Commission approves St. Francis rectory CUP amendment to add third garage stall with window condition

Staff presented a conditional use permit amendment request from St. Francis Catholic Church to add a third garage stall to a rectory under construction. Staff said the additional stall meets required setbacks in the PSP district and recommended holding the public hearing and recommending approval of the amendment.

Father Michael Garry, representing the parish, said the larger rectory is designed to house more priests and that the originally planned second garage elsewhere on the site proved infeasible because of setbacks and lot constraints; the applicant therefore requested the third attached stall. Mitch Beerman (High‑Tech Construction) described the proposed roof framing and elevations and said the third‑stall framing and footing had been poured in winter conditions to protect the project schedule.

Commissioners asked whether the foundation for the third garage had already been poured without formal approval; the applicant said the footings were in place and noted that construction steps had been taken in anticipation of the amendment, but staff clarified that full construction of the garage would still require final approvals. Commissioners expressed concern that a proposed third stall would obscure an arched window on the Ivy Street elevation and asked whether an egress window could be added on the northeast wall.

A motion to approve the conditional use permit amendment with a condition requiring installation of a window on the northeasterly wall facing Ivy Street was made and seconded. The motion passed on a recorded vote of 5–1. Staff said the item will be scheduled for City Council action on Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Quotes are taken from the public hearing and are attributed to speakers listed in the meeting record.