
A vacant apartment building on Park Street in Waterville, above, is one of two that the First Church of Waterville, in background, seeks to demolish to increase parking and provide a church entrance that is accessible to those with handicaps. The Planning Board voted Tuesday night to send the latest plan for the property to the City Council, which has the final say. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel file
WATERVILLE — A long-standing debate on whether the First Church of Waterville can raze two buildings off Park Street to expand its parking lot and build an entrance ramp could be resolved next week.
The Planning Board voted 4-1 on Tuesday night to recommend the City Council approve revisions to the zoning contract for 3, 5 and 7 Park St., with the condition that City Engineer Andy McPherson sign off on a revised site plan discussed and agreed upon at the meeting.
Councilors are scheduled to take up the matter next Tuesday night.
A discussion involving Planning Board members; the church’s senior pastor, Stephen Meidahl; and church engineer Jeff Allen of A.E. Hodsdon Consulting Engineers of Waterville went back and forth for about an hour Tuesday, including much debate on whether the most recent site plan that the church presented for the parking lot was safer than one with changes that McPherson recommended.

Meidahl and Allen said that McPherson’s plan would eliminate 11 parking spaces at the lot, and the church is trying to get as many spaces as possible for its elderly congregants who have mobility issues.
After a five-minute break Tuesday night, the parties came to an agreement on a lot configuration that would eliminate fewer spaces.
A number of changes suggested by McPherson were added to the plan: The parking lot would have one entrance and one exit; traffic aisles would be narrowed to 22 feet from 24 feet; parking spaces facing Park Place would be set back 4 feet; and spaces would be changed to angular parking where possible, except on Park Place, which is perpendicular to Park Street.
The church’s address is 1 Park St. Buildings on the property include a duplex at 3 Park St. that is within 10 feet of the back wall of the church, and a former funeral home at 5 Park St. that once had three apartments. The buildings, which had been renovated, are now vacant because the tenants were asked to leave and the apartments were gutted.
Church officials said Jan. 14 they planned to tear down two buildings on the property, expand the 22-space parking lot to 52 spaces and build a ramp at the rear of the church that is accessible to those with handicaps. They said that if the buildings are not demolished, there would not be enough space to build the ramp.
The Planning Board voted 5-2 on Jan. 14 to postpone until Jan. 28 making a recommendation to the City Council about whether it should approve revisions to the contract zone for 3, 5 and 7 Park St. The council had voted 5-0 on Dec. 18 to refer the matter back to the Planning Board.
At the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting, Allen reported that church officials had decided to stick with their original plan and not make changes.
Board member Heath Dunn said he was struggling with the fact that the board and church had come so far in discussions, only to have the church draw a line in the sand and not discuss new recommendations.
Meidahl said federal law allows the church to do what it wants with its property, and claims that the city’s plan was safer than the church’s were speculative.
Planning Board member Tom Nale Sr. said the city was not interfering with religious rights because the church knew the zoning when it bought the property. Nale said he would follow McPherson’s recommendation that his plan was safer than what the church was offering.
The board then called for a break, from which the new agreement emerged.
Church officials said more than a year ago that the congregation had grown, requiring more parking space. After neighbors and city officials pushed back on that request, church officials began emphasizing the need to build a ramp at the back of the church.
The church had initially asked the City Council to rezone the property from Contract Zoned District Commercial-A to Residential-D. Councilors said they wanted to protect the neighbors’ interests, and suggested a restructured contract zone be developed that would address parking, egress and buffers.
Councilors voted unanimously Nov. 20 to reject the church’s request to rezone the land so the church could tear down the two buildings, expand the parking lot and build a ramp. This led to a discussion between church and city officials on how to change the contract zone in which the property is located to meet the needs of the church and its neighbors.
Church neighbors have maintained that tearing down former apartment buildings and drawing more traffic to the area would disrupt the historic and residential nature of the neighborhood. They also said it would eliminate housing when the city needs more.
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