Plans for a new church in Mirror are on track after a solution was found for a water and sewer servicing tangle.
Mirror Alliance Church came to Lacombe County in June 2009 with plans to replace a 1937 building with a much larger facility complete with a nursery, kitchen, classroom and office space.
The project ran afoul of red tape because the area structure plan for Mirror says all new developments in the hamlet must be connected to water and sewer systems. The existing church was fed with water from an undersized temporary line and sewage was collected in a septic tank.
Church representatives requested permission to continue to use a septic tank system.
The county delayed making a decision on the church’s request to continue using the existing water line and septic tank and suggested the congregation look at other options.
Since then, a pair of serviced lots have been purchased next to the proposed church site, allowing water and sewer to be connected to the church across the back alley.
Council directed church members last Thursday to prepare a new development permit application showing the changes.
“We will be contacting them and letting them know council is supportive of that application (being made),” said Tim Timmons, the county’s manager of corporate services.
In information provided to council last year, church members said they have outgrow the existing building, which does not have a kitchen nor nursery.
The building was built cheaply at the tail of the Great Depression. For instance, basement walls were constructed from railway ties instead of concrete.
Land for the new building just north of the old church was purchased nearly 30 years ago.
The budget for the new church is expected to be about $200,000 and the congregation has been saving for years.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com