October 2, 2008 Giant cross issue not buried  Police Jury committee discusses matter after church's request denied.  By Drew Pierson dpierson@gannett.com The cross issue has been resurrected. The Bossier Parish Police Jury has convened a special committee to discuss how and if the Police Jury could help a Bossier church build a 199-foot cross, after the church was denied an appeal earlier this week. "There's always going to be controversy," said the Rev. Andy Harris, of the Bossier church Central Assembly of God. "But this is something we feel would be noteworthy not just for our church, but for the whole community." Central Assembly's property is zoned for structures no higher than 45 feet. Harris asked the direct authority on zoning, the Bossier City-Parish Metropolitan Planning Commission's Board of Adjustment, for an exception Monday, but the board voted 4-1 to deny the appeal. The church has 30 days to appeal the ruling in court, planning commission staff said. However, Harris told the Police Jury he'd "hate to spend hard-earned tithe money" on court costs. Central Assembly had raised about $100,000 toward cross construction. Instead, Harris asked the Police Jury to consider amending the appropriate codes to allow the structure to be built. Police jurors voiced concerns that amendments to the codes could open a "Pandora's Box," in the words of Police Juror Wanda Bennett, for other massive structures like billboards. But Harris said there could be political ramifications if the cross did not go through. "The common man on the street is going to be looking at who's for the cross and who's not," Harris told the jurors. "And we all understand the political ramifications (of that)." Planning commission staff noted during the meeting that at least one large cross in another part of the country had been denied by a board of appeals, and then reversed by governing bodies. But state Rep. Henry Burns, who attended the meeting along with state Sen. Robert Adley, downplayed the notion. "They (planning commission staff) are acting as if they (other governments) caved in to the will of the people, but I say, if the people want it, let's give it to them," Burns said. Later in the meeting, police jurors accepted $50,000 in state funds for the parish's first sewer plant, which they noted had been secured by the local delegation. Police Juror Barry Butler, whose district covers Central Assembly, has been tasked to lead the committee to consider whether amendments to existing zoning codes need to be made. It was unclear as of press time whether Central Assembly's time to appeal in district court would lapse while Butler and the committee studied the issue. When asked how he could oppose the cross, given the church's presence in his district, Butler said, "It's going to be a tough issue."

October 2, 2008

Giant cross issue not buried

Police Jury committee discusses matter after church's request denied.

By Drew Pierson
dpierson@gannett.com

The cross issue has been resurrected.

The Bossier Parish Police Jury has convened a special committee to discuss how and if the Police Jury could help a Bossier church build a 199-foot cross, after the church was denied an appeal earlier this week.

"There's always going to be controversy," said the Rev. Andy Harris, of the Bossier church Central Assembly of God. "But this is something we feel would be noteworthy not just for our church, but for the whole community."

Central Assembly's property is zoned for structures no higher than 45 feet. Harris asked the direct authority on zoning, the Bossier City-Parish Metropolitan Planning Commission's Board of Adjustment, for an exception Monday, but the board voted 4-1 to deny the appeal.

The church has 30 days to appeal the ruling in court, planning commission staff said. However, Harris told the Police Jury he'd "hate to spend hard-earned tithe money" on court costs. Central Assembly had raised about $100,000 toward cross construction.

Instead, Harris asked the Police Jury to consider amending the appropriate codes to allow the structure to be built.

Police jurors voiced concerns that amendments to the codes could open a "Pandora's Box," in the words of Police Juror Wanda Bennett, for other massive structures like billboards. But Harris said there could be political ramifications if the cross did not go through.

"The common man on the street is going to be looking at who's for the cross and who's not," Harris told the jurors. "And we all understand the political ramifications (of that)."

Planning commission staff noted during the meeting that at least one large cross in another part of the country had been denied by a board of appeals, and then reversed by governing bodies.

But state Rep. Henry Burns, who attended the meeting along with state Sen. Robert Adley, downplayed the notion.

"They (planning commission staff) are acting as if they (other governments) caved in to the will of the people, but I say, if the people want it, let's give it to them," Burns said.

Later in the meeting, police jurors accepted $50,000 in state funds for the parish's first sewer plant, which they noted had been secured by the local delegation.

Police Juror Barry Butler, whose district covers Central Assembly, has been tasked to lead the committee to consider whether amendments to existing zoning codes need to be made.

It was unclear as of press time whether Central Assembly's time to appeal in district court would lapse while Butler and the committee studied the issue.

When asked how he could oppose the cross, given the church's presence in his district, Butler said, "It's going to be a tough issue."