The other four council members said they haven't made their minds up yet, but Councilman Steve Rapson said last week that he is opposed to the rezoning, which would give that corner of the city a 24-hour commercial presence.

"I think it's a quality of life issue and I'm opposed to it," Rapson said of the rezoning.

Currently, the three-acre parcel is zoned for office-institutional use. The City Council will have the final say on whether the parcel can be rezoned or not; the city's planning commission will provide a recommendation one way or another.

Mayor Steve Brown said he thinks a "public dialog" needs to occur to figure out what's best for the site. But some neighborhood representatives invited to a planning meeting have rebuffed those efforts, Brown noted.

"I think that's bad for everybody," Brown said, noting that issues such as landscaping, screening and architectural control could be hashed out. Proponents and opponents of the rezoning have made valid points that should be considered, he added.

Council members Murray Weed, Stuart Kourajian and Judi-ann Rutherford said last week they don't want to judge the project until it officially comes before council.

"I haven't made a decision. I'm still getting information," Rutherford said.

Kourajian said he also wanted more information, and Weed noted that the Planning Commission's recommendation will also be important to consider.

The issue was to be debated by the commission Monday night, but the church asked for it to be tabled. City staff had recommended the rezoning be denied, in part because the development is not consistent with the goals and objectives in the city's comprehensive plan and land use plan.