Council approves conditional use permit for Rice Lake Bible Chapel addition with parking condition

The council directed the city attorney to draft a resolution approving a conditional use permit for an 8,550‑square‑foot addition to Rice Lake Bible Chapel at 8801 Rice Lake Road. The addition will include a new entrance and lobby, a kitchen, a main gathering space with a stage and indoor recreation courts (pickleball and volleyball), and associated circulation improvements.

CED Intern Lee Eubanks told the Council the addition requires 195 parking stalls based on seating; the site currently has 98 stalls and has demonstrated proof of 97 future additional stalls to meet the requirement. Staff noted minor outstanding comments and said the applicant’s design avoids encroaching on a 20‑foot storm sewer easement. Neighbor concerns about preserving mature trees along the south and west property lines were discussed; the applicant’s architect, Steve Krause, said parking expansion would be constructed only if needed. The motion to approve drafting the resolution and CUP, subject to the referenced memorandums and a requirement that any parking expansion require a CUP amendment, carried 3–0.

The approval is conditioned on the applicant addressing remaining Community & Economic Development and Engineering comments and on the requirement that proof of parking be implemented only if future need requires expansion.