Photo by Lie Reed Mayor Stephen Terrell presents the employees of the Allen Department of Parks and Recreation with a proclamation honoring their work with local events during the city council meeting on Tuesday, June 22. Church, neighborhood and council clash over brick wall By Liz Rep He@northterasmedia.com ALLEN ~ Bethany Wor- ship Center appealed to the ‘ity couneil on Tuesday for an ordinance io rezone their ‘currently commercial zoned briek wall around their fu tre ehureh, The eity coun: eis regpones however. wag neighborhood “We're not a commercial busines - rk rept feof Veret Group Ar chet and designer for nity Fact Because the church's land ian the church and neighborhood residents "ea church.” along the property to reduce them from the ¢ and ereate sore" in the is located among resident Verret expressed interest in building a landscape wall of trees to lend in with the ot- ganle design of the church and neighborhood "We looked at local archi- To avold such measures, chureh representatives and WU continued on WALL continued from page 1A between the church and community and become an open canvas for graffiti.” City council members de- bated the public hearing item for almost two hours and heard a variety of com- plaints about the screening wall from residents of the surrounding neighborhood. “One of the reasons I bought my house was be- cause of the clear view,” said Fountain Park resident Phillip King during the meeting. “If I really wanted to live behind a brick wall, I'm sure the state could ac- commodate me in Hunts- ville.” concerns were a proposed pathway that would provide the church with access to a residential ally, the proxim- ity of trees to the ally and concern that the trees may die. Council member Gary Caplinger also reminded the council that they had denied other churches the same re- quest in the past, which could create tension. “If we approve this, we will be setting a new prece- dent contradicting what we've done in the past and other churches will ap- proach us wanting the same things,” Caplinger said. “We set up these rules and take away the emotion from it.” The council decided to table the item until a later meeting to give the church time to reconsider combin- ing elements of a screening wall and landscape. Mayor Stephen Terrell also told church representatives that their hope for access to the residential ally was unlikely to be approved. “This is clear as mud, that’s what I’m thinking,” Terrell said. “You all go back and be creative, as long as it’s three, three and eight (jokingly referring to