NORTH ANDOVER — The sounds of gospel songs are set to replace the noise of cash registers as a church received the town’s blessing to move into vacant retail space at Chickering Plaza.
The Planning Board gave its approval Tuesday night to a limited site plan change to switch almost 5,000 square-feet of Chickering Plaza space from retail to religious space, a change some worry could cause parking headaches at the North Andover shopping center.
The board approved use of two of the 565 Chickering Road plaza’s vacant stores by the Ministerio Bethel Centro de Adoracion for its church and office space. One of the stores being occupied is the site of the former Rose and Dove shop, which closed last summer.
“We want this to work for all,” representatives for the plaza’s trustees said during Tuesday night’s meeting. “We are more in agreement than disagreement.
A parking plan for the Chickering Plaza suggests there would be 143 fewer spots available than required with the church addition.
Even prior to the proposed 52 church parking spaces and with Unit 8 of the plaza vacant, the Chickering Plaza was already 91 spaces above capacity.
“Parking at the complex has been and continues to be the No. 1 obstacle, and it is a concern for which the association continues to seek options,” Chickering Plaza Trust officials wrote in a letter to the Planning Board.
The trust noted previous prospective businesses had sought occupancy permits and were denied “due to inadequate parking.”
“Upon review of the application, the association had significant concern when it was indicated that the church would be expecting 100 or so parishioners on Sundays,” the letter reads.
Eitan Goldberg, the board chair, noted the Planning Board has not set conditions for any other businesses in the lot.
Kellee Twadelle, who created the petition for the church, does not think parking will be an issue, however.
“The highest demand for parking for the religious use would occur on Sunday mornings at off-peak times to other uses, as Shadi’s Restaurant is closed on Sundays and many other offices and retail uses are closed or open later on Sundays,” the Planning Board decision said.
KinderCare, at 594 Chickering Road, has agreed, via email, for the church to use its parking lot for 25 off-site overflow parking spaces, according to the board’s decision.
Santander Bank, also in the first Chickering Plaza building, has also allowed for its 22 parking spaces to be used for Sunday services.
“Based upon the overflow parking agreement with KinderCare and the use of the Santander and owner exclusive use spaces, the tenant would have 57 dedicated spaces available for Sunday services,” the decision said.
North Andover zoning bylaws require .06 parking spaces per seat for religious buildings. Based on a 100-seat occupancy of the proposed church, 60 parking spaces would be required.
Goldberg said if accommodations are not working at the plaza, guidelines can be readdressed. He said parking would come up in discussion for the location “whether it was a church, whether it was a bowling alley or whether it was a gymnasium.”
In addition, smaller group events like Bible study would be held on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, according to Twadelle’s application.
The Chickering Plaza Trust’s letter said the parking lot is “full beyond capacity, with no spaces available and with several vehicles parked in non-marked spaces” on a Thursday.
Twadelle’s attorney, Brian Vaughan, wrote in a letter to the board that the Thursday church meetings could be moved to Monday.
Vaughan also indicated the pastor would “request that the congregation carpool.”
“The association is encouraged with these assurances and believes that parking will be adequate for all businesses at the complex if, and only if, the said assurances are incorporated and made as contingencies for any approval,” the Trust’s letter said.
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