Rapid City council tables appeal by First Presbyterian Church on conditional use permit for warming center

Rapid City — The Rapid City City Council on Feb. 3 voted to table an appeal by First Presbyterian Church seeking a conditional use permit to operate a mission (overnight warming center) at 710 Kansas City Street, after more than an hour of public testimony for and against the proposal.

The council’s action to table the appeal was made by Councilman John Roberts and seconded by Councilman Hamm. A roll-call vote recorded 10 ayes, 0 noes; the motion carried, placing the appeal on the table and pausing immediate consideration of the conditional use permit.

Why the appeal drew comment

Members of the congregation and local advocates argued the church should be allowed to host a warming center under the city’s conditional use process. Pastor Adam Knudson told the council First Presbyterian had been asked by the Haysapah Community Alliance to host a warming center and that zoning rules requiring churches to be separately zoned as a “mission” prevented the congregation from exploring the ministry without a conditional use permit. Knudson said serving the unsheltered is “not a political issue for us. It’s a religious and moral obligation,” and asked the council to overturn the Planning Commission’s denial.

Other speakers supporting the church included Lila Melhoff, who argued the Planning Commission’s denial prevented the church from practicing its faith and asked the council to grant the CUP so the congregation could have “a two-year window to establish and operate such a program.” Brian Peck urged more churches to participate in sheltering efforts instead of centralizing services in one location.

Opponents said they were concerned about safety, neighborhood impacts and the downtown area’s past experience with warming centers. Deborah Jensen, representing the Mount Rushmore Road Group, described past problems near prior centers and said public-safety incidents and visible disorder had declined after the Hope Center closed; she urged the council to consider coordinated services already in place, including Pennington County Human Services and the police department’s Quality of Life Team.

Planning staff and process notes

The Planning Commission denied the CUP; staff stated it had no recommendation on the appeal at council. City staff (Community Development) advised the council that the denial stemmed from the commission’s determination under the municipal process. During the hearing, staff encouraged interested neighbors to attend the follow-up meeting if the council continued consideration.

Details from the hearing

- Location: 710 Kansas City Street — application by First Presbyterian Church. - Applicant’s request: conditional use permit to allow a “mission” (overnight shelter/warming center) for cold-weather months; proponents requested a two-year window to establish the program. - Planning Commission action: Denial (applicant appealed the commission’s decision to the council). - Council action: Motion to table by Councilman John Roberts; second by Councilman Hamm. Roll-call vote — Lehman Aye; Maher Aye; Roberts Aye; Stroman Aye; Pettigrew Aye; Seacrest Aye; Bieberdorf Aye; Hamm Aye; Evans Aye; Roseland Aye.

Public testimony highlights (direct quotes)

- Adam Knudson, pastor and head of staff, First Presbyterian Church: “Helping those who are less fortunate isn't a political issue for us. It's a religious and moral obligation.”

- Lila Melhoff, former City human services coordinator: “Please consider overturning the Planning Commission's denial of a CUP for First Presbyterian Church and granting the CUP application.”

- Deborah Jensen, Mount Rushmore Road Group: She told the council that downtown incidents decreased after the Hope Center closed and urged the council to consider coordinated county and nonprofit services rather than reopening a downtown-style warming mission.

- Brian Peck (community member): Urged churches to partner and distribute responsibility: “Maybe 20 or more churches could step forward and do 5 people each.”

- Ted Hayward (community member): Described prior volunteer-run warming centers and deaths of people experiencing homelessness, urging the council to act to prevent further fatalities.

What tabling means

Tabling the appeal pauses action; the item remains on the council’s table until a motion is made to take it from the table. The tabled status means no permit was granted and no further implementation steps will occur unless the council restores the item for discussion and votes to do so.

Next steps and context

Because the item is tabled, no final decision was made on whether the church may operate a warming center. Council members and staff noted neighborhood concerns and the need for additional coordination with service providers; the public record shows both strong support from faith leaders and strong opposition from some neighborhood and business stakeholders. The item will remain on the council’s docket until taken off the table for further consideration.