BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor Planning Board recommended on Tuesday a zoning change that would allow a faith-based day care to operate in a residential zone from the site of a former church.
Voting 5-1, the board approved the request from Duprey Enterprises Inc. to rezone the 0.53-acre property at Forest and Stillwater avenues from a residential district to a government and institutional services district.
The matter will go before the City Council for final consideration on Monday. The property at 300 Forest Ave. was formerly the Forest Avenue Congregational Church.
Brian Duprey, CEO of Duprey Enterprises, said he has scaled down the proposal from a maximum of 80 children to a maximum of 49.
Unlike the previous attempt, which the board rejected, he sought a contract zone change. That permanently limited the property’s use to a church and a day care unless explicitly changed by the council.
Duprey, who said previously he would start his own church in order to get the day care running, said Tuesday he has leased half of the building to a local church instead of forming the larger day care initially proposed.
Unlike his previous proposal, which would make the property a nonprofit church, the new proposal means Duprey will pay taxes on the property.
“With Bangor facing declining revenues, my guess is the $5,300 a year in tax revenues it would probably generate would be most welcome to the city,” he said.
Rick Ames, pastor of Power Source Ministries, a nondenominational church that holds worship services at the Bangor Motor Inn & Conference Center, said his congregation will begin holding its Sunday worship services with more than 30 parishioners attending on average.
Duprey, who purchased the property this year, said he will begin work next week to make the 112-year-old structure compliant with pertinent building codes, including the Americans With Disabilities Act.
With two neighbors speaking in favor of the rezoning, a single neighbor spoke against it. Craig Brigham, a resident of Elm Street, raised concern over the potential traffic effect.
“I can’t stress enough you’re developing a problem on Stillwater Avenue, and we need to address that,” he said, calling the proposal “spot zoning.”
Duprey argued that a day care with as many as 49 children has operated at the site for the better part of 25 years as an accessory use to the former church.
The contract zone change also would limit the maximum square footage of the former church to 5,000 square feet and would prohibit the property owner from providing any accessory dwelling or overnight accommodations at the site.
Only board member John Kenney opposed the measure, raising concern about the potential traffic impact.
Duprey Enterprises Inc. owns and operates Little Angels Daycare and Preschool, which has three locations in Bangor and one in Old Town. Duprey said he plans to operate the new business as Bangor Christian Daycare and Preschool.
Since the closure of Life Academy Daycare at Grace Church Bangor on Broadway last year, Duprey said there is a need for biblically based early education.
With board member John Miller absent, alternate member Pete Parizo voted on the matter.
Follow Evan Belanger on Twitter at @evanbelanger.