Wenatchee Hearing Examiner Approves Grace City Building Expansion

Grace City Church in Wenatchee has approval of the city hearing examiner to increase the size of its ministry building from 12,000 to 22,000 square feet 

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Hearing Examiner Andrew Kottkamp has approved the move with certain conditions, including for new use in the building to occur on-site and for no commercial or residential use in the new facility. 

The building in Sunnyslope will be used for ministry activities, including Sunday school, prayer groups, conferences and evening classes. 

Anybody objecting to the expansion will have three weeks from the date of the hearing examiner’s decision, which was July 30, to file an appeal of the decision. The appeal will go through the hearing examiner’s office or before a judge in Chelan County Superior Court. 

The city granted approval to build the ministry building in 2022, which has since been constructed. 

Before the expansion went before the hearing examiner, a traffic impact analysis was required by the city. Grace City arranged for the analysis, which showed the enlarged building would still conform with the City of Wenatchee Comprehensive Plan.  

Kottkamp agreed with findings put forth in Grace City's proposal for the expansion. 

The ministry building, while adding square footage to the site, does not expand the primary service capacity and does not modify the previously approved use of the property for a place of worship and child day care center. 

The activities proposed in the application for the ministry building do not indicate that the use of the property as described will create public disturbance noises. 

The church has previously been the subject of noise complaints in 2021 and 2022. Those complaints were settled with the city in 2023. 

The building permit will be reviewed for any exterior lighting that may create a direct glare or impact off site. 

The city will grant a building permit if no appeal is filed within 21 days of the hearing examiner’s decision.

Also, should the use of the building increase site capacity for services, a right turn pocket wil need to be installed for traffic.

Grace City was given approval to establish a K-12 school on a church site at 1610 Orchard Avenue back in April.