Published: March 07, 2009 09:50 pm      

Church wants gym for new home in Clarksville

Zoning issues have to be cleared up before conversion can happen

Officials from Evangel North Church will go back before Clarksville’s Board of Zoning Appeals this week, seeking to convert the old Premier Fitness building along Cedar Street into its new home.

Church representatives went before the board last month seeking a zoning variance, but the matter had to be tabled because proper notice hadn’t been provided.

“We really liked that facility,” said Kevin McKnight, executive pastor.

However, in the process of getting an occupancy permit, officials came to realize that the town’s zoning laws didn’t allow churches to be there. The area is zoned for business.

Historically, McKnight said, churches are given liberties to go anywhere. Evangel North is a satellite of Louisville-based Evangel Church, which has locations throughout the metropolitan area, including Charlestown, Louisville and Elizabethtown, Ky.

The church is having to notify all neighbors of the request, make sure the building complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and address some parking lot issues before it can get the variance, according to Rebecca Lockard, the board’s attorney.

“As long as they have their ducks in a row, they’ll get approval,” she said.

McKnight said that town officials have been very helpful and reassuring, but the delay is frustrating for church members.

“Every week that passes, this congregation has had to rent a meeting room” in order to hold services, McKnight said.

It’s holding services at 10:30 a.m. today at the Holiday Inn Louisville North in Clarksville. At one point, it rented a movie theater at Great Escape for Sunday service.

This week’s zoning appeals meeting is a special session granted to expedite the process. The next regular meeting isn’t until the end of the month.

Evangel North has been in Southern Indiana since 1998. Before the move to Cedar Street, it rented a storefront near Tom Stinnett RV Center in Clarksville.

It has about 150 members in Indiana. Throughout the metro area, the church has about 6,000 members.