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Home My WebLink About2002-10-25 Euless Articles DISTRIBUTED TO: PAGE i OF /', , MAYOR CITY COUNCIL CITY ATTORNEY CRIM HENNIG MCKAMIE DE LA CRUZ RIDGWAY YOUNG McDONALD COLLINS WILHITE GETCHELL LIBRARY ADMIN LIBRARY REF ANIMAL CNTR DATE DISTRIBUTED (0 f.P,S /U DATE OF ARTICLE \ C) f a:) I C)- NEWSPAPER FWST Eule municipalities must show a Theold Food Lion building ssrejects compelling governmental inter- is surrounded by commnercial J est before imposing land-use sites such as Kroger and Albert- rules that are a substantial bur- sons. The Planning and Zoning chureh's JJl�n den on a religious organization. Commission had recommendd Hulet said he believes that that the council deny the specif the council denied the request is-use permit. ' because the church would not "You're an excellent church for old store bring in very ...but I'm going along with P&Z. ry disappointed," he I still don't think this is the best I said after the meeting. "I think possible use,"Miller said. 1 ' RELIGION The Food Lion building has they did in fact make a decision Supporters of the church been vacant since 1995, based on revenue. No reason packed the council chambers ,. but a City Council member says Grace was given whatsoever for deny- Tuesday night. About 120 pep= Community Church would not be the ing. ple submitted written support • best use of the property. City Attorney Bob McFarland for the church. Several church said the law does not prevent the members appealed to the courx- , , By EJ.J.FN SCHROEDER council from denying the cil not to make a decision based STAR TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER request if council members con- EULESS—A church with a 21-year histo- dude that the church would not on financialfrevn reasons,s, such as loss of revenue from sales taxes ry in Euless will not be allowed to move into be the best use of the land.The or property taxes. a vacant Food Lion building, although the tax-exempt status of the church "Much of what Grace Com-. pastor says the decision runs counter to a should not be an issue,he said. munity Church can bring to the:(federal law about land use for religious "Even before federal legisla- city could never be measur d organizations. tion was adopted, it has always c , Y by dollars and cents," church,The City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday night been our position that the tax- member Paul Hunsberger said. Jo deny a specific-use permit for Grace exempt status of ail organza- The 500-member church has Community Church. The church had want- tion is not a basis on which a been in Euless for 21 years,with ed to buy and renovate the vacant Food Lion zoning case can be decided," eight of those years at its cur,, wilding at Harwood Road and Main Street o expand its congregation.The building has McFarland said. rent location on Kynette Drive. Mayor Mary Lib Saleh and The church attracts about 300 been empty since 1995. Council members did not say why they Councilman Glenn Porterfield members each Sunday and out enied the request, though Councilman voted against denying the per- grew its sanctuary about three :Charlie Miller said the church would not be mot' years ago,declinedHule said the best use of thepropertyIn September 2000, the He to comment on Watauga City Council took a the church's plans after the vote, j Pastor Eric Hulet said the council should different tack in approving an Ellen Schroeder,(817)685-3815 lave approved the permit under a 2000 fed- eral law that limits municipalities' ability to ance that allows religious eschroeder@star telegram.com impose zoning and land-use restrictions on institutions tuti district into thelo citye in anyligious organizations. zoned in city. The Religious Land Use and Institution- The issue arose when the t alized Persons Act of 2000 states that Worth requestedc Asso on eo tFo a Worth to operate a mosque in a Watauga neighbor- , I hood.The city attorney advised the council that it is obligated to approve the zoning change because of the First Amend- • ment, which in part states that Congress "shall make no law I respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." In Euless, some commercial businesses have expressed interest in the Food Lion site since 1995, but those deals did not work out, according to a city planner.