Cathedral Church of the Advent rezoning approved for Linden Avenue location
In a 6-3 vote on May 18, the city council approved a controversial plan to rezone 2814 Linden Avenue to institutional district, allowing Cathedral Church of the Advent to use the spot.
At the May 11 meeting, business owners and residents expressed their opposition to the plan, saying it would be harmful to their business traffic and parking. Church representatives countered that they had made agreements for off-hours parking lot use to reduce the impact.
Ward 5 Place 2 representative Peter Wright, who was not at the May 11 meeting, expressed his confusion over the two very different opinions of the church’s effect on the area. To him, the proposal seemed reasonable and the church had fulfilled its responsibility to find parking.
“And yet on the other end of the discussion we have a vast number of businesses, vast number of long-term business owners, vast number of residents who are in opposition to this,” Wright said. “Something doesn’t make sense in this equation.”
He suggested that the two sides spend time talking and figuring out how they came to such different conclusions. Church representative Jim Priester said there was no time to delay the vote because the church plans to have renovations finished to move in by Aug. 15.
“We need to go forward,” Priester said.
City engineer Vanessa McGrath spoke about parking issues and said that in total, the church will have at least partial use of 70 spaces. They are required to have 22 by the institutional zoning law. Ward 1 Place 2 Representative Britt Thames also said the city is working on a broader parking solution.
Wright, along with Ward 1 Place 1 Representative Michael Hallman and chairman Bruce Limbaugh, voted against the measure, but the rezoning passed.
At the same meeting, the council recognized 14 years of service by Denny England, who films the council meetings. England is relocating to Indiana.
Other council business included:
- Approval to switch cellular service and equipment from Verizon to T-Mobile. This will provide better coverage in city buildings and reduce yearly costs by around $50,000.
- Approval of up to $21,950 for Pless Appraisal to appraise several properties as part of Phase II of the greenway project.
- Set a public hearing for June 8 to consider a front yard fence variance at 902 Broadway Street.
- Approval of a stop sign for Wena Avenue at its three-way stop with Edgeland Place.
- Declaring a 2010 Chevy Camaro as surplus.
- Approved the mayor to send a letter to 18th Street businesses notifying them of the correct way to dispose of trash, as there are currently trash problems in the alley behind those businesses.
- The mayor was also approved to send a letter to ALDOT requesting a solution to grass problems in the right-of-way at 200 Lakeshore Parkway.
- Fire Chief John Bresnan informing the council about public input for the update to the city’s hazard mitigation plan that is currently underway. A public meeting will be held May 20 at 5 p.m. in City Hall.
- Carrying over discussion of a pavement management system.
- Dropping a proposal to purchase a new vehicle for the police department, in light of multiple police vehicles that are currently not being used.
The next city council meeting is June 8.