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Church's growth irritates neighbors Hearing draws Applegate folks to air complaints By J.T. BUSHNELL Some residents of Ruch say they're fed up with the Applegate Christian Fellowship. "They're too big," said Jack Duggan, chairman of the Applegate Valley Community Forum, which monitors land-use issues. "They've outgrown their ability to fit in with the community." The expansion of the church - situated on Highway 238 in Ruch - has prompted a wave of complaints, many of which were offered at a public land-use hearing Monday. It also has prompted a review of some of the church's existing facilities, including a large outdoor amphitheater. A primary complaint in Monday's hearing was traffic. Jessica Hicks of Ruch said she waits up to 25 minutes for a break in the steady stream of cars every Sunday and Wednesday to cross the street to go to the market. Firefighter Tom Fiske said he can't respond to Sunday calls promptly because of the traffic. Richard Goble of Ruch said he worries he would be isolated from emergency vehicles if he suffered another heart attack. "I can't get out of my driveway," said Michael Higgins, who lives four miles west of the church. "It's like having a rock concert in your neighborhood every Sunday." A church representative did not testify during the hearing and declined to comment afterward. The land-use hearing, conducted by a Jackson County hearings officer, was in response to the church's application to expand its 20-tier amphitheater to include a smaller children's amphitheater. But the Jackson County staff report for the hearing states that the legality of the original amphitheater, which can hold 2,500 people, is still undetermined. The report also says that several parts of the church's development were never reviewed or approved by the county. These developments include additional parking over 2.48 acres, expansion of a parking area from 39 to 141 spaces, two bridges crossing Forest Creek, and a number of accessory buildings, including storage sheds and coffee stands. Also, a portion of the church's development in the northeast corner of the lot crosses a property line, encroaching on a woodland resource zone. "They have a pattern of taking actions without permission," said Pat Gordon of Ruch. "People (in the Applegate Valley) are angry." Opponents alleged that the amphitheater encroaches on Forest Creek's flood plain and questioned its effect on the creek's riparian area. "The facilities impact how a flood performs," said Delores Lisman of Ruch after the hearing, pointing to photos of the amphitheater engulfed in floodwaters. "That affects landowners on either side." The county is reviewing the flood plain. Opponents also argued that noise has become a problem, both from the amphitheater's loudspeakers and the traffic. "The traffic rattled our windows yesterday," said James Hicks of Ruch. But most agreed that the underlying problem was that the church had simply grown too big for its rural surroundings. Duggan provided an analogy: "It's like if you have a neighbor who starts building furniture in his garage. He's successful with that so he decides to open up a little shop. That's probably still acceptable. But then he gets more successful and wants to open a retail outlet and a warehouse. At that point he would be moved to an industrial area." Alan Harper, who represented the church at the hearing, requested a continuance and did not make a presentation. He declined to comment. Hearings officer John Eads Jr. granted the continuance. The hearing will continue at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 in the gymnasium of Ruch Elementary School. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.