Church group seeks conditional-use permit to open upstairs as community space; council sets April 23 public hearing

Applicants Britney Hanki and Mark presented to the council their plan to convert the upstairs of a church at 308 1st Avenue into a community multi-use space. Hanki said the upstairs needs minimal alterations and the group intends to use the space for community events and to accept donations rather than charge a rental fee. "We'd like to start painting, decorating, and letting people rent it by donation as they wish," Hanki said.

City staff and the city attorney explained the procedural steps required for a conditional-use permit (CUP): the city must publish notice in advance and hold a hearing that allows neighbors and other members of the public to comment before the council takes action. Given the statutory notice and publication timeline, the council scheduled the CUP hearing for the April 23 council meeting and directed staff to publish the required notices and adjacent-property notices in time for that hearing.

The council emphasized that comments from nearby residents are part of the required record and recommended that the applicants coordinate with staff on any additional materials or clarifications before the hearing. No final decision was made tonight; the hearing will collect public input and the council may act at that meeting.