Benton County planning commission keeps record open in Saint Martin Orthodox Church appeal amid road and water concerns

The Benton County Planning Commission on Aug. 13 kept the public record open for seven days in an appeal of the planning official's decision on LUD-23-051, the conditional-use permit sought by Saint Martin, the Merciful Orthodox Church, Inc., to expand its chapel, add a parish hall and a parsonage and to change the site's zoning status.

The action allows neighbors and other parties to submit additional written evidence through Aug. 20; the commission set a related deadline for the applicant's final written argument for Aug. 27 and said it will deliberate and decide the appeal at its Sept. 3 meeting. The motion to hold the record open was approved unanimously.

The commission's decision came after hours of testimony that focused on a small, narrow gravel loop road that serves the church property — Camellia Drive and Wildrose Drive — and on on-site water and septic capacity. Neighbors said the planned expansion could increase traffic on single-lane sections of the loop and exacerbate groundwater and drainage problems; the applicant and county staff said the proposal includes parking, stormwater and septic work and that many issues would be reviewed in detail at building‑permit stage.

Why it matters: Commissioners must weigh whether the applicant has met Benton County Development Code criteria for conditional uses, and neighbors say several of those criteria — impacts on adjacent property, road safety and water supply — are at issue. The commission paused a decision to allow additional written evidence rather than closing the record and proceeding to deliberation.

Staff presentation and legal context

Planning staffer Ina Williams opened the staff report and described the application as a conditional use permit for an expansion…