allowing the abortion clinic to open will adversely affect their business. “4236 Maray Drive is currently zoned C-2 Limited Commercial District, which does not allow for ‘undue traffic congestion’ or ‘detrimental impacts on neighboring properties.’ This alone should have prevented the new clinic owners from attempting to establish an abortion clinic in our neighborhood. Since this has not happened, we demand that the city council amend the C-2 Limited Commercial District zone to explicitly exclude abortion clinics.”

Additionally, the businesses are concerned that, considering the previous clinic location formerly operated by Dr. Dennis Christensen was shut down due to health and sanitation violations, the 4236 Maray Drive location could become a vacant and uncared for property if the future abortion clinic (which is also owned by Dr. Dennis Christensen) is shut down as well.

The open letter continues, “At a recent meeting, the City Administrator, Todd Cagnoni, said that any alderman could make the proposal to amend the C-2 Limited Commercial District zone to explicitly exclude abortion clinics, and that the city council could then vote on the measure. We demand that one of the alderman make this proposal and the city council vote to make the zoning amendment.”

The businesses owners plan to present the open letter to the City Council on Monday night, October 17th, at the next council meeting.