On April 12 I took this photo of the North Albany field that Northside Christian Church wants to develop.
Benton County has set a date for the board of commissioners to hear the appeal by Northside Christian Church, which wants to build a worship building and parking lot in a North Albany field.
The hearing will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 7, in the Holmes & Shipley Meeting Room on the first floor of the Benton County Kalapuya Building, 4500 SW Research Way, Corvallis.
The church owns the 19.4-acre property at 4500 Powers Ave. NW, outside the Albany city limits, where it wants to build.
It has plans for an 18,900-square-foot structure that has been referred to as a gym. The county’s notice describes it as a “church building to serve as a worship space and multi-purpose facility for up to 500 people.”
The plans also call for a 2,160-square-foot storage building and a parking lot for 189 cars.
Churches are allowed as a conditional use in the rural residential zone that covers the property, and the Benton County planning commission voted 4-2 on May 5 to deny the church’s request for a conditional use permit.
The county planning staff summarized the reasons the applicant gave for the appeal:
“The appeal challenges the planning commission’s decision, stating it was not supported by adequate findings or substantial evidence and that the revised application was not properly evaluated. The appellant further contends that the decision relied on speculative future impacts and included procedural errors.”
The county commissioners will hold a new hearing before deciding whether to uphold or reverse the planning commission.
The planning staff asked that any public testimony on the permit issue should be submitted by email to landuseappeals@bentoncountyor.
Any testimony received by the county by June 22 will be included in the packet going to the board before the hearing. Testimony received after June 22 will be submitted at the hearing.
The Northside congregation bought the property in May 2023 for $1.1 million, according to county records.
The church plans to use a house on the property as its parsonage. The barn in the field would be removed.
The field has been farmed as long as my family has lived in the neighborhood, which is 49 years. As far as I can tell, clover is what grows there now. (hh)
Thanks for this update, Hasso.
Did Northside list what purposes are included in the “church building to serve as a worship space and multi-purpose facility for up too 500 people.”?
Will there be a day care facility?
Will the parking lot for 189 cars have security lighting and cameras?
You omitted the part where Northside is appealing because the Benton County Planning Board members made their decision based on “Reliance on generalized neighborhood opposition”
There are also issues about the noise levels of cars arriving/leaving and all the activities around that spot.
Most people aren’t aware that Benton county is the least religious county in the entire country — meaning it has the highest percentage of non-religious affiliated residents per capita. Personally, I’d very much like for it to remain this way.
The least religious county in the country is the one that’s most in need. Jesus instructed His followers to go into all the world and preach the gospel. That is the mission of the church.
I still feel the church needs to be back in town so that access to the church is reasonable and inviting to all.
There’s multiple churches that don’t have ready access to somebody. Why is this different?
Churches usually can’t afford property closer to town. Even if they could, that would remove significant tax revenue to the city.
However, I didn’t understand how a church in the country can serve people in a city. Seems antithetical to the Christian mission.
You might want to look into the attendance and growth of the church. It has had no difficulty attracting people and serving it’s congregation. I have known many people in my life who have been more than willing to drive some distance in order to attend a church that meets their needs and where they feel supported and encouraged.
Do you attend the church? Apparently the staff and congregation don’t share your concern.
This is a “Prosperity Gospel” church. Furthest thing from Jesus’s teachings. They should pay their taxes and support those in need. Not break zoning for their little playground.
Aggie, have you ever attended this church? If you have then you would know that it teaches straight from the bible!