By KGUN
A long-running dispute over the expansion plans for Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene may have reached a turning point.
On April 2, following years of debate and public backlash, the Oro Valley Town Council unanimously approved a modified plan allowing the church to move forward with building a new sanctuary—scaled down from an original proposal that was rejected earlier this year.
The latest meeting stretched late into the evening, drawing a packed house. Church supporters filled council chambers, many wearing bright orange shirts and presenting more than 500 petition signatures backing the original 40-foot height request.
Instead, council members approved a revised plan for a 36-foot-tall sanctuary—four feet shorter than originally proposed and previously denied by the Planning and Zoning Commission in January. The council’s decision came despite continued resistance from nearby residents, some of whom submitted letters urging officials to uphold the commission’s denial.
Still, the vote marked a major step forward for the church, which had previously pivoted from a sports ministry proposal to the sanctuary expansion following community opposition.
