CYPRESS : Church Exempted From Land Project

After more than two hours of testimony, members of Cavalry Chapel of Cypress persuaded the City Council to exclude their church from redevelopment plans for Lincoln Avenue. The council subsequently agreed to give all property owners in the project area an opportunity to exempt themselves from the project.

Hundreds packed the council chambers Monday night and listened as more than 40 people took turns at the lectern to tell the council why they believed the church should be excluded from the plan.

“If the property is included, we seemed to have lost some type of control,” said the Rev. Jack Stevens of Cavalry Chapel. “Less than three acres (that the church occupies) are not essential to the overall project.”

The City Council has been studying the redevelopment of Lincoln Avenue for several months. A detailed plan for the area has yet to be mapped out, said city Planning Director Chris Eynon, but the boundaries of the project will extend east and west along Lincoln Avenue to the city limits.

Commercial zones areas along Walker Street, extending north to Vonnie Lane and south to Newman Street, are also included, he said. About 150 commercial and residential properties are affected.

A few property owners on Walker Avenue spoke about their fear of having the city take property through its power of eminent domain. But Brice Russell, a consultant who prepared a report on the area, said such fears were unwarranted.

“The bulldozers aren’t waiting quietly around the corner,” Russell said.

Despite the assurances, the City Council sided with the residents and decided to allow them the opportunity to choose whether they wanted to be in the project area.

Property owners who want to be excluded from the project area have until June 18 to notify the city, City Manager Darrell Essex said. The council is expected to vote on the exclusions at a special meeting June 18.