Church seeks approval to expand building

LONG BRANCH -- A local church is seeking approval from the city's Zoning Board to enlarge its Fourth Avenue building.

A public hearing on the application to expand Spanish Assembly of God Church is scheduled for Nov. 13.

The Spanish Assembly of God Church is requesting that the board grant use and bulk variances for the project in order to increase the size of the current structure.

The applicant's attorney Jeffrey Resnikoff of Resnikoff, Resnikoff & Witek, Long Branch, said in an interview last week that the church wants to expand to allow for additional services at the building.

"They want to provide a bigger assembly hall," Resnikoff said. "They just want to make it a little bigger and nicer for the congregants," he added.

The 4,932-square-foot church site, at 14 Fourth Ave., currently consists of a single-story masonry building that is used for church services, according to the application filed at the Zoning Board office.

Plans call for an expansion of the first floor and construction of a second floor to contain a banquet hall, bathroom, kitchen and Sunday school for the church, according to the application.

The church site is located in an R-4, single-family residential zone.

A use variance is required in order for the applicant to expand the existing first floor, according to the application, which also states that bulk variances are needed for parking at the site.

Plans for the project have been prepared by Charles C. Widdis, professional engineer and planner, Long Branch, and can be reviewed at the zoning office on Broadway.

- Christine Varno