The Corcoran Planning Commission voted to forward a recommendation to the City Council to approve a site plan and two variances for a new Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church on County Road 10.

The church would build a roughly 14,000-square-foot structure with 102 parking stalls on the center parcel of three adjacent lots the parish owns, according to city planning staff. The site plan includes a new parking layout, a monument sign, interior landscaping and preservation of stained-glass windows to be moved from the existing church.

Kendra, planning staff, told the commission that the new building and most site elements "as shown today do comply with the code," but that the project requires conditions before building permits are issued, including updated survey work, final building design review, and Hennepin County permits for work in the county right of way. She also noted the project must address a city buffer-yard requirement between the church parcel and the neighboring lot zoned RSF-2 and that an overhead power line crossing the site is required by city code to be buried if relocated.

Carl Thielen, chair of the facilities planning committee at Saint Thomas, described the parish's multi-year planning process and said the congregation is "in dire need of a new facility" because of growth in the area. Cindy Patnode, parish administrator, asked the commission to approve the resolution with option 1. Father Glenn Jensen, pastor at Saint Thomas, described safety concerns at the church's current location and said drivers have made crossing the road hazardous for parishioners.

Staff recommended approval of the draft resolution that would grant the site plan and the two variances. The variances are to allow (1) a gravel driveway/drive aisle connection between the new church parking area and an existing gravel driveway on the cemetery parcel and (2) a zero setback for the dry detention basin parking area where code requires a 10-foot setback. Staff explained that if the three parcels were legally combined, at least one of those variances would not be necessary, but the applicant elected to keep the parcels separate at this time.

The commission's discussion covered vehicle access alignment with the street to the south (a change Hennepin County staff will require), the removal of several existing access points on County Road 10 to reduce curb cuts, future sidewalk and trail plans along County Road 116 and County Road 10, and buffer-yard plantings. Kendra told the commission the applicant's plan provides 48 overstory trees and 79 shrubs across the site and that final lighting and building materials will be confirmed at building-permit review.

After public comments from parish representatives emphasizing heritage elements (notably 14 historic stained-glass windows the parish plans to restore and reuse), the commission moved to recommend approval of option 1. The commission vote was recorded by voice and the recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for final action; Hennepin County permits and the city's building-permit review still must be completed before construction.

The staff memo and resolution forwarded to council include conditions requiring: an updated survey; submission of final building elevations and lighting details at permit review; coordination with Hennepin County on driveway alignment and county permits; compliance with the city's buffer-yard standards or return to the commission for a future variance; and burying the overhead power line if it is relocated, consistent with city code.

If the City Council approves the resolution, the parish will still need to finalize building design and go through the standard building-permit process, and Hennepin County will separately permit any changes affecting County Road 10.