Neighbors unite to fight construction of church

Visitors in Leb Hursh's Henderson neighborhood are more likely to see people maneuvering through the residential area on horseback than behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Two weeks ago, Hursh and about 75 neighbors let the Henderson Planning Commission know they want to keep their rural River Mountain Ranch Estates as it is. And Tuesday, they intend to send the same message to the City Council.

They want stables, not steeples.

Neighbors who must navigate unpaved roads to get to their ranch-style homes have signed a petition opposing the proposed First Missionary Baptist Church along Appaloosa Road.

They say the 8,395-square-foot church that would be built on a 5-acre parcel between Sundown and Stirrup drives would generate too much traffic. The only paved streets that lead to the church site are Appaloosa and Pinto roads.

"I don't think an area like this needs a church," said Hursh, who has lived on Appaloosa for seven years. "Appaloosa would be devastated on days of functions."

The Planning Commission rejected an application submitted by the church May 14, saying it was not compatible with the neighborhood. Commissioners also said the proposed 52-foot-tall steeple violates a city zoning ordinance.

Commissioner George Bochanis said the church would not fit in among the custom-made homes, especially because the area is purely residential.

In a letter to the city, the missionary's pastor James Bennett said the church will offer services Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The church also will have pot lucks, weddings, funerals and revivals.

The Melius family, which lives on Sundown Drive, also sent a letter to Henderson officials. The family is concerned that a second phase to the church might bring a day-care center or a private elementary school.

The Meliuses said the 20-foot-high lights in the church's parking lot will give the area a "casino environment." But most of all, the family is concerned about the horses in the neighborhood.

"This is a unique neighborhood that has been created for horses," the letter says. "This amount of traffic will be a major safety issue for the horses and the people who ride them."

Hursh said while he plans to attend Tuesday's 7 p.m. meeting at the Henderson City Hall, he isn't confident that he and his neighbors can sway council members' opinions on the plan.

"Whether you can fight City Hall or not I don't know," Hursh said. "Whatever City Hall decides, you can't fight."

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