Faith Evangelical Free Church Will Expand

The Lower Macungie Planning Commission has unanimously recommended the towship's zoning hearing board grant all but one variance that requested for its expansion project at the Nov. 8 meeting.

The request for a parking variance was the sole sticking point.

The church submitted the plans for the first phase of the development project for the 13.68-acre site which includes a three-story, 14,000-square-foot addition to the church.

The Rev. Jack Wilson of Faith Free Church and Bud Newton of Newton Engineering Group in Allentown, approached the planners with the variance requests.

“We need to address ministry needs now,” said Wilson. “Education classes need to be consolidated for security purposes, and we need space for socializing.”

The proposed development includes plans to build the three-story structure in the rear of the church after removing the two portable buildings there now. The larger wing will include education facilities, office space, a second sanctuary and a social gathering area.

Wilson said the current gathering space is limited to hallways, and the church needs space where church-goers can have coffee between the 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. services.

Wilson and Newton also asked for a variance for an additional 547 parking spaces which would bring the church's total to 1,250 spaces — fewer than the zoning ordinance requires.

Maury Robert, planning commission chairman, was not happy with the parking lot variance.

“You are increasing the social gathering space and adding a sanctuary.  You should be adding more parking spaces than what you are,” he said.

Wilson and Newton tried to explain that they cannot afford to add more than 547 spaces in Phase I.

“We need to stay under an acre of disturbance. To go over the acre would require additional criteria we cannot afford at this time,” Wilson said.

Though they tried to assure the commissioners that parking would not be a problem, Robert was not convinced.

“While people are drinking coffee and socializing following the 9:30 service, which ends at 10:30, they are not moving their cars and making room for the next service at 11,” he said.

Wilson told the planners that the church currently has an agreement with that allows for overflow parking if needed. Parishioners are transported from the school to the church by a shuttle bus, he said.

Planning commissioners recommended the church extend the installation of sidewalks to the nearby and establish an agreement with it for overflow parking as an alternative to the school site.  Some people, they said, may even choose to walk instead of riding the bus.

Newton said a sidewalk would add a financial burden to the project, but it would be considered.

Commissioner Brent McNabb shared his concerns about the lack of a fire hydrant and sprinklers that were not included in the plan.  McNabb also serves the township as the assistant fire chief at the .

“They are not a requirement, but should be considered with this size of a building. We were told these would be put in at the last expansion, but it wasn’t done,” he said.

Robert said he was not prepared to make a decision at this time, especially since some of the paperwork was first received at the meeting.

“I have a real problem with this plan,” Robert said.

Wilson declined to comment after the meeting.