Zoning board denies request to open house of worship at 50 North Fourth Street

Columbia Borough Zoning Hearing Board members on the record denied an application from applicant Anthony Mateo to use 50 North Fourth Street as a house of worship, finding the lot did not meet the zoning code's minimum lot-area and parking requirements. The board adopted a motion to deny a variance from section 220-30(a) and to deny the related special exception to establish a house of worship.

The applicant, Anthony Mateo, testified that he planned to use the first floor as a place of worship and that his congregation currently numbers about 15 people. "We believe that we can be a great, a great help to Columbia and community," Mateo said while describing plans for Sunday services and occasional outreach. Mateo and Krista Mateo were listed as parties to the hearing.

Borough manager Steve Cawholt told the board that the property contains 6,970 square feet while the zoning ordinance requires 20,000 square feet for a house of worship under the cited section, and that parking requirements were not met. "You have 6,970 square feet, and your requirement is 20,000 square feet," Cawholt said. He explained the code requires one parking space per five congregants and other parking counts tied to the boarding house above the proposed worship space, concluding the site would need about 15 parking spaces while the applicant had approximately four.

The board heard other testimony from a community member, Krista (spelled in the record), who described outreach work and plans for small-scale community events and visits to a local nursing home. The borough said council had voted 6–1 in opposition to the proposed location at a public meeting held the previous night, citing the same lot-size and parking concerns and noting there are vacant places of worship elsewhere in the borough.

After testimony closed, a board member moved to deny the request for a variance and to deny the special exception. The motion was seconded and, after roll call, the chair announced, "Motion carries to deny." The written motion stated it denied the variance from section 220-30(a) requiring a minimum lot area of 20,000 square feet and, having denied that, denied the special exception under section 220-30(a)(30) to establish a house of worship on the first floor at 50 North Fourth Street.

The solicitor advised that the board must issue a written decision within 45 days of the close of testimony and that parties have standing and appeal rights under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. The chair recommended the applicant consult borough council or the borough manager to search for alternate properties.

The board took the matter into executive session for deliberation immediately after closing the record and announced the denial when it returned to the public meeting.

The denial does not itself preclude the applicant from seeking other properties or from pursuing approvals at another site; it addresses only the application for 50 North Fourth Street under the borough's zoning code.