Christian Reformed Church Site Plan OK’d

A site plan for the expansion of the Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church at 1717 Broadway St has received approval from the Ann Arbor city council. Council action took place at its Nov. 7, 2013 meeting. The city planning commission had recommended approval of the project at its Oct. 1, 2013 meeting.

The site plan proposal called for tearing down five existing buildings and constructing a 12,850-square-foot, two-story addition to the rear of the church. The addition will be used for educational activities at the church, which is located on a 4.3-acre site in Ward 1, southwest of Broadway’s intersection with Plymouth Road.

According to a staff memo, only minor changes are proposed for the existing 142-space parking lot. Additional sidewalks will be added, including a roughly 20-foot extension of the public sidewalk along Broadway Street, which currently stops short of the south property line.

Because the church is located in an area zoned for single-family residential use (R1C zoning), a special exception use approval was needed from the planning commission. The city’s planning staff noted that the church has been located there for about 50 years. The church has a capacity of 126 seats, which will remain unchanged. At their Oct. 1 meeting, planning commissioners unanimously voted to grant approval for a special exception use.

The project is estimated to cost about $3 million. No approval was required from the city council for the special exception use.

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow.