Aberdeen Panel Approves Church Parking Plan

The Aberdeen Planning Commission on Wednesday granted preliminary site plan approval for an 800 square foot expansion of the Grace United Methodist Church on West Bel Air Avenue.

The church is slated to expand its parking lot and make it free to the public, creating 37 new parking spaces in the downtown area. The parking lot would actually contain 41 spaces, but four spaces on the street would be eliminated.

Lance Hersh, a planning commission member who is also president of the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, was thrilled at the prospect.

“I think it’s a huge positive,” said Hersh. “It’s like getting a free parking garage without having to build one.”

Hersh said additional parking is an essential part of revitalizing the downtown area.

Other members, however, were concerned about entering and exiting on West Bel Air Avenue.

“I don’t see the need to dump off of West Bel Air,” said Planning Commission Chairman Joe Swisher. “Parking is tough down there but I don’t see this lot being the overflow parking for it.”

Councilwoman Ruth Ann Young said only allowing cars to exit the parking lot by making a right turn could reduce traffic hazards.

Jennifer Leonard, the director of planning for Frederick Ward Associates, the church’s design consultant on the project, spoke on the church’s behalf.

In addition to expanding its parking lot, the church would:

• Create a new handicap ramp on an existing door.
• Add an elevator to an existing open interior courtyard.
• Refurbish the existing bathrooms.
• Build a new 20x40 kitchen.
• Give the fellowship hall additional space.
• Upgrade Heating Ventilation Air conditioning.

In other business:

The commission approved the final draft of Chapter 475 Subdivision Regulations for the city code.

Director of Planning and Community Development Phyllis Grover said the new proposed regulations would replace 1977 standards.

“We’re trying to bring this up to today’s standards,” Grover said. “This doesn’t address side yards and setbacks. It doesn’t change the development code at all.”

The commission tabled a discussion on amendments to the streets and sidewalks portion of the city code.

At issue was a proposed requirement to make new homeowners responsible for their own sidewalk repair. Some expressed concerns that if homeowners became responsible for their own sidewalks, there would be no uniformity when repairs need to be made on damaged sidewalks in the future.

The commission also approved the 2010 Annual Report for the planning commission and department of planning and community development.