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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 19, 2005 State might trim restrictions on church House legislation has expansion opponents worried; Senate likely to scale back bill By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Opponents of church expansion efforts in Jackson County are worried that a state House bill could give religious organizations unfettered license to build anything they want. The Applegate Christian Fellowship "would expand to the greatest extent possible," warned Jack Duggan, a member of Friends of Forest Creek and the Applegate Valley Community Forum. House Bill 3474, approved along party lines this week but facing a potential quagmire in the Senate, would prohibit land- use regulations that restrict the religious use of property owned or leased by a religious organization. The bill’s author, Molalla Republican Rep. Mac Sumner, has said previously that even he thinks it will likely need to be narrowed in scope before it can get legislative approval. Both the Applegate Fellowship in Ruch and the First Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville have come up against strong opposition to aggressive expansion in recent years. Advertisement Cal Pipal, building committee chairman for the First Presbyterian Church, said, "There should be some changes in the land-use laws to make it easier for a church to build." It took almost four years of litigation costing $106,000 to start building his church in Jacksonville, he said, adding it all could have been avoided if land-use laws were less restrictive. Pipal did agree that the legislation is currently worded too broadly, allowing wide interpretation of what a "religious organization" is. First Presbyterian is currently building its $4.7 million church next to a subdivision in Jacksonville. Pipal said $1 million was spent on site preparation alone, and the church has so far collected $2.5 million from members for the project. John Dodero, a former Jacksonville councilman who has opposed the church’s plans, said he would derive a certain cynical satisfaction if the bill was enacted. "It’s poetic justice," he said. "When somebody builds an ashram or the rajneeshes decide to put something in somebody’s back yard, let’s see how tolerant the community is." Joe Stroble, facilities manager at Applegate Fellowship, said he didn’t know much about the legislation other than recent news accounts, adding, "It sounds like it would be interesting." The Fellowship has had ongoing disputes with its neighbors and the county over its expansion projects, many of which were done without proper permits. The church and county are rectifying those past wrongs. He said the church has no current plans to expand, but he doesn’t rule out any in the future. "We do things that the Lord wants us to do," he said. "If we felt led to do something, we would proceed in that direction." Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, said the bill as written could give rise to unexpected consequences. "A religious group could build an amphitheater across the street from your house," he said. Rep. Sal Esquivel, R-Medford, said he’s heard too many "what if’s" in regards to this bill and its possible impacts. Still, he didn’t the bill was perfectly written. "I would have done it a little different," he said. "It’s a start." Sen. Alan Bates, D-Ashland, said there is a very high likelihood the Senate won’t act on the bill, which also has language that could make it easier for private schools to build new facilities. "They could plop a school down anywhere they thought," he said. Bates thinks the bill is bad policy for the state, sending land-use planning back to a frontier mentality. "It’s the wild, wild West," he said. Duggan, a critic of the Applegate Fellowship’s past expansions, agreed with First Presbyterian’s Pipal that the bill leaves open the interpretation of what is a "religious organization." "It could be churches who worship Elvis," Duggan said. "It could be churches that worship in the buff." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Air Purifiers Advertisement s