The Borough Zoning Commission (BZC) is scheduled to conduct separate public hearings next week on two projects proposed by St Rose of Lima Church for its nine-acre campus at 46 Church Hill Road - the construction of an addition at the church's main entrance and the construction of a new freestanding building for use by FAITH Food Pantry.

The BZC session, at which the two hearings will be held, is slated to start at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 8, at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.

The church is seeking three BZC endorsements for the church building expansion project - a special permit, a site plan approval, and a Village District zoning certificate required to build the proposed 1,675-square-foot addition to the 10,170-square-foot church. Besides the church addition, the project would include the installation of a memorial garden and repaving the church's main parking lot, plus related site, utility, and landscaping improvements.

In February, the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z), in its role as the borough's planning agency, endorsed the church project.

The proposed construction would improve the drop-off/pickup facilities at the church. The proposed changes are intended to provide better vehicular access and traffic flow at the site. The work is also intended to provide better temperature control inside the church. The expansion would include the construction of additional rest rooms and also a "crying room," where restless small children could be brought during church services.

The 46 Church Hill Road site is in a R-1 (Residential) zone. It also is within the BZC's Village District (VD) overlay zone. Thus, construction work that would be visible from the street is subject to the provision's VD overlay zoning regulations, which are intended to regulate aesthetics.

Also at the March 8 BZC session, a public hearing is slated on the church's requested special permit and site plan approval for a proposed 2,100-square-foot building for FAITH Food Pantry, a charitable group that distributes food to the needy.

The one-story structure would be constructed in the area near the Knights of Columbus building on the church campus. Because the food pantry building would not be visible from the street, it would not need a Village District zoning certificate.

In February, the P&Z also endorsed the food pantry construction proposal.

The food pantry building would be set up to receive food items dropped off by people donating to the charity. The structure would contain a client services area and food storage facilities.

FAITH Food Pantry formerly was located in the basement John's Episcopal Church on Washington Avenue in Sandy Hook Center. After that Episcopal church closed, the food pantry moved to industrial space at 31 Pecks Lane, where it is now temporarily located.