Greendale Community Church Moving Ahead with Building Addition

The Greendale Community Church is now one step closer to beginning construction on its new building addition.

Representatives from the church went before the Village of Greendale Planning Commission on November 9 to present their plans for the new 7,400 square-foot single-story addition.

The size of the current church building, located at 6015 Clover Lane, is 10,700 square feet.

The proposed addition would include ten new classrooms, including a nursery, a new entry-way and lobby and new storage and mechanical areas. The new area would be added on to the west side of the existing building.

Plans also call for creation of a new driveway off of Southway, on the south side of the church, across the street from the Brinkman Field parking lot and fifteen feet west of the current crosswalk leading to the church. The driveway would be one-way only, with two lanes at the exit, one each for left or right turns onto Southway.

There would also be nine angled parking spaces off of the driveway in front of the new church addition, including two handicap-accessible spaces. The parking area would be lit with three 20-foot lightpoles, designed specifically to produce low light levels.

Architects from Plunkett Raysich Architects showed commissioners the drawings of the new addition, along with samples of the materials that would be used to match the existing structure.

Greg Kempen, Building Committee Chairperson for the church, spoke of the need for better quality classroom space both for the congregation's Sunday School classes and for the Greendale Playschool, which rents space from the church. He also said the building needs ADA-approved restrooms and improved accessibilty for dropping people off close to an entryway, and cited safety concerns about pedestrians having to cross from the Brinkman Field parking lot to the church.

Commissioners suggested requiring the church to add a push-button flashing light at the crosswalk, which would only be triggered when a pedestrian was present.

After listening to the presentation and reviewing the plans, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the special use permit for the project.

The plan now goes before the Village Board for final approval at a public hearing on November 15 at 7 p.m. to be held at the Greendale Village Hall.

If approved, the church expects to start construction in April 2012.