Reso25-34_1441 E. 17th St. CUP-25-26

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Resolution No. 2025-34 Page 2 of 15 I. The Planning Commission determines that the following findings, which must be established in order to grant this CUP pursuant to SAMC Section 41-638, have been established for CUP No. 2025-26 to allow a new church within the P zoning district as follows: 1. That the proposed use will provide a service or facility which will contribute to the general well-being of the neighborhood or the community. The proposed church will establish a community-serving religious assembly use that meets the needs of local residents and is appropriate for the surrounding neighborhood. The Project reinvests in a long-vacant, fire-damaged site with a low- intensity institutional use that includes worship services and related activities. Regular operations occur primarily on weekend evenings, which limits overlap with nearby office, school, and medical uses and supports compatibility with the existing land-use pattern. The Project includes several improvements that enhance safety, accessibility, and overall neighborhood quality. These include a new striped crosswalk across Eighteenth Street at Wright Street, providing congregants walking from the off-site parking lot at The Village with a safe, visible, and direct pedestrian connection. Additional right-of-way upgrades, such as new streetlights, sidewalk replacement, new curb and gutter, and new street trees, further improve pedestrian comfort, nighttime visibility, and safe mobility for both congregants and the wider community. These pedestrian enhancements operate in concert with the Project’s Parking Management Plan (PMP), which directs vehicles to off-site parking, prevents queuing, and ensures orderly circulation during peak worship hours. Together, these measures reduce potential traffic conflicts, improve safety for residents and pedestrians, and maintain the integrity of the surrounding neighborhood. The Project also enhances the site’s physical environment through upgraded lighting, enhanced landscaping, and construction of a new building designed to be compatible with nearby uses. Staff is recommending a condition of approval requiring two shade-producing trees along the southern elevation, further contributing to pedestrian comfort, aesthetic quality, and neighborhood livability. Overall, the proposed church is expected to function as a compatible institutional use on the site and to support the general well-being of the neighborhood by reactivating an underutilized property and providing a community-oriented