Church Wants Shed

Some residents in Bend, Ore., are upset about a local church’s plan to build a 2,000-seat amphitheatre in a rural section of the town.

Pastor John Bluebaugh of the Christian Life Center said the venue – which would host national Christian bands – is a way to expand his audience.

“There are kids that would come to an event like that who would never come to a church service,” Bluebaugh told The Bulletin in Bend.

But neighbors are concerned about noise and traffic congestion the new shed could bring. Some fear it could block emergency vehicles passing through.

To build the shed, church officials would need permission from the state’s Deschutes County. If approved, it would host four to six concerts a year during the summer, according to plans filed with the county.

Concerts would begin at 7 p.m. and end at approximately 10 p.m., church officials said.

Approval for the project could conflict with previous cases in Oregon involving the expansion of churches on land zoned for farm use, according to a Deschutes County report on the amphitheatre application.