Orthodox Church gets permission to build

The Boundary County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 3 to 1 to allow a church to be built on  Pleasant Valley Loop.

 Holy Myrrhbearing Women Antiochian Orthodox Church will lie about 1/4 mile off Highway 95. 

Safety, traffic, lighting, and the cemetery were the concerns of residents who opposed the building of the church. 

 Idaho Department of Transportation determined that since the church is used predominately on Sunday morning to mid-day and since not many vehicles are involved, that there will not be a safety problem at the Highway 95/Pleasant Valley Loop intersection for those attending church or other drivers.

The special-use permit was granted under the conditions that the illuminated sign would only be lit when church is in session, and there will be minimal lighting based on a motion sensor.  Other conditions include shielding landscaping around the cemetery, that plots in cemetery be for church members only and cannot be sold privately, burials will be performed by a licensed mortician or funeral director, and there must be private access to the church

The Holy Myrrhbearing Women Antiochian Orthodox Church is not a Johnny come lately church; it traces it roots back to the day of Pentecost in the time of Christ and it has existed ever since, said Chris Clark, Realtor representing purchase of property for the church.   In the year 1000, there was a church split, part went to Rome and that is where the Catholic Church got started, the balance of the Eastern Orthodox church spread all over, Clark said. There are 252 congregations in the United States and 11 in Canada. This is a well established Christian community, and I believe will be an asset to our county, Clark said.