The town of Goffstown and the Goffstown Harvest Christian Church have been butting heads over a 5-acre parcel of land at the corner of Saint Anselm Drive and Route 114. The church wants to build a new facility, but town selectmen see it better suited for business use. Business use?

Drive down Route 114 toward Saint Anselm College someday and take a good look around. The only business on that stretch of road in Goffstown is a gas station. It may be an industrial area, but there certainly isn’t much industry going on.

And according to Zoning Board Chairman Wayne Richardson, “For an industrial use, it’s not a good lot.” Residents may have voted not to allow variances in industrial areas back at Town Meeting this year, but the board granted the church a variance to build back in 2006, before the church even purchased the land. The church rightfully owns the property, and we think the variance it originally received should be grandfathered. That land has remained vacant for more than 20 years, and we don’t think any businesses will come along anytime soon.

Though the church may not generate taxable income, it does benefit the community. According to the Rev. Joe Johnsick, its alms mininstry gave back $80,000 in cash, food and other donations to Goffstown last year, more than what would be generated in tax revenue from a business. It may not be a business and might not generate the revenue the town would like, but the town should allow the church to build its new facility. It certainly serves the community in its own way, and it’s only fair.

- Editorials published by Neighborhood News Inc. are written by an editorial board.

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