Washington judge OKs construction of megachurch

By The Associated Press

05.31.01

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SEATTLE — Timberlake Christian Fellowship may build its megachurch to the size already planned — but no bigger for now, a judge has ruled.

The church has become a flash point in the debate over size limits on schools, churches and synagogues in rural King County, where growth is spilling over urban-rural boundaries designed to contain it. Proposed size limits have triggered complaints that they violate constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

Superior Court Judge Sharon Armstrong's ruling May 25 that construction of a 48,500-square-foot church may proceed upheld a county hearing examiner's decision, which was based on the size of a nearby Albertson's grocery store.

Armstrong said, however, that the church could not begin a second phase of construction, intended to bring it to 80,000 square feet, mostly classrooms. But, overturning the hearing examiner's ruling, she said the church need not wait four years to apply for another permit for the second phase.

The 1,000-member Free Methodist church envisions a $14.8 million complex including classrooms and a gym. When the first phase is completed in October, the church will be the largest in the rural area.

Both church representatives and rural advocates said they liked the judge's ruling.

"Today's decision was actually pretty good, I think, in terms of limiting the size of Timberlake," said Amanda McCloskey of the Livable Communities Coalition, a group affiliated with the anti-sprawl group 1000 Friends of Washington.

Bill Bump, the church's interim senior pastor, was also pleased.

"It's not like it's something that interferes with our plans, because (expansion) was always something that was down the road anyway," Bump said.

He said he was relieved that the judge struck down the four-year wait.

Two years ago, King County Executive Ron Sims proposed that new church and school complexes outside the urban-growth boundary be limited to 20,000 square feet — about the size of a dairy barn.

Groups including the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle complained, saying such limits violate constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

In February, the Metropolitan King County Council placed a 10-month moratorium on building churches and schools in rural areas while it wrestles with the question of limits.

A compromise now being considered would allow buildings as large as 40,000 square feet but force them to build up, not just out, limiting the size of their "footprints." A vote is expected June 4.

"It's nice to have (the decision) behind us," said Councilman Larry Phillips, D-Seattle. "It sort of affirmed this idea that we've had, that 'as big as you want' is not appropriate in rural areas."

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Washington church challenges county's plan to limit building size
Congregation says officials' efforts to prevent construction of 80,000-square-foot sanctuary 'unduly burden the free exercise of religion.'  03.29.01