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Council postpones decision on Capitol Church’s McCoy Center proposal amid parking and trail-safety concerns
Summary
Council postponed a conditional-use decision on a plan to convert the McCoy Center into a place of worship for Capitol Church after council members raised concerns about parking (174 existing spaces vs. 88 required in plan) and pedestrian conflicts with a nearby trail; applicants said services would be primarily Sunday mornings. Postponement set for May 26, 2026.
Hilliard City Council voted on April 27 to postpone consideration of a conditional-use request that would change the McCoy Center at 5462 Center Street into a place of worship for Capitol Church. The council set the item for further consideration at the May 26 meeting to allow staff and the applicant to refine conditions addressing pedestrian and parking concerns.
Planning staff described the site as an existing 25,831-square-foot event center with 174 parking spaces. The church’s application contemplates a main auditorium of roughly 500 seats; under the Old Hilliard Residential District code, staff said a 50% reduction in the standard parking calculation reduces required parking to 88 spaces for the proposed configuration. Applicant representatives, including Charles Tillett, said services would be primarily Sunday mornings; Pastor Luke Peterson said the church currently holds two services at a different location and would not consolidate all members into a single, larger arrival time.
Council members pressed for clarity about pedestrian interaction between congregants and the adjacent multiuse trail and for contingencies if the congregation grows. “Sunday morning tends to be a pretty busy time on the trail right there,” a council member said, querying whether 88 spaces would safely accommodate both trail users and churchgoers. The applicant acknowledged the concern and said they were open to implementing recommended safety measures and strategies.
Planning staff and the city attorney suggested council could require a condition for applicant consultation with staff to create a strategy to minimize pedestrian–traffic conflicts subject to staff approval, or the council could postpone to give staff time to draft an implementable condition. A motion to postpone to May 26, 2026, passed on the council floor and was recorded as postponed to 05/26/2026.
What’s next: Staff will work with the applicant to draft pedestrian-traffic mitigation and parking conditions for council consideration at the May 26 meeting.
