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Church tells Webster board: 'We need a bigger message'By Rose Hooper |
This temporary sign in Webster Baptist Church's parking lot is out of compliance with town zoning ordinances, Webster officials say. Permanent signs for churches cannot exceed 16 square feet, according to town regulations. Church leaders say 4 feet by 4 feet is too small to allow their message to be read from the road. Webster Baptist officials plan to ask the town's zoning board to amend the sign ordinance to allow churches to have bigger signs. Though not located in Webster's city limits, Webster Baptist lies within the town's extraterritorial jurisdiction and therefore is subject to Webster's zoning ordinance. |
Just how large a message should a church be allowed be allowed to send?
That's what Webster Baptist Church will soon discover. Currently, with its temporary sign in the parking lot, the church is out of compliance with the Town of Webster's zoning ordinance. While the church is not within the town limits, it does fall under the town's extraterritorial jurisdiction and therefore must comply with all zoning regulations. Members of the town board notified the church in June that the sign was out of compliance. However, the church went ahead and renewed its rental on the temporary sign in August, Mayor Bob Baker said. Church deacon Haven Ensley told town board members during their Jan. 13 meeting that "we are not interested in getting in an argument with Webster. We just want to get our message out and we depend on that sign to help us." |
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According to the zoning ordinance, a church is allowed one permanent sign not to exceed 16 square feet per sign face, not more than 8 feet high. A temporary sign can be no larger than 9 square feet.
Church member Ann Hall said that a 4-foot by 4-foot sign was "too small to read from the road. We are doing good things in our community and we want people to be able to see that." Ensley asked board members if the church was being "singled out." Zoning administrator Jim Myers said that was not the case. "I don't ride around looking for violations," Myers said. "But if they are brought to our attention, then I have to look into them. It was brought to my attention that your sign was out of compliance. Someone wanted to know why they couldn't have the same size sign as your church." Also speaking on behalf of the church, Pauline Ensley said, "I spoke with folks at the Institute of Government and they said we may be dealing with a gray area here of church and state." Church members asked the town for a variance, which Baker said could not be granted. "However, we will work with you on this. What you can do is submit an amendment in writing to the zoning board which we will consider. By law, we'll have to hold two public hearings on the amendment. You understand that the amendment won't be just for your church, but it would also apply to other churches." Haven Ensley said his church would prepare such an amendment. In other business Jan. 13, Webster's board reappointed attorney Jay Coward to Jackson County's Economic Development Commission. |
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