CITY OF CLARKSTON
PUBLIC STATEMENT REGARDING THE CONDITIONAL USE APPROVAL FOR 3865 CHURCH STREET
The City has received inquiries from members of the community regarding the process for approval of a conditional use permit to convert the gym at 3865 Church Street to a worship space. Specifically, the City has been asked whether public notice was published, whether signs were posted and whether a public hearing was held. In response to such inquiries, the City has investigated the matter and determined the following:
1) A notice was published in the November 30, 2017, edition of the DeKalb Champion (the official legal organ for DeKalb County). This notice informed the public that the application had been filed, described the approval sought, and stated that a public hearing would be held at City Hall on December 5, 2017.
2) Signs providing notice of the pending application for conditional use permit were poste at the subject property in advance of the zoning decision.
3) At the December 5, 2017, City Council Work Session Meeting, there was an open discussion held regarding the conditional use application. Members of the public were allowed to comment on the proposal and did in fact comment on the proposal.
4) Immediately following the December 5, 2017, Work Session, the City Council held its Regular Meeting. The Council voted to approve the conditional use permit at the Regular Meeting. A public hearing was not held at the Regular Meeting.
The City of Clarkston recognizes and regrets that a procedural mistake was made in this matter. Notice to the public was provided and public comment was received by the City Council at the Work Session. However, a public hearing should have been held at the Regular Meeting. Please rest assured that this oversight was a matter of inadvertence. The City Council very much values public input in all its decisions, particularly zoning decisions.
The City of Clarkston has initiated a process that we expect to result in a comprehensive set of procedures for public notice and public hearings in connection with zoning decisions. This policy, once adopted, will be posted on the City website and distributed to all relevant staff and volunteers (such as the members of our Planning and Zoning Board).