City denies church relocation request

HURON — A congregation’s request to relocate its church in the former Bluebird Consignment building at 208 Dakota Ave. S. was denied by the City Commission Monday on a 3-2 vote.
It was one of three variances and one conditional use permit considered by commissioners, convening as the board of adjustment.
Restoration Church, for years known as First Assembly of God before a name change, was seeking to downsize from its current building at 920 Lincoln Ave. S.W.
Typical Sunday morning worship services are attended by about 85 people, said Pastor Tom Brantner. But the building at Ninth Street and Lincoln Avenue Southwest seats 450 people, and members of the congregation spend a lot of money and time in maintaining it, he said.
Another church has expressed interest in purchasing their current building.
There have been concerns expressed about sufficient parking at the downtown location, but Brantner said he thought it would be adequate with both on- and off-street parking. There was also a possibility the church would acquire the next-door Uncle Ted’s building, demolish it and use that space and the empty space to the south of that.
Amy Goethel from Hurst’s Corner across Dakota Avenue South to the west expressed concerns about limited parking and the fact that there are no traffic lights at the intersection of Second Street and Dakota Avenue South.
The state removed the lights a few years ago.
Businesses in the area sell alcohol and she said the addition of a church could create an unnecessary conflict between parties of opposing beliefs.

Along with its Sunday service, Restoration Church also has a Tuesday evening prayer service and a Wednesday night children’s program. About 10 people attend the prayer service and about 25 kids come to the children’s program.
While Commissioners Mark Robish and Bryan Smith expressed support for the variance, it was opposed by Commissioners Doug Kludt and Gary Harrington and Mayor Paul Aylward.
Harrington and Kludt said it is not a good location for a church, with Kludt also saying it would not help revitalize the downtown, which the recent Huron Rising sessions pointed out as a priority.
Aylward said he has safety concerns and that the public has expressed worries about kids at that intersection after the movie lets out.
Meanwhile, commissioners approved a conditional permit request and two other variance requests.
The conditional use permit will allow Basin Electric Power Cooperative to construct a 76-foot-tall monopole communications tower at 450 Fourth St. N.E., the former site of Sibley Motors and Iverson dealerships.
A variance was approved to allow WLW LLC to construct a garage with an office on a vacant lot at 430 Ohio Ave. S.W. to park snow removal equipment during the winter months where code allows a garage only as an accessary use and not a permitted principal use. There is not a house on the lot. The equipment will be used at the Federal Building parking lot.
Also, a variance filed by Christ Marcus, 1218 Campbell Drive, to construct a six-foot- tall fence where code only allows it to be four feet tall was approved.
Aylward announced that the equipment used to broadcast its meetings on local access Channel 6 was not working Monday. He said they will try to repair the problem and may look at replacing the system.
Commissioners also:
• Approved requests for alcoholic beverage consumption in a public area from Huron Regional Medical Center for a play production Nov. 2-4 at Legacy Plaza and Huron Public Library for a murder mystery dinner Nov. 9 at the library.
• Set Nov. 5 as the public hearing date to consider transferring a retain on-sale liquor license and a package off-sale liquor license from Thunderbird Liquor Inc. to Revs Blue Juice LLC at 1949 Dakota Ave. S.
• Appointed Erica Woodbury to the Community Improvement Committee.
• Approved the regular status of Matt Dooley, concrete assistant, and Sandi Luckett, solid waste maintenance, on completion of their probationary periods.
• Awarded a $706,942 bid to Olson Construction for Third Street dam improvements.
• Authorized Fire Chief Ron Hines to apply for $400,000 in federal matching grant funds toward the replacement of a 1995 International city pumper. Replacement is scheduled for 2020.
• Approved a home occupation permit to allow Brian Koester, 680 Kansas Ave. N.E., to operate a business selling tropical fish and accessories.