Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area ReporterWyoming City Council Nov. 1 voted 5-0 to extend the conditional use application for Wyoming Community Church to lease a building on Faxton Ave. in the industrial park.
Administrator Jill Teetzel recommended a 45-day extension. The planning commission will reconsider the application Nov. 22. The discussion will be on the council agenda Dec. 6.
Wyoming Community Church, an evangelical free congregation, has been in the community for eight years and has rented space at the Wyoming United Methodist Church for four years. Wyoming UMC has welcomed the congregation, but plans to raze that part of the complex in early 2005 and build a new addition.
That leaves the Wyoming Community Church seeking a different worship and ministry site. About 15 members of the congregation attended the council meeting last week.
Howard Holm, church deacon, said the building is not on a main access road, not ideal for business, but visible on US-61 on the west side of Sunrise Prairie Trail, and ideally suited for the congregation.
According to Holm, available parking will accommodate 20 cars and adjacent businesses have agreed to allow overflow parking for Sunday if needed. Based on average attendance of about 50, and a requirement of one parking space for every four people, the location would meet city ordinance requirements. Holm identified four different emergency traffic routes from the site.
Ron Deyo, property and building owner, spoke in support of the proposal. He has had several tenants, but it is hard to keep businesses there partially because the building is not on a heavily traveled street.
Faxton, as redesigned, is not ideal for business, he said, because the street design. There have been three businesses in the building since 1988.
Pastor Daniel Patz said while congregation has been welcomed by WUMC, it wants to have its own identity. Patz said there is value for the city in ìa church being (remaining) in the community.î He recognized the greatest struggle is taking property off the tax rolls, but ìwe sure would like to stay (in the city) and this would be a great transition spot.î
The congregation has considered purchasing a house, but because most people no longer walk to church, believes a church would not be welcomed into a residential area because of increased traffic on Sundays. The industrial park site would serve well. Traffic would be heaviest when other businesses are closed.
Holmís wife, Marie, a Linwood Town Board supervisor, suggested consideration of an interim use permit, which means that once the congregation moves, the use associated with the building, would no longer be valid.
Council members want the congregation to stay in the city. ìI donít want to see the church leave,î said CM Lynn Koalska, but wants the church to be in agreement with the city ordinances. CM Ted Phillips agreed. CM Martin English spoke in favor of compromise to reach a solution.
City Attorney Tom Miller told council he would need time to review the zoning for the area. Miller advised against a variance that violates the zoning ordinance. Requesting an amendment to the zoning ordinance would take time, he said.
One possibility is to grant the request based on the finding that a church is most similar in nature to a community center, a use which is already permitted by the zoning ordinance. Any parking adjustments could be addressed through a variance.
There were no objections at the planning meeting. Holm said leasing the building is ìone of our last alternatives.î
Annexation
Council passed a resolution approving the annexation of property owned by Dan Birdsall that abuts the south city limits. Birdsall has owned the land four years.
Miller said Wyoming Township was notified about the public hearing and had no objections to the annexation.
Birdsall, representing Fegowi Development, has plans to eventually build a mix of senior housing. One condition is there will be no connections to sewer until the city is hooked up to the regional sewer system. The vote was 4-0; English was unable to stay for the entire meeting.
City Administrator Teetzel reported on the meeting with Congressman James Oberstar earlier in the day and the announcement the city has been awarded a U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration $1.5 million grant. The grant allows an early start to sewer connection between the Polaris site and the regional wastewater treatment plant.
Teetzel is also a part of a Southern Chisago County Coalition; a group of administrators focusing on attracting economic development and improvement of the area tax base. The group meets monthly. She along with administrators from Chisago City and Lindstrom have applied for a grant from the Greater Minnesota Housing Coalition, for a comprehensive regional plan related to housing.
The group was invited to submit a draft proposal.
Phillips showed sets of wooden stakes with blaze orange on the upper section which maintenance crews plan to use to mark sections of city streets for plowing. Each driver will mark a route. The purpose is to reduce the amount of damage to boulevards when plow trucks begin seasonal work. Fliers are to be sent to residents explaining the stakes and asking their cooperation in keeping them visible.
Other business
In other business, council:
ïTabled a discussion about park improvement funds until the Nov. 15, when bark board members can attend and Teetzel reviews the preliminary budget.
ïLearned from Phillips and Police Chief Anthony Pangal the community celebration/fund raiser for the city sesquicentennial was a success.
ïLearned the planning commission is continuing its work on the industrial park zoning ordinance.
ïLearned the closing for Stars and Strikes was scheduled Nov. 5.
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