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Calvary debate rages on still

Avani Nadkarni/of The Herald

After showing up to six meetings on the proposed Calvary Community Church expansion in four months, with no resolution in sight, some residents are getting restless.

“It’s been an awfully long time,” muttered a woman at the Oct. 19 regular council meeting.

The Sumner City Council, which needs to decide whether to side with the church officials and the hearing examiner who approved the expansion or a handful of residents who are convinced the expansion will ruin their quality of life, did little to ease resident concerns, when they unanimously passed a motion to continue deliberations at the Nov. 2 council meeting. This decision was reached after an hour-long discussion behind closed doors.

“We feel bad about doing this again,” Deputy Mayor Steve Allsop told the waiting crowd. “We spend a lot of time on big issues ... one question always leads to another. Unfortunately, you’re out here waiting.”

The council decided to continue the closed-door deliberations at their Oct. 26 study session and be fully prepared to make a decision on Nov. 2.

Councilmember Matt Richardson, who, at the last meeting, asked his fellow council members to vote for a “remand” — which would mean asking the hearing examiner to show his reasoning for approving the expansion — explained that he still wanted a remand but couldn’t get enough fellow members to vote for it.

“There are a few more things we have to work out,” Richardson said.

Mayor Dave Enslow does not get to vote in the matter, but does attend the closed-door sessions with the council members, city attorney and city administrator. He said he hopes for a swift decision, as well.

“We don’t like keeping anyone waiting,” Enslow said. “Hopefully the council will make a decision soon.”