The Salem Planning Commission split 3-3 on rezoning the Free Methodist Church building at 515 East McMackin to allow it to be converted into an apartment building. The split vote will be presented to the Salem City Council on Monday. The council will make the final decision.
Whitney Purcell of Purcell Properties LLC made the request to rezoning the building from RS-2 Single-Family Residential to RM-2 Multi-Family Residential in order to complete the conversion.
Purcell pointed to other successful renovation projects they have undertaken in Salem during the proposal to create five or six apartments in the church building. But she was met with neighborhood opposition led by distant relative Gary Purcell who lives near the church building. He presented a
petition signed by 21 in the neighborhood who opposed the rezoning.
“Church property which makes a little nice is only used once or twice a week a few hours a day. You got to realize this is a residential neighborhood. The streets aren’t very big. These are residential lots this church was built in and it would increase traffic and congestion.”
Those in the neighborhood say they want to see the building stay as a church and question if it had been offered for sale for that purpose. Whitney Purcell promised to work with the neighbors.
“I can put it on my lease that street parking is not allowed for my tenants because they are offered 30 parking spots. And there are sidewalks to go to every door from that parking lot. I have no problem putting that in the lease. I really want to make the community happy too. I’m not an investor from out of town, I live here too. I don’t want to disrupt anyone’s normal life.”
Whitney has an option to buy the property she will exercise only if the zoning change is made. She says the building was brought to her as an investment opportunity and she has no idea if it had been presented to any churches.
Zoning commission members voting in favor of the rezoning were Rick McCullum, Sandy Phillips, and Kathy Matthews. No votes came from Jim Milano, Harold Hunziker and Brad Heaton. Board member Jim Davis was absent.
The board gave unanimous approval to the two other proposals before it. Ryan and Alyssa Meador of 150 Woodland Drive in Salem received support for a special use permit to operate a home day care in their home at 150 Woodland Drive for up to eight children, including their own two children.
Don Dallas of South Washington in Salem received support for locating a double-wide mobile home on a fixed foundation with a pitched roof in the 1400 block of South College. Both special use permits will also need final approval from the city council on Monday night.
