Hampshire denies church youth center, for nearby bar's sake

A Hampshire church was denied a special use permit last week to open a teen center at 122 E. Washington Avenue because the proposed center would be located within 100 feet of a licensed establishment that serves liquor.

But village board members were not safeguarding the youths that would be attending the Faithway Baptist Church's youth center when they voted 6-0 against the permit.

Instead, trustees denied the permit to protect the bar known as the Kave, at 123 E. Washington Ave.

State law allows an existing liquor establishment to remain open if a church moves within 100 feet of it, but the business would be denied a liquor license if it changed ownership.

Village President Jeffrey Magnussen said that would be unfair to the business.

"We didn't think it was fair to hamstring the business owner so that they could never sell or change names and apply for a new liquor license," Magnussen said. "It has been in place, as the Kave and before that Chuck's Pub, for decades."

Church leaders had wanted to move into a storefront at 122. E. Washington Ave., in the Studio A Dance building.

Bob Mukenschnabl, head pastor at the church, said Faithway Baptist is expanding its youth ministry and is quickly outgrowing its current space at 195 E. Washington.

"Right now our youth group is in the vicinity of about 25 teens," Mukenschnabl said. "But we need to defray the space that they are taking up in the main church for adults and younger children."

Mukenschnabl said the church was disappointed with the village's decision.

"We would like for them to review their decision," Mukenschnabl said. "Right now we are doing our homework and we believe the village got it wrong."