Westfield board approves variance to allow taller sanctuary roof for Cornerstone Bible Church

The Westfield Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously to approve a development-standards variance allowing Cornerstone Bible Church to increase the roof height of a proposed sanctuary at 720 Liberty Drive, the board decided at its meeting.

Dane Crabtree, with the Community Development Department, said the filing was a refiling of an earlier petition and that the petitioner provided additional exhibits after withdrawing the prior application. Crabtree told the board the item had been publicly noticed and that the department had received no public comments.

Attorney Dave Coutts, representing Cornerstone Bible Church, presented the application. Coutts said the requested roofline would align with the church's existing exterior and that, because the use is a church rather than a residence as defined in the ordinance, the project required a variance. "Our request is 33 feet," Coutts said, and he argued that identical residential lots in the development are permitted up to 35 feet. He added that strict application of the ordinance would require a flat roof that would be inconsistent with the existing building's appearance and that the variance meets the ordinance's practical-difficulty criteria.

The chair opened a public hearing; staff reported there were no in-person or emailed public comments during the hearing and the public hearing was closed.

Board members asked questions about the steeple and the board's authority. One board member observed that the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) expressly exempts steeples from height limits, saying the steeple is not subject to the height standard cited for the body of the building. Another member expressed concern about the steeple's visual impact, saying it would be very tall relative to nearby structures and that, if he were a nearby resident, he "would be going ballistic," but also acknowledged the issue before the board was limited to the variance request.

A motion to approve case 2507 VSO9 with the recommended conditions was made and seconded. The board called the roll; Dr. Keane, Mr. Boller, Mr. Clarino and Mr. Bonkafist voted yes and the motion carried. The board subsequently voted to approve the findings of fact related to the variance with the same voting outcome.

No public comments were recorded on the record. The variance was approved with the board's recommended conditions; the record shows the petitioner had supplied additional exhibits with the refiling and the department had received no public input during the hearing.

The meeting moved on to reports and comments after the item and adjourned later in the session.