Planning Commission Agenda and Packet 2018 12 13

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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes October 11, 2018 Page 5 of 17 Hoefner asked if the applicant had considered putting the columbarium somewhere else where it would be a use -by -right. Lord responded that a columbarium like the one proposed is meant to be a part of the church. Hsu asked about access to the Columbarium. Lord stated that the sanctuary was contained within the building and the access to the columbarium would be through exterior doors on the east side of the sanctuary space. Doors are open during church and community events. Hsu asked for confirmation that the sanctuary doors led to the rest of the church and not directly to the outside. Lord stated that access to the columbarium would be regulated by the front doors of the church, which were open mostly during church events and sometimes for other community events, such as AA meetings. Howe asked if the applicant had considered a roof over the columbarium. Lehman responded that they had considered a roof but figured that it would bring more attention to the space. Ritchie responded to Commissioner Hoefner's earlier question about the lot coverage of the columbarium. The existing building was roughly 6,300 square feet and the columbarium would be 350 square feet, meaning it would take up less than 5% of the total space of a building that was on a three -and -a -half acre site. Brauneis opened public comment and requested that the emails be entered into the record. Hsu moved and Moline seconded. Voice vote. Motion passed unanimously. Lu Yu, 720 Pine Needle Lane, stated that the proposed columbarium would be contrary to neighborhood welfare. No neighbors on his street thought it was a good idea. A cemetery classification was not compatible with the character of the surrounding neighborhood, even though it might be compatible with the church architecture. Louisville has a public cemetery within minutes of the church. He asked the City to reject the application. Jane Massie, 178 South Buchanan Avenue, stated that she had not received notice of the proposal even though she lived three blocks from the church. She thought that it would set a precedent and therefore all city residents deserved notice. She stated that the columbarium was a new phenomenon that was not in the Lutheran church that she grew up in. She asked the Commission to consider people's feelings and not just if the proposal met the criteria. She added that the vacation bible school would use the door to access the yard and that the door would be an emergency door. She stated that Christ the Servant would continue to serve the community and the Church was more about faith than having the dead around. 7