Parish and residents urge commission to remove church property from housing sites list

A string of public speakers at the Aug. 5 special meeting urged the planning commission to remove the 300 block Church Street parcel from the city's housing-element sites inventory, saying the parish will not sell and that inclusion risks legal and civil-rights challenges.

Steve Wilson, an attorney representing the parish, told the commission the land "is set aside for a Catholic school" and said "the church is not going to sell the land voluntarily," arguing there is a "solid legal basis" to resist any forced acquisition. Other speakers — including Nancy Fontana and Liesel Tanner — echoed concerns about the property's inclusion after two years of public opposition and asked why alternate sites were not pursued. Tanner said she has children who attend the parish school and described the parcel as an active community resource.

City Attorney Mary replied that listing a parcel in the housing element does not compel development or signal eminent-domain plans: "The adoption of the overlay does not compel the church to develop housing on its property. It doesn't preclude the church from developing its proposed parochial school," she said. Commissioners debated whether staff could find a replacement site and whether it would be feasible under the HCD timeline.

Why it matters: Church leaders and local residents asked the commission to weigh community preservation and religious-freedom concerns against statutory obligations to provide housing capacity. The commission ultimately recommended the zoning changes but added a direction to seek a substitute site for the church parcel within six months of HCD/Coastal certification.