Talk about long meetings. After a four-hour public hearing about plans for a large church campus in rural North Albany, the Benton County Planning Commission postponed a decision until May 5.
Northside Christian Church wants to build the campus at 4500 Powers Ave. NW. It would be built in two phases over possibly 10 years and would include a 54,709-square-foot sanctuary building, an 18,902-square-foot gymnasium, and a 269-space parking lot.
Opponents objected mostly to the scale of the massive development on a 19-acre open field in the county’s rural-residential zone. Church members testifying said they would respect the character of the neighborhood and build the facility so it would fit in…