The Catholic community at the University of Guelph moved one step closer to having its own spiritual headquarters, including a place of worship, on Monday at Guelph City Council.
At a public meeting council heard further details of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton's plans for the Guelph Newman Centre, which will be located in a turn-of-the-century house at 325 Gordon St., on the southwest corner of Gordon Street and Dean Avenue.
The diocese has made an application for a zoning by-law amendment it needs run such a facility.
The Guelph Newman Centre would include a room to hold mass, meeting rooms, offices, media rooms and a lounge. They would all be available for the Christian community at the U of G - staff, students and faculty - to use, said Rebecca McEvoy, a master's student involved with the project.
The diocese has owned the property and an adjacent home since the 1960s. The house planned for the Guelph Newman Centre is currently empty. The adjacent house will remain a group home.
There was no public opposition at Monday's council meeting, although written submissions had expressed concerns about the lights from a proposed 15-space parking lot behind the building, potential noise and the future of several trees on the lot.
Councillor Leanne Piper wanted to ensure no light pollution would bother neighbours and Councillor Cathy Downer wanted to make sure there would be no signs.
Councillor Phil Alt mused that the city might be on a bit of a "slippery slope" in seeing a strip of development down Gordon Street that was purely university related.
"We don't want a university strip down Gordon," Alt said.
James Webb, on behalf of the applicant, said only one tree will be taken down and that is to comply with accessibility regulations.
He said he had no problem with agreeing to no lights in the parking lot, which will be discussed at the site plan phase.
“The Newman Centre is nothing new,” Father Mark Morley, the U of G's chaplain, told GuelphToday last month, adding that the property had previously been a Newman Centre in the 1960s and 70s. It was then leased to the Canadian Mental Health Association to provide short-term, transitional housing for people with mental illness. In 2014, the diocese took control of the property again and decided to re-establish the Newman Centre.
Staff will now prepare a report and recommendation on the application for the zoning change for council.
