CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — A small church on the Westside says they've won a big battle. On November 18, city council made a decision about a bar wanting to open just feet away from their steps.
"But we don't need another one, okay? We don't need another bar," community members said during public comment.
"We've dealt with several of our bars patrons entering our sanctuaries inebriated and causing a scene," they said.
"We have fought hard for our church," they said.
The fight came to city council when a proposed bar was just 14 feet shy of the city's 300-foot rule that keeps alcohol sales away from churches. The Assistant Director of Development Services claims a variance was requested, but council members denied it.
"The church reached out to me. And said they did not have any discussion with anyone," Mayor Paulette Guajardo said.
"We're essentially going against our own ordinance," Guajardo said.
I spoke with Manuel Lewis, President of the church's board. He says because the congregation is small, they felt overlooked on purpose.
"They were going out of their way to try to sneak in and hope that we wouldn't say anything. And hope that we wouldn't notice… or hope we didn't know the city's ordinances," Manuel Lewis, Church President, said.
At city council, Lewis described even more serious problems: patrons leaving urine and feces at their doorstep.
And even worse:
"We've had our cars broken into. We've had our sanctuary, itself, broken into," Lewis said.
Beyond the church, elderly residents living behind the building were also a concern.
Lewis says the neighborhood has no extra parking, and a new bar would only make things worse.
"If bars are around this area, they're parking literally in front of our doorstep," Lewis said.
The church has stood in the same spot for over 25 years, and members say protecting it was worth the fight.
Patricia Gonzalez is a member of the church, who spoke at the city council meeting. She says the city backing the church, despite losing revenue, felt like an answered prayer.
"It doesn't matter how small you are. It's kinda like a David and Goliath situation," Patricia Gonzalez, Church Member, said.
Pastors say they're not opposed to new businesses coming in, they just want the right kind of development. They'll keep an eye on the property and look forward to seeing what comes next.
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