Waite Park Planning Commission Hesitant On Christian Community Center Plan [AUDIO]

WAITE PARK -- A vacant church is raising a lot of questions in Waite Park.

During tonight's planning commission meeting members of the board expressed their concerns with allow a CUP and Parking Variance to the site.

Brian Alsaker and Jeremy Snoberger want to turn the abandoned church, at 523 2nd Street North, into a Christian Community Center.

Snoberger says the vision is to bring ministry into the community.

The proposed plan would turn the former church into a gathering space for youth, marriage, and adult programs, while following the message of the Christian faith.

Board members continued to stress that limited parking and having the building up to code

created problems that they didn't feel they could back.

Alsaker says its good to hear the board's concerns out loud so they can come up with a better plan on how to address them.

Emotions ran high as the planning commission and members of the city council discussed about the proposed plan.

Alsaker and Snoberger plan to take the board's feedback and draw up a new proposal.

From there the planning commission would need to take action on this issue and then the city council will need to follow up with their decision in November.