What's Happening in Lancaster, OH…

The First Presbyterian Church in Lancaster won part of its wrangle with the city's Board of Zoning Appeals recently.

The church asked for permission to demolish some buildings in February, a request that was denied by the Historic Lancaster Commission in February.

It recently came back with the same request, namely to add parking for the church by demolishing buildings and building a parking lot; the property is at 307-317 North Broad Street. The church also asked permission to demolish Wright Place, which it owns, to create more room for outdoor activities.

The zoning board gave permission for the church to pull down the buildings on Broad Street to create a parking lot, and it also gave them the go-ahead to take down a garage at Wright Place. However, the board would not allow the church to demolish Wright Place itself.

The church pastor, Rev. Matthew Richardson, said they were happy the church could now make improvements, and would be mindful of community desires when renovating the property, particularly the landscaping. He also said the church would consider making improvements to Wright Place.

When the church made the proposals a second time, the board tabled the measures until board members could see the property for themselves. They decided almost unanimously that the 300 block buildings could come down, but decided to save Wright Place.

Church officials might want to work with brochure printers on a booklet outlining the scope of the work.