Church may be allowed back indoors

Jose Paul Corona

Members of Praise Christian Church are one step closer to getting back

into the sanctuary they were kicked out of three days before Christmas.

The City Council approved a zoning text amendment that allows for

religious assembly as a permitted use for the Ellis-Goldenwest area.

While religious assembly isn’t explicitly prohibited from the

Ellis-Goldenwest area -- it is not actually allowed in the area either,

said Richard Barnard, Huntington Beach director of communications and

special projects.

“This [amendment] allows for the use to be there,” Barnard said, “It’s

getting the zoning in order.”

Several community religious leaders addressed the council asking that

this amendment be voted on so that zoning issues pertaining to their

churches be resolved.

The amendment will comply with the Land Use Institutionalized Persons

Act enacted by Congress in 2000.

Praise Christian Center Pastor asked the council to approve the

amendment so that his church can have a set location where they can meet.

The church had been meeting in a 2,500-square-foot section of an

A-frame building, but it was forced to stop meeting there in December

when fire Marshalls declared that the building did not meet safety codes.

Since then, the congregation has held services outside of the

privately owned building. Praise Christian Center must now reapply for

the conditional-use permit it was denied in April.