Decatur planning panel tables River City Pentecostal site plan after neighborhood parking concerns

The Decatur Planning Commission on July 21 tabled a site-plan request for River City Pentecostal Church at the corner of Fifth Street and Fourteenth Avenue Northwest after residents raised concerns about parking and traffic. The motion to table was made by Commissioner Frances Tate and seconded by Commissioner Larry Wade and carried at the applicant's request.
Tommy Williams, planner with the City of Decatur planning department, described site plan 710-25 as a 0.032-acre proposal in an R-4 multifamily zone for an institutional use. He said conditions to be met include adding building square footage to the plans, showing perimeter landscaping, adding internal circulation arrows and obtaining engineering approval. Williams also noted any relocation of utilities will be at the owner's expense and must occur before construction.
Jackson McAnally, representing River City Pentecostal Church, said the plan shows 14 parking spaces and that the zoning ordinance requires 20, leaving a shortfall of six spaces. "We have 14 shown parking spaces and the requirement per the zoning ordinance was 20. So we have a lack of 6 parking spaces," McAnally said. He told the commission the church expects some demand to occur outside peak commuter hours, noting Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings as examples.
A resident who did not give a name told commissioners the adjacent street is narrow and already used for residential parking and school bus traffic and warned the church's events would add congestion. "That street is a small street, and those residents have no alternative but to park on the street," the resident said. She added: "I have a problem with the parking. That is gonna create another problem. Also, we have those buses coming from Benjamin Davis..." The resident also cited other church activities — night services and conventions — that would increase parking demand.
At the applicant's request the commission voted to table the item so the applicant could reconsider the parking layout. The planning staff record indicates the applicant obtained a use-on-appeal approval in May and a recent variance for parking, per Williams, but the commission asked the applicant to return with revised plans addressing on-site parking and circulation before the matter is considered again.
The site plan is guided by the city's 1 Decatur comprehensive plan, which Williams referenced as the primary decision tool for planning commission recommendations to City Council. Next steps identified at the meeting: the applicant is expected to revise the site plan to show additional circulation details and parking options and then resubmit for the commission's consideration.