Christ Church plans to defy Troy officials

An event center in Troy appears to be setting itself up for a clash with the city as it is advertising weekly Christ Church worship services despite a City Council decision prohibiting such gatherings.

According to the Christ Church website, Christ Church Troy is planning weekly services at the Ye Olde Bank Event Center in downtown Troy.

“We are meeting for worship services despite the City’s zoning ordinance in order to uphold our constitutional and statutory rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act,” the website says.

The Ye Olde Bank Event Center is owned by Christ Church elder Matt Meyer. In March, the Troy City Council denied a conditional use permit (CUP) that would have allowed the event center to host weekly church services in the commercial zone it is located.

Members of the public expressed their opposition to the CUP during a January public hearing on the matter. They shared concerns about the effect that church services would have on parking, downtown traffic and the limited amount of tax revenue in the commercial district.

When the Troy City Council denied the CUP in March, it echoed some of these fears about parking, and the effect these church gatherings may have on commercial growth in downtown Troy. Idaho code also does not allow a business that sells liquor by the drink to be within 300 feet of a church.

Troy resident Lisa Washburn informed the Daily News and Tribune that Christ Church held a service at that building on Sunday. Local news outlet Moscow Report also reported that a worship service was held Sunday.

Troy city attorney Todd Richardson said that city hall and the Latah County Sheriff’s Office have received several complaints about Sunday’s gathering.

Richardson said he is still looking into the situation and intends to get in touch with Meyer’s attorney. He said Ye Olde Bank Event Center is allowed to host periodic or infrequent church events.

However, if it is operating under a contract with Christ Church to hold frequent gatherings and make the building’s primary purpose a church, that would be a violation of city rules.

If this is the case, the city will send Ye Olde Bank Event Center a cease and desist letter. If that letter is ignored, Troy would then look at its legal options, Richardson said.

Richardson said the city wants to work with Meyer.

“We want his location to be successful, but we have to do so within the law,” he said.

Richardson added that the city council did not consider any particular religion when it made its decision, only the use of the building within that section of downtown Troy.

He said churches are allowed everywhere else in Troy outside the two-block stretch of Main Street where the Ye Olde Bank Center sits.

“My job is to make sure the law is followed,” he said.

Washburn said she was outraged that the event center would openly defy the city council. Washburn said Christ Church believes itself to be above the law.

“I think they’re a menace to the community,” she said.

Washburn said she hopes the city can prevent Christ Church from holding services, and cited the lack of parking in that area as a concern of hers.

“They simply need to follow the law as the rest of us do,” she said.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.