Mail Tribune News - City rejects church permit

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City rejects church permit By Melissa Martin JACKSONVILLE -- Church members arrived at Old City Hall Thursday expecting Jacksonville to lift its ban on weddings, funerals and Saturday activities, but left in shock after the City Council voted to reverse its approval of First Presbyterian's new building. "We are stunned and disappointed," said First Presbyterian's pastor Larry Jung. "I think it's a disappointment for the town. There is a big segment of the population in Jacksonville that will be troubled by this action." The Jacksonville City Council met Thursday in closed session to hear its lawyer's advice about whether the restrictions would hold up in court. But in the open meeting that followed, the vote to lift the restrictions for fear they would infringe on the church's religious freedom failed 4-3. It failed because three council members said the restrictions were still too tight. Then Councilmember John Dodero moved to uphold the Planning Commission's November denial of the conditional use permit that would have allowed the church to build a 400-seat sanctuary near a subdivision. The council approved 4-3. "I had hoped we would be able to come to a majority decision on the conditions that would afford minimal adverse impact," Mayor Jim Lewis said after the meeting. "And when the majority of the council, for whatever reason, didn't adopt those conditions, then it seemed apparent to me that we didn't have minimal impact. So I could not vote for the conditional use permit." Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA