Parking Concerns Dominate First Public Hearing on Clayton Community Church EIR

It's not rare for no one to show up at a Clayton Planning Commission meeting.

That wasn't the case Tuesday night, to say the least.

Nearly every seat was taken at Hoyer Hall in the for the first public meeting to review what's expected to be one of the most controversial proposed projects in the city in years.

The  wants to build a church and three other buildings, totaling about 42,000 square feet, on a 2.3-acre site on Main Street.

"I've been to Salt Lake City and the Vatican, and I don't want a large church in our city," Clayton resident Paul Henshaw said with a smile after the meeting.

The meeting was for the commission to receive comments from the community on the legal adequacy of the recently completed draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project.

LSA Associates, which conducted the EIR, briefed the commission and the public on its findings. The firm said there were seven environmental topics that could have a significant impact. They were:

• Land use and planning policy
• Transportation, circulation and parking
• Air quality
• Noise
• Cultural resources
• Visual resources
• Hydrology and water quality

Alternatives were offered, including moving the project from downtown to the intersection of Marsh Creek Road and Pine Lane.

Fourteen citizens had comments for the commission. Many of their concerns had to do with parking because downtown Clayton has limited parking spaces.

"The lack of parking to the size of the building is a major issue that is not addressed by the proposal," resident Don Boyd said.

The EIR does suggest a variety of ways to deal with the parking issue, including making agreements with local businesses to share parking and having off-site parking with a shuttle service.

Many residents questioned how the complex will operate during Clayton's most popular events, such as the Concert in The Grove series, Art and Wine Festival and Oktoberfest.

After public comment, commission members also had remarks for city staff about the EIR. Their focus, especially Tuija Catalano, was on specific details in the 250-page report, from the accuracy of graphs to which shrubs will or will not be cut.

Soaking in the public discussion from the second row was the man behind the project, Clayton Community Church Pastor Shawn Robinson.

"We are encouraged from what we heard that we can work out solutions," he said. "We take the public's concerns very seriously."

The city will continue to receive public comments on the EIR until June 25. People can send comments to Community Development Director David Woltering on the third floor of City Hall.

The draft EIR is available online, or people can pick up print copies or CDs at City Hall for a fee.

After the public comment period ends, city staff will take about 60 days to provide answers.

After the EIR is finalized, the issue will go back to the Planning Commission and the City Council, probably in the fall. It is expected that each body will hold multiple meetings on the project.

City staff expects a final decision by the end of the year.