Hearing planned on Berwick church zoning variance

The Town Council set a public hearing in May for a zoning variance to allow a church in a residential zone on Fourth Street.
Gerald McGuire is applying for the variance to turn the old Bayou Industrial Maintenance Service building on Fourth Street into a church.
Planning and Zoning Director Gary Beadle addressed concerns raised by neighbors during the planning and zoning board’s meeting at the Town Council’s meeting Tuesday.
Beadle said that according to the application, the church does not plan to house people or run a halfway house. They do plan to use a shed on the property to store goods for outreach.
Beadle said McGuire, who was not present for Tuesday’s council meeting, has not purchased the property but plans to move toward doing so if the variance is approved.
In other action, the council:
—Heard from one of the owners of townhouses at 203 Jones St., Ginger Haase, who said damage to the driveway has occurred there because of Progressive Waste trucks. Bill Frey, representing Progressive, said if his company is responsible, it will repair the damage. He also asked the townhouse owners to consider removing the dumpster and having residential cans instead to avoid the heavy front-end loaders having to drive on residential pavement not made for the weight.
—Introduced ordinances setting millage rates and drainage fees for fiscal year 2014. The rates are the same as in 2013.
—Learned work on the second phase of the walking trail on top of the town’s levee system began Monday. This phase includes the pouring of 700 feet of concrete.