Use Permit Application No. PLN2024-0070- Hickman Community Church

Request to expand an existing church by 42,469± square feet, to allow for the construction of four two-story classroom buildings, a 9,700± square-foot replacement sanctuary building with 600-seat capacity, a kitchen, two restrooms, three storage buildings, a picnic canopy, and to install a new monument sign, in six phases. The project also proposes to hold special events and conferences, to demolish 7,491± square feet of existing structures, to improve the existing basketball court, and to renovate an existing commercial kitchen. The project site consists of two parcels, a 1.29± acre parcel in the Rural Residential (R-A) zoning district and a 7.62± acre parcel in the General Agriculture (A-2-10) zoning district. Use Permit No. UP2000-10 approved the development of up to 46,245 square feet of structures and 5.43 acres of outdoor improvements (such as athletic fields, an amphitheater, drainage basins, and open space areas) on the project site. Subsequent staff approval permits have downscaled the approved development to 4.26 acres of outdoor improvements and 36,717± square feet of structures including five classroom buildings, a 10,000± square-foot replacement sanctuary building, a 4,400± square-foot multipurpose building, two storage buildings, a basketball court, and a playground. Ultimately, the site has been improved with 28,865± square feet of existing buildings including five classroom buildings, an 1,831± square-foot sanctuary building, a 4,195± square-foot multipurpose building, two storage buildings, a basketball court, a playground, multiple shade structures, and a tent for outdoor services. 7,491± square feet of these structures are set to be demolished in Phases Two through Six. Two of the storage buildings, the monument sign, and the kitchen renovations (approximately 2,140± square feet of construction) will be constructed on Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) 019-047-013, and the remaining 40,329± square feet of the proposed improvements will occur on APN 019-047-012. As a result of project approval, existing structures such as: three existing modular classroom buildings, two unpermitted canopies, and an existing storage building, will be demolished. After expansion, the church will be developed with a total of 71,334± square feet of improvements. Phase One will consist of renovating an existing commercial kitchen; permitting a previously unpermitted modular classroom building and existing lights at the basketball court; and constructing a new monument sign, one of the two-story, 4,800± square-foot classroom buildings and two 300± square-foot entry canopies, to an existing 4,195± square-foot multipurpose building on APN 019-047-012. Phase Two will consist of demolishing two existing entry canopies and constructing 32 additional parking stalls and two restrooms, 300± square feet each, on APN 019-047-012. Phase Three will consist of demolishing the 4,000± square-foot tent used for large service events and constructing a new parking lot in place of the existing baseball field, a 9,700± square-foot replacement sanctuary building with 600-seat capacity, and a two-story, 3,800± square-foot classroom building on APN 019-047-012. Phase Four will consist of constructing a two-story, 19,020± square-foot classroom building, a 700± square-foot kitchen, and a 2,000± square-foot storage building on APN 019-047-012, as well as demolishing two modular classroom buildings on APN 019-047-012 and one modular classroom building on APN 019-047-013. Phase Five will consist of constructing a two-story, 5,600± square-foot classroom building on APN 019-047-012. Phase Six will consist of demolishing an existing storage building on APN 019-047-012; constructing an 1,000± square-foot picnic canopy and 440± square-foot storage building on APN 019-047-012; and constructing a 1,700± square-foot storage building on APN 019-047-013. The Church’s existing hours of service of Sunday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. with the exceptions of Easter, Christmas, and New Years (when the Church is permitted to operate from sunrise to 1:30 a.m.) will remain the same. On-site activities consist of Sunday morning and evening church services, Sunday morning Bible study classes, and Wednesday evening Bible study classes for adults. The church also hosts three two-day conferences per year with 100 to 300 attendees, four to six weddings and funerals per year, and monthly large service events in the spring and summer. Occasional baptisms and other large services with typically 350 to 380 attendees take place outdoors in place of regular Sunday morning service using a tent in one of the existing parking lots. A portable PA system is used for amplified sound inside the tent as part of these events, which were not permitted by previous land use entitlements. The applicant has proposed to keep the tent set up on-site year-round. Additionally, the Church has proposed approximately three to five outdoor social events per year for members of the church, which would typically occur on Fridays or Saturdays between the hours of approximately 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. with expected attendance of 50 to 100 people. The PA system will not be used as part of these outdoor social events. The number of attendees for church services are anticipated to be expanded up to a total of 600 parishioners from the previously approved 400, as a result of the proposed sanctuary building being constructed. Additionally, it is anticipated the number of Sunday school and adult education students will increase to 200 and 240, respectively. Use of the facility is and will continue to be for members of the church and will not be available to the general public. The site is served by a private septic system and receives public water from the City of Waterford. The project site has an existing paved parking lot with 191 stalls. Two new parking lots are proposed to be developed as part of Phases Two and Three, bringing total available parking on-site to 417 stalls. The site has existing light poles within the parking area and landscaped planters along the parking areas. In addition to the proposed monument sign, the site has an existing five-foot by six-foot illuminated wall sign attached to a classroom building. The site is currently enclosed with existing seven-foot-tall chain-link perimeter fencing. This use permit application was submitted in response to an active Code Enforcement case for unpermitted installation of two modular classroom buildings and construction of canopy structures on-site (No. CE 24-0038).