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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2023.02.16 Church Letter C JacksonFEB 16 City of McCall McCall, ID. -13 Clark Jackson PO Box 590 McCall, ID. 83638 Cjackson4x@gmai!.com February 16, 2023 RE: Letter in Opposition to the Waiver Request of the State Law restricting the siting of a bar within 300 feet of a church. The proposed bar is to be located at 200 Lenora, McCall, ID Attn: Anette Spicer, McCaII City Manager Bob Giles, Mayor Colby Nielson, Council President Lyle Nelson, Councilor Julie Thrower, Councilor Mike Maciaszek, Councilor I am an active member the McCaII Community Church (MCCC) congregation and have been attending there since 2018, after moving to McCaII full time in 2016. The leadership of the MCCC has brought to the attention of the congregation the request by Monica Tway to purchase property near the church and to locate a bar there. Some of the property is just across the alley from the MCCC, and the other lot with a building on it is about 120 feet from the MCCC. The church held informational meetings with the congregation February 5 and 12. At the last meeting, Monica Tway was present at her request and discussed her proposed project with the church family. The church has done its due diligence on the request and the tone of the meetings was strong opposition. The iconic McCall Community Church is a historic building with the congregation dating back to 1912.1 believe it is the oldest church remaining in the core of McCaII downtown area. From the lake its steeple is important to the landscape of the city. Please protect this treasure! Idaho Code Title 23, Chapter 9 and 10 (23-913, 23-1011) was passed by the Idaho Legislature in 1947 to protect the integrity and the small community around churches, buildings used form churches, and schools. Our church is well within the required protection zone of 300 feet. I believe it would be very poor public policy to grant a waiver of this important protection. The MCCC is often in use 7 days a week and in the evenings. Some of the activities are: There is a youth cello week long class held in the summer on the grounds of the church. Bible studies have been held on the church grounds. An annual plant sale is held on the grounds. It is the location of the Second Sunday music series of the McCall Music Society and the location the practices for the two seasonal concerts. A quilting group and a sewing group use the church monthly. The atmosphere of a bar with garage type fold up doors that will open to the outside allowing the noise to flow to the surrounding area, and bands that would play from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am are just not compatible with a church. There would be outside games played and a food truck on the current vacant lot just across the alley from the church. A bar near the church is just not a good fit for the area, any more then it would be next to a school. There is nothing about the request that would help the operation of a church, only negative effects. Please do not do anything that would hurt the operation of this church! This important state law should be upheld. Please do not approve the waiver request! Sincerely, Clark Jackson