The Lexington Planning Commission has recommended to the City Council that a Conditional Use Permit application for a downtown church be denied. Juan Carlos Bonilla appeared before the Planning Commission on behalf of the Rock of Horeb Pentecostal Church which currently holds a permit for a building at 503 N. Washington. Bonilla said they would like to move to a building down the block at 519 N. Washington to accommodate their growing congregation.
The City’s Development Services Director Bill Brecks said he had fielded 5 or 6 phone calls, mostly from business interests in the downtown (that) “clearly would like to see the downtown be more commercial oriented. They think using these storefronts for churches is probably not the best use for the buildings”.
Commission members expressed concern about available parking spaces.
Brecks said there was no immediate off-street parking to the proposed location.
The only other permitted church in the downtown area is The Islaamic Center, which benefits from an adjacent public parking lot.
Other conditional use permits issued for churches in the downtown have expired and no longer active.
Following discussion the Commission voted 4 to 2 to recommend denial of the Conditional Use Permit application to the City Council. Voting in favor of denial were Rogue Gonzalez, Curtis Roemmich, Jeremy Kaiser and Cam Smith. Voting against denial were Stephanie Novoa and Kristi Moyer.
Those opposed, cited safety standards in city code that the use of the building as a church would impede the orderly development of surrounding property and that the church would substantially increase the movement of traffic on public streets.
