The Oro Valley Town Council has upheld a previous decision to allow a local church to move forward with plans to build a controversial new sanctuary.

Earlier this month, the council approved an increased building height allowance request by the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene to construct a new facility with a 36-foot-tall sanctuary. The multipurpose facility will offer recreational sports and activities and is adjacent to Canyon Del Oro High School, northeast of Calle Concordia and Calle Buena Vista.

The church's original proposal, calling for a sanctuary height of 40 feet, was rejected by the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission in January following a nearly five-year process.

That denial prompted the church to change legal representation, bringing on Rose Law Group, which requested either an appeal or an eight-month continuance to revise and resubmit a development plan that addressed broader concerns from residents — such as traffic, parking, drainage and community impact.

Council chambers were packed during the April 2 meeting, with more than 240 residents in attendance, spilling out of the chambers and into overflow rooms.

Supporters and residents delivered hours of comments, and many stayed late into the night, waiting to take their turn at the podium and voice their thoughts.

Mayor Joe Winfield acknowledged the community's intense engagement.

"I woke up to over 140 emails this morning about this project," he said at the start of the April 2 meeting. "We have a large crowd here this evening, and I wish we had this turnout every week."

Church leaders leaned heavily on community support, submitting a petition with more than 500 signatures from town residents.

Supporters spoke about how the new addition would benefit youth—not just spiritually, but also through the church’s college readiness program, recreational sports, accessibility for the deaf community and more.

Longtime Oro Valley resident Anthony Ferrara expressed frustration about the uncertainty that has burdened the surrounding community for the past five years.

"Each delay only prolongs the uncertainty and burden placed on our neighborhood,” Ferrara said. "It's time to bring this matter to a resolution.”

A survey conducted by neighbors showed many were concerned about the new sanctuary’s height blocking views of their backyard desert landscape. Other concerns included increased traffic, overflow parking, stormwater drainage and overall neighborhood compatibility.

"Ninety-two percent of residents living within a mile of the church oppose this project,” Ferrara added.

Oro Valley resident and church member Sally Grey said she understands neighbors' concerns and sympathizes with them.

“Change happens and it's inconvenient,” she said. “My quiet neighborhood is now bustling right next to Naranja Park, and I'm embracing it and I'm enjoying the progress.”

Caroline J., a deaf parishioner, talked about how the church helped her find faith by providing her with interpreters.

"Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene has shown unwavering commitment to ensuring full communication access and inclusivity," she said.

But the evening wasn't without tension. In a particularly pointed exchange, Winfield pressed Pastor Craig Coulter on the church's intentions after Coulter said the church wanted to “come across as working with the town.”

"You want to come across as working with the town, or you want to work with the town?" Winfield replied, prompting laughter from the audience.

Despite the emotional appeals from community members, Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett and others emphasized the need for closure.

"This has been going on for five years in our community," Barrett said. "I think we'll arrive at a better compromise by accepting a solution tonight."

The council ultimately denied the request for a continuance in a 4-3 vote and then unanimously approved a compromise height of 36 feet—four feet below the original ask.

Winfield urged church leaders to return with a full development plan demonstrating collaboration with nearby residents on remaining issues such as parking, noise and drainage.

Winfield called the situation one of the most publicized and emotionally charged local debates in recent memory.

"I understand that many of you are frustrated with this planning process," Winfield said. "Uncertainty creates stress. We've had five years of uncertainty and stress."

But the April 2 decision did not mark the end of the long-running dispute.

A little over a week later, Councilmember Elizabeth Robb — who had previously voted in favor of the compromise — requested a motion to reconsider the approval, with support from Councilmember Josh Nicolson.

The motion upset many community members, some of whom had taken off work or missed activities to attend the earlier meeting. Nicolson expressed sympathy but said he wanted to give residents another chance to weigh in on the potential impacts of the approval.

Wednesday’s meeting lasted two hours, with council members hearing from more than 30 speakers, including many of the same voices from the previous meeting. Longtime resident Grey returned, reiterating the church’s willingness to work with neighbors and make progress.

Church supporters expressed frustration over what they said were unnecessary delays, and several said they felt misled since officials had already voted in favor of the height allowance.

Nicolson apologized to attendees for seconding Robb’s motion to reconsider the approval, saying he recognized the inconvenience.

“It seemed like Elizabeth wanted to talk about it. There was at least one other council member that thought about talking about it,” he said. “I see all the pain and the stress that I caused. I apologize for that.”

After the tense hearing, the council upheld the 36-foot height allowance by a vote of 4-2, with members Joyce Jones-Ivey and Robb voting in favor of revisiting the church’s proposal.

The audience erupted into applause as Winfield read the final vote.

Angelina Maynes is a University of Arizona alum and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact her at angelinamaynes@arizona.edu.

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