A last-second agreement between opposing sides of a rural Newberg church application made Thursday’s Board of Commissioners appeal hearing somewhat unnecessary, but a verdict was delayed to allow the parties to finalize details.
Neighbors on Northeast Chehalem Drive in rural Newberg appealed the county’s approval of a conditional use permit for a church on AF-10 (agriculture and forestry with a 10-acre minimum) zoning, arguing proposed twice-a-week services would disrupt the neighborhood.
Chehalem Christian Fellowship has been operating without a permanent location for more than 20 years, starting at a senior center before moving to Joan Austin Elementary School until COVID, according to head Pastor Micah Routon. During COVID, the congregation assembled first on a member’s baseball field, before moving into a two-sided hay barn for two years…