Fontana Christian Church asked the Miami County Planning Commission to amend its 2003 conditional use permit (CUP) to expand a gravel parking area, add one Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) parking space, update exterior lighting and landscaping, and reserve a site for a future building addition.

Assistant Planning Director Jennifer Kane explained the application and staff recommendation. Kane said the application “is compatible with zoning in the neighborhood,” described a proposed 0.19-acre retention basin for stormwater, and noted that the church anticipates the future building — estimated at about 4,200 square feet — in roughly two to five years. Kane told the commission that the church removed a preschool from the earlier CUP and that, per the applicant’s request, staff proposed restoring a portion of condition 6 from the 2023 resolution so that ball fields could be developed without returning for separate review but that “lighting and things like that” would still require review.

Kane also said staff wants the applicant either to build the retention basin sized as previously approved (about 0.5 acre) or to submit an amended stormwater report to match the smaller basin now proposed. She reported that the 2023 traffic study showed no traffic impacts from the planned work and that Road and Bridge had no outstanding concerns.

Commission discussion focused on how condition 6 from the 2023 resolution should be revised, whether future buildings must return as amended CUPs, and on confirming that the applicant will update the stormwater plan or construct the previously approved basin. Kane told the commission the CUP’s prior language was carried over from earlier materials and staff recommends reinserting the condition starting at the sentence that references the soccer and softball fields while still requiring future review of lighting and other neighborhood impacts.

A commissioner moved to approve 25004-CUP (Fontana Christian Church) “with the findings for approval and conditions amending” the prior resolution; the motion was seconded and passed by a 5-0 voice vote. The commission chair noted the applicant was not present; the matter will next go to the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 29, 2025, for final action.

Why it matters: The amendment authorizes near-term parking work and reserves a specific site for a smaller future building than earlier concepts showed, but it requires the church to either build the previously approved stormwater detention or to submit revised engineering. That stormwater decision affects neighborhood runoff and whether additional review of future amenities (lighting, fields) will be required.

Provenance: The public hearing and staff presentation begin when the agenda item is opened (“The first item is a public hearing for 25004 CUP Fontana”) and the record closes with the motion and vote. Evidence excerpts from the meeting transcript supporting this article are included below.

Ending: The commission’s 5-0 recommendation moves the amended CUP to the Board of County Commissioners. County staff and the applicant will need to resolve the stormwater sizing question and the wording of the restored condition before final action at the commissioners’ meeting.