The Mineola Village Board reserved decision at last week’s Wednesday night board meeting on an application for a special use-permit by architect Robert Roble for a major expansion and renovation of the historic Grace International Assembly of God Church.
Roble is proposing to more than double the size of the existing church at 172 Willis Ave. in Mineola to 9,322 square feet from its current 4,760 square feet.
“We want to increase the area of the church,” Roble told the village trustees at a public hearing on the permit application.
He said the new church would remain a one-story structure with demolition of the east portion of the building to enable an expansion that would increase the number of Sunday school classroom to six from the present two classrooms. Toilet facilities would be added to the first floor and a lift for handicapped accessibility would also be added, he said.
“We’ll be doing a complete renovation of the property,” Roble said in response to questions from village Trustee Dennis Walsh.
Walsh said paint was peeling off the front of the building, which he said dates to 1899 based on a cornerstone he discovered. Walsh also asked about a circular stained-glass window that is broken with a frame also in disrepair. Roble said the window, which dates from the original church, would be rehabilitated as part of the project.
Roble estimated the cost of the project would be between $800,000 and $1 million and expected work on the building would begin in the fall, pending approvals needed.
The village board reserved decision pending approval of plans by the county planning commission.
“We are growing. The needs are growing,” Grace International Pastor Wilson Jose said after the hearing.
He said the number of parishioners at the church was doubling from a current congregation of 100 people to 220 people.
In response to questions from the board, he said the church had no plans to lease space to other churches or to conduct any for-profit work in the building.
Village of Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss said an addition of a parking lot access point to the church grounds on Searing Avenue “might be an issue for us,” but Roble said parking access from Searing Avenue was not in the plans.
Responding to a question from village Trustee Paul Cusato, Roble said the plans had not yet been reviewed by the county fire marshal’s office.
“Anything the fire marshal wants, I will give him,” Roble said.
Jose told the board there would likely be cooking in the church’s basement on six occasions each year.
