Brethren Christian permit under review

The Planning Commission will review the use of Brethren Christian Junior and Senior High School’s gymnasium and field Tuesday after numerous complaints from residents and two notifications from the city.

Brethren Christian’s conditional use permit will be scrutinized by the commission and could face further review, be put on a public hearing for modifications or be revoked.

The conditional use permit was approved by the City Council in May and allows the private school to build a 27,000-square-foot, 31-foot-tall gymnasium, use it for school and community uses and employ the existing soccer field as a football field with bleacher seating and four portable lights.

The city issued a Notice of Violation in October and a civil citation in November for failing to follow the conditions of approval by using more lights than allowed during football games, according to city documents.

Neighbors have been fighting the construction of the gymnasium for the past eight months and have formed the group Neighborhoods for Safety and Quality. The group filed a lawsuit June 19 against the city and had its attorney file a request to revoke the school’s permit.

“The city should have never approved this in the first place,” said neighbor Terry Crowther.

School officials did not return calls Friday.

The residents are concerned about the size of the gym and are asking for it to be reduced to 18,000 square feet. In addition, the neighbors want to eliminate nighttime football games because they don’t want the lights shining in their houses, bands playing and people screaming, and are against allowing anyone beside the school to use the facilities, with the exception of the American Youth Soccer Organization.

“They’ve shown they don’t give a damn about the conditions of use,” Crowther said.

The building is part of the school’s $3.5-million renovation plan and will be used for more than just a gym, project applicant Kevin Coleman has said. It will also hold two large storage facilities and restrooms for the American Youth Soccer Organization, a weight room, a dance and cheer room, a storage facility for drama, a concessions stand, two offices, and team lockers and restrooms.

The Planning Commission will meet at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday in room B-8 at the Civic Center.