Bethany’s proposed church on Jefferson deferred
Bethany World Prayer Center’s proposed church next to Towne Center on Jefferson Highway was deferred Monday for a second time by the city-parish Planning Commission.
In other action, the commission approved The Oasis, a mixed-use development planned for Burbank Drive, and a slight revision of the final development plan for River Park on the north end of downtown.
The commission was advised to defer Bethany because of a last-minute filing of engineering documents during the meeting.
Bethany had been seeking approval for the 1,050-seat church with a rear and front entrance, but found out the back entrance through an agreement with State Farm would not be possible.
Commission chairwoman Tara Wicker told the commission the new plans passed out at the meeting showing only a single entrance were submitted too late for the commission to consider.
Church spokesman Hank Henagan said Bethany still maintains a single entrance won’t cause traffic problems on Jefferson, which is the main concern of the numerous residents who have twice turned out to oppose the rezoning request.
Bethany will have to take up its revised plans at the Planning Commission meeting on July 16.
Bethany had initially described the facility as a performing arts center that would have services twice a week, but then told the commission last month that most of the use of the church would be on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings.
Henagan told the commission Bethany has met with the Department of Transportation and Development and was told the church would not impact traffic because its services are only on Wednesday night and Sunday morning.
THE OASIS: Chris Shaheen, of Shaheen Real Estate Development, plans to turn a 10-acre parcel on Burbank Drive into a recreation-centered town home complex, featuring volleyball courts, a sports cafe with a large outdoor deck and sports- and health-oriented retail.
His zoning change for The Oasis, on Burbank across from South Kenilworth Parkway, calls for 16 medium-density lots on 1 acre, about 20,000 square feet of commercial development on half an acre, and then 4 acres of semipublic space.
A large, partially covered deck would adjoin a 5,000-square-foot sports-theme restaurant and retail spaces of 9,000, 4,000 and 1,500 square feet.
RIVER PARK: Developer Pete Clements, who is putting together a mixed-use center called River Park just north of Hollywood Casino downtown, wants to add 14 acres currently zoned as heavy industrial and business district to the 36-acre portion already zoned as a planned unit development.
The portion to be added to the PUD would be home to retail and entertainment development and public space, which have been part of the plan for River Place.