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By Kent Larsen
Seattle Church Zoning Compromise on the Way
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON -- King County Council members fighting over
proposed limits on the size of rural churches are on the verge of a
compromise, according to a report in the Seattle Times. The newspaper
says a vote on the compromise could come as early as next Monday, if
council members can agree on the environmental restrictions that
should be placed on churches and schools in rural areas. The dispute
led LDS Church officials and other religious leaders to openly
criticize a proposal by County Executive Ron Sims which would have
limited new churches and schools outside of the county's urban growth
boundary to no more than 10,000 square feet.
The possibility of a compromise arose last week when Sims indicated
he would consider dropping the proposed size limit in fovor of
environmental restrictions on the buildings. But that compromise
position hasn't cleared away all the problems, since the
environmental restrictions would increase costs to churches and
schools.
But Sims believed he had made a step toward solving the dispute, and
said he believed everyone was working toward a solution, "I think
everybody's trying to have a compromise," Sims said yesterday. "This
is an issue with passion on both sides." The LDS Church's
representative, Gordon Conger, an Area Authority Seventy in Bellevue,
Washington, welcomed Sims' changed position, "The executive has made
a major change in position, which we welcome."
Sims' opponents, led by Democrat Maggi Fimia and six Republicans, a
majority of the 13-member council, have spent the past two weeks
working with churches and schools to come up with acceptable
environmental restrictions. Sims has made it clear that if the
restrictions aren't strong enough, he will veto the legislation, "If
we're not going to have size limits, we want strong environmental
protections," the Democratic executive said yesterday. "We're still
waiting to see that commitment (from the Fimia group)." The council
is split evenly enough that getting the nine votes necessary to
override a veto seems unlikely.
The two sides still differ over allowing rural churches to drill
their own wells, extending sewers to rural schools and requiring
rural churches and schools to comply with salmon-protection rules.
Source:
Vote nears on rural churches, schools; veto remains likely
Seattle WA Times 19Jun01 T1
By Eric Pryne: Seattle Times staff reporter
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