Council adopts ordinance revising church steeple height and parking rules, 3–1 vote

Midway City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 2025-06, amending Midway City Municipal Code provisions that govern church steeple height and off-street parking for churches.

The ordinance modifies how the city measures allowable steeple height: churches that meet a set of criteria may extend a steeple up to 70 feet from natural grade to the apex; if the criteria are not met the steeple maximum remains 52.5 feet. The adopted language ties permitted steeple height to setbacks in one of the options presented to council (the longer, setback-based option). The ordinance also addresses design and massing: the portion of a steeple above a building’s maximum height cannot exceed 12 feet in width or depth; only one steeple is allowed per property; and the steeple must exhibit visually perceptible tapering (the draft language required average width of the top third of the steeple to be less than half the width of the base). The code as adopted prohibits lighting of steeples from ground fixtures or installed fixtures on the steeple.

Michael, a city planner, presented the item and walked council through two options: (1) a simpler approach that allows a 70-foot steeple at the minimum zone setback, and (2) a more detailed setback-based formula that increases allowable steeple height incrementally as the steeple is set back from the front property line. The council accepted the second, more detailed option (the packet’s redlined text), which includes examples showing how a 35-foot church height interacts with setbacks to determine the maximum steeple height.

Several councilmembers asked for clarifications on the tapering requirement — whether the code should require tapering over the top third of the steeple or a larger fraction such as the top half — and discussed visual examples pulled from Google Street View. Councilmember Kevin pressed staff on what “top third” means in practice; staff explained the code’s current wording measures tapering over the top third of the steeple and that a change to “top half” would be more restrictive. Councilmember Jeff said he would keep the motion language as written to allow future code amendments if stricter language is needed.

The council also added a parking restriction: no parking shall be located between the front setback and the church, with the council retaining discretion to approve alternate parking plans on request. The parking change keeps the city’s goal of preserving street-facing aesthetics similar to commercial-zoning rules.

At the vote, Councilmembers Craig, Kevin and Jeff voted in favor; councilmember JC voted no. The motion to adopt Ordinance 2025-06 passed 3–1. The ordinance was presented as “ordinance 20 25 dash o 6” and staff said the change had been recommended for approval by the Midway City Planning Commission.