The church, 1201 Maiden Lane, wants to build a 27,000- to 30,000-square-foot addition, and is landlocked on its site.
Based on its plans, the zoning code requires the building to be set back from the property line about 56 feet on Maiden Lane and 28 feet on Isabella Street, said Heather Whitmore, the city’s planning and zoning administrator. The variance, approved 5-1, eliminated that requirement.
The church also has a request pending to vacate parts of Isabella Street and Maiden Lane to the narrow the roads there and bump out its property lines.
All on-street parking would be eliminated on that part of Maiden Lane and two-way traffic would be maintained.
Parking would be eliminated on the east side of Isabella Street and that section would be one-way for southbound traffic only. The City Planning Board approved that request and it now heads to the city commission in December.
Most of the discussion from board members focused on the traffic on Maiden Lane and not on the setback issue.
Board member Robert Hulsizer voted against the variance. He had concerns about narrowing Maiden Lane and installing stop signs because cars use it to avoid delays on Bechtle Avenue.
“That would be a detriment to the flow of traffic,” he said.
Twice in the past decade Maiden Lane Church of God withdrew expansion plans that called for closing part of Isabella Street after neighborhood opposition. The revised proposal is meant as a compromise, Pastor Mark Martin said, and church members went through the area and got support from most residents.
One neighbor, Roger Clemans, objected. He lives on Isabella Street and didn’t want to lose the ability to go north on that road.
“It’s a lot quicker if I go through Isabella,” he said.
Board member Matthew Ryan said not having the setback variance would be a difficulty for the church.
“I don’t think the proposed changes would be a detriment to the neighborhood,” he said.
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