Moose Jaw city council approved a discretionary use application to allow the Church of God to build a parking lot across the street from their building.

The application would see the church move that house at 630 First Ave. N.E. to a different lot and demolish another derelict house at 73 Hochelaga St. E. and make a paved parking lot at the church’s expense.

City administration had recommended that the application be denied because the property is located within downtown and the Downtown Local Area Plan and the Official Community Plan recommends increased housing within downtown and the need to “redevelop and infill underutilized land with more residential” in downtown.

The plans also outline that parking lots are generally considered a poor use of land in high-density areas and existing lots should be better utilized.

City administration had also received letters in opposition because neighbours were concerned about losing the trees in the area.

Craig Matt from the Church of God spoke to city council, saying the church has been at the current location since 1985 and last expanded in 2010. Even with the most recent expansion, the church continues to grow and they need to expand more.

Matt heads a committee from the church to find solutions to expand and are hoping to use part of their existing parking lot for expansion.

Matt said they have between 650 to 750 church-goers and popular programs like Born2Dance bring in as many as 365 children.

But the argument I’d have is that we know people like to go for lunch after church on Sundays, but our other programs run in the afternoon and evenings five to seven days a week and bring people from all over Moose Jaw to the downtown area,” Matt said.

“These people like to meet before or after their programs for dinner or coffee or maybe run a few errands while they are out and I think that is a tangible boost to the downtown economy.”

He added that they are currently using the street parking and private lots at KFC, Pizza Hut, Rexall, MoneyMart and W.J. Jones & Son Funeral Home. They only have verbal agreements with KFC and the funeral home when space is available.

The church also has fears that, with the funeral home up for sale, they could lose the use of that lot and they were denied when they asked if they could purchase the parking lot.

Matt said the church often receives anger phone calls to move vehicles and once recalled a wedding having to be stopped in order to move vehicles.

There was some concern among councillors when it comes to taxation. Coun. Scott McMann asked if the parking lot would be taxed. Director of Financial Services Brian Acker said the parking lot is separate from the church so he believed it would be taxed.

Other councillors sympathized with the issues that the church is facing and felt they did everything possible to satisfy the Downtown Local Area Plan without starting fights between businesses.

“I understand the issue. I’ve tried to park at Rexall before too for a Sunday service and walk across the street to Victory and I know there are signs there that Rexall wants the parking spots for their customers,” said Coun. Heather Eby.

Coun. Brian Swanson made a motion for the recommendation to deny the application. It was defeated 4-3 with councillors Swanson, McMann and Crystal Froese in favour and councillors Dawn Luhning, Chris Warren, Eby and Mayor Fraser Tolmie opposed.

Tolmie then made a motion to grant the application with the church taking on all expenses. It was passed with Luhning, Warren, Eby and Tolmie in favour and Swanson, McMann and Froese opposed.