LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Clark County leaders have approved an expansion for a church that’s drawn controversy with some Las Vegas Valley residents.
Wednesday, the zoning commission approved Hamere Noah Kidane Mihret & Saint Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Church to build another multi-use building on its property. The church has been around since 2012 and is at the center of complaints about noise and illegal parking during services.
People in the area told FOX5 they believe this expansion could make the problem worse.
“One of my complaints about the parking lot is I don’t think they’re building it in a way that people are going to use it,” said Howard Karsh, who lives nearby. “If you make it hard for people to get in and out of a parking lot, they’re going to choose to park on the street.”
At Wednesday’s meeting, a church leader reassured the commission that additional parking will help the situation by keeping cars off neighborhood streets.
“We have taken those concerns seriously,” said Girma Logbicho, who serves as a priest at the church.
However, some neighbors told FOX5 they’re not convinced.
“We all know when you live next door to someone, you kind of know after a while whether or not that person is a good neighbor,” said Karsh. “I have not found this church to be particularly neighborly in its behavior.”
Logbicho said the church hopes this expansion will not only improve what it offers its members but also remedy the tension in the neighborhood.
“Our goal is not only to grow in faith, but also to grow in peace with those around us,” he said.
It’s not clear when construction on the new building will begin. FOX5 has reached out to church representatives, but we haven’t heard back.
FOX5 will continue to update this story as more details become available.
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