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Council amends Community Baptist Church conditional-use permit and removes always-unlocked gate requirement
Summary
The council approved an amendment to the church’s conditional use permit allowing an existing flush gate to remain; council removed a proposed condition requiring the southern gate to remain unlocked at all times and added flexibility so the church may manage access when fields are not publicly scheduled.
The City Council approved a Conditional Use Permit amendment allowing the existing flush fence gate on the southern boundary of the Community Baptist Church property (500 10th Ave NE) to remain.
Staff told the council that the 1988 CUP (with a 2022 amendment) included 14 conditions, and that one condition required an overlapping offset gate to ensure field access during emergencies. The church requested retaining the existing flush gate and sought flexibility to lock the gate when the fields are not in public use. Planning staff initially recommended either signage or leaving the gate unlocked; the Planning Commission recommended the gate remain unlocked but did not require signage.
The church’s pastor, John Stephens, and project manager Dave Pouts addressed the council and said they have no present intention to lock the gate but asked that the condition be framed to require the gate be unlocked when the fields are being used publicly rather than require it to stay unlocked at all times. Council members discussed safety access and alternative entry points and ultimately voted to strike the condition that would have required the southern gate to remain unlocked at all times. The amended resolution passed by voice vote.
