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Council denies Mill Street closure for Elevation Church block party
Summary
Belmont City Council voted to deny a request from Elevation Church to close a section of Mill Street for a Sept. 8 block party, citing safety, parking and precedent concerns. Council urged staff to pursue park or school-field alternatives for the event.
Belmont City Council voted on Aug. 19, 2024, to deny an ordinance that would have closed a portion of Mill Street on Sept. 8 to accommodate an Elevation Church block party.
The denial followed a staff presentation and a detailed exchange between council members and the church’s pastor about logistics, liability, and expected attendance. Miles (staff) explained the application raised questions about vendor insurance, use of bounce houses and the narrow footprint of the proposed closure. Pastor Matt of Elevation Church told council he expected about 500 people after the 9:30 service and roughly 400 after the 11:30 service and said the event would be open to the public.
Council members repeatedly flagged public-safety and parking concerns for downtown Main/Mill Street. “I think the field would be a phenomenal spot if we could figure out how to…what type of insurance policy would cover those things,” Miles said during the discussion. One council member, speaking in his capacity as an attorney, raised constitutional concerns, noting the risk of appearance of favoring a religious organization if the city grants a street closure for a church event.
After council debated alternatives — including the park pavilion, the upper field, or local school athletic fields — Alex moved to deny the ordinance authorizing the Mill Street closure; Charlie seconded. The motion carried by voice vote and the ordinance was denied. The council did not record a roll-call tally in the workshop minutes provided.
Council members encouraged staff and the applicant to continue discussions about alternative locations and necessary insurance and permitting if the church wishes to hold an event in the community in a different format. The applicant thanked council and departed after the vote.
What's next: staff will continue to work with the applicant on alternative sites and requirements; no further council action on this specific street-closure request was recorded at the workshop.
