Commissioners Make Changes That Affect Where Churches Can Be

James Rada, Jr.

The Emmitsburg commissioners approved some changes to the town’s zoning ordinance that affect where churches can be built in the future, after changing references of churches in the zoning ordinance to “places of worship.” This term is more inclusive and would not allow someone to say that a mosque or a synagogue is not a church.

Town Planner Sue Cipperly then presented the planning commission’s recommendation to not include places of worship in most of the town’s residentially zoned areas. The exception would be R-5 areas, which are large lot residential areas.

Currently, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is the only church that Emmitsburg has in a residentially zoned area. Cipperly pointed out that it is because the church predated zoning in the town, and she also noted that the parcel where it sits could also be zoned B-2 because of its location and use.

Rev. John Talcott with Christ Community Church told the commissioners, “I really don’t think churches should be excluded anywhere.”

Places of worship would also be allowed in the town B-2 general commercial zone area. Cipperly explained that places of worship needed to be included in this zoning because auditoriums and theaters were. All three have similar land requirements and generate similar amounts of traffic. To then not include churches could be seen as a violation of federal law, which protects places of worship from zoning discrimination.

The same reason that places of worship needed to be included in B-2 areas is also the reason why they don’t fit in most residential zone areas. They require larger parcels and generate more traffic than is seen in the average subdivision, according to Cipperly.

“If you allow churches in the residential areas, you have to allow the theaters and the auditoriums, too, and we didn’t think that would be an appropriate use,” stated Commissioner Clifford Sweeney.

The zoning changes came about after two local churches—Christ’s Community Church and Emmitsburg Community Bible Church—both approached the town about places where they could construct new buildings.

The commissioners had no problem including places of worship in the B-2 area, but Commissioners Elizabeth Buckman and Joseph Ritz, III, voted against excluding them from residential areas. Commissioners Sweeney, Tim O’Donnell, and Glenn Blanchard voted for the change. Both zoning changes and the language changes all passed.