Jenks Planning Commission approves specific-use permit for church space at Candlewood Suites

The Jenks Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a specific-use permit (SUP) allowing an assembly use — a church — to lease and build out about 1,219 square feet of retail/ground-floor space at 90 Sixth Street (also referred to as Main Street) within the Candlewood Suites development.

The commission acted after a staff report from Planning Director Ms. Hilton, who described the request as a move from an hourly event-space arrangement in the hotel to a permanent leased space. Ms. Hilton said the church has operated in the hotel’s event space for several years without creating nuisances and that the hotel owner is willing to enter a lease. "They have been there. They've been operating. They have not created any nuisances ... I recommend approval," Ms. Hilton said.

The applicant, Josh Krebs, told the commission the church would use the space for more regular programming — weekday meetings, classrooms and an auditorium — rather than renting by the hour. "We could build a stage in there, set up our chairs, put our sound equipment up," Krebs said. He said current attendance is about 30–40 people on a typical Sunday and that the hotel and nearby Gateway property have agreed to provide available parking and overflow parking as needed. Krebs said the lease offered by the hotel is for two years.

Why it matters: the SUP changes an accessory hotel-event use that was previously rented on an hourly basis into a dedicated assembly use. Under Jenks code and state statute guidance cited by staff, some assembly uses in certain districts require SUPs because of their size, intensity or potential effects on the public realm.

Key details and limits - Location: approximately 90 Sixth Street / Main Street, Candlewood Suites ground floor space. - Proposed area: roughly 1,219 square feet. - Applicant: Josh Krebs (address given for the public record). - Lease: two-year lease reported by the applicant; the hotel owner confirmed willingness to contract for the use. - Parking: hotel parking plus overflow arrangement with adjacent Gateway property was described; staff reported no known parking conflicts to date. - SUP duration and sunset: Ms. Hilton explained the SUP is indefinite once established but projects must begin within two years or request an extension; if construction/start does not occur the SUP can lapse.

Commission action and vote A motion to approve the SUP passed unanimously. Recorded votes in the transcript were: Commissioner Wilson — yes; Commissioner Boers — yes; Commissioner Bowman — yes; Commissioner Nixon — yes; Commissioner Stevens — yes; Chair West — yes. The commission recorded the SUP as moving forward to the City Council; staff said the city council will consider the case at its March 25 meeting (the March 18 meeting had been postponed to March 25 due to spring break).

Context and next steps Ms. Hilton said staff considered amending the Candlewood PUD but recommended the SUP as a narrower mechanism to allow a single assembly use without reopening the entire PUD. Staff also reviewed parking, signage and building-use questions with the applicant and hotel operator. The applicant said signage would be minimal (stickers on the door and an A-frame sign during service times). If the hotel ownership or lease arrangements change in the future, those are contractual matters between the hotel and the assembly; staff said that could affect the SUP’s practical continuation if the use ceased and the permit was not reestablished.

The commission’s approval sends the SUP forward to the Jenks City Council for final action; the council date was announced as March 25 on the record. The public comment period at the Planning Commission produced no speakers on this SUP item.