Time extended for Henderson church to resolve school expansion dispute

In the three months since the Henderson City Council asked New Song Lutheran Church to strive for a compromise with nearby residents, tensions in the neighborhood have flared.

The discord stems from the church’s request for a zone change that would allow it to add first-graders to its school, which currently has only preschool and kindergarten students. The change would not increase the school’s maximum student population, which is 62, but many neighbors fear it would lead to an increase in traffic problems and a drop in property values.

“It really is kind of tearing at the community,” said Douglas Mikulicic, who has led a petition drive against the zone change.

The Henderson City Council voted Tuesday to give the church another three months to meet with residents – but not the six months it had requested.

Mikulicic said church representatives have turned down invitations to attend two meetings with the Coventry Homes at Anthem Homeowners Association – one in October and one in December. The latter meeting was scheduled for the sole purpose of allowing church leaders to meet with residents, he said.

Before voting to delay the matter until April 9, Councilwoman Debra March scolded church leaders for failing to meet with neighbors.

“To think that you couldn’t find some time in that last 90 days is disconcerting to me,” the councilwoman said.

The Rev. David Poling-Goldenne explained that autumn “is one of the busiest times of the year” for the church.

Mikulicic was out of the country Tuesday, but he previously told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he was collecting signatures with his children and others in early December when Poling-Goldenne drove up and called them “a bunch of jerks.”

Later that day, the pastor sent him an email, which Mikulicic shared with the newspaper. The email said, “I want to apologize for calling you a ‘jerk.’ Anger sometimes causes people to say stuff they don’t intend.”

Poling-Goldenne declined to comment on the email before Tuesday’s council meeting. But he said he hoped New Song representatives could meet soon with members of the community – “we’re not beholden to the HOA” – to discuss the church’s plans.

“We’re going to look for a neutral setting where we can sit down together and talk,” Poling-Goldenne said.

Mikulicic said the petition opposing the zone change has the signatures of 805 people, including 734 Coventry residents.

City officials said about 200 people have voiced support for the change.

A change in zoning from low-density residential to public/semipublic is needed to allow first-graders at the New Song school.

The Planning Commission recommended approval of the zone change with conditions. Among them: The school will be limited to a maximum of 10 first-graders and a maximum of 62 students.

The school, which has a student population of 59, is at 1291 Cornet St., near Anthem Parkway and Reunion Drive.

Mikulicic said he and his wife have owned a home on Cornet since 2005. Their family attended New Song church before the dispute erupted in August.

Lamping Elementary School and Webb Middle School already operate near the church. The Planning Commission recommended that the church adjust start and end times at its school to differ from Webb’s start and end times.

Church leaders have said they plan to create a Christian academy to educate students through the fifth grade, but Poling-Goldenne said that won’t happen for another four or five years. He said the school would top out at 140 students.

Council members urged the church to come back with a plan that includes all of its future intentions for the site.