From: Michael G Hall <mghall@topeka.org>
Date: Wed, May 10, 2023, 10:30 AM
Subject: Saints Peter & Paul Church
To: Kevin Holland <kholland@cfse.com>, Travis Haizlip <thaizlip@cfse.com>, Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Gentlemen:
Getting back to you on the questions of whether this can be a CUP or a PUD.
There is a way to do this as a CUP on the premise that the cemetery is an accessory use as defined below.
"Accessory building or use" means a building or use which: (1) is subordinate to and serves a principal building or principal use; (2) is subordinate in area, extent, or purpose to the principal building or principal use served; (3) contributes to the comfort, convenience, or necessity of occupants of the principal building or principal use; and (4) is located on the same zoning lot as the principal building or principal use.
Generally speaking, we can consider it accessory if that part of the land used for a cemetery is no larger than the land used for the buildings. And we could add the land for parking to that. There could be other conditions, also, such as requiring the church to be built before any bodies are interred on site. Other aspects of the cemetery use are important, including but not limited to who is eligible to be interred in this cemetery? Church members and family only? How frequent are burials and funeral services?
Much of the above can be described in your Statement of Operations, which is a requirement for a CUP application.
The site plans you have already shown us are fairly close to what is needed for the application. We do need a site plan to scale.
It is also important to know what the church buildings will look like. It sounds like you do not yet have building elevations, even conceptual elevations, for the main church building. I believe there is a way to get through the CUP process without all of the desired building elevations.
The next CUP deadline is May 19th. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Mike Hall, AICP
Land Use Planning Manager
Planning & Development Department
City of Topeka
785-368-3008
