The five-story apartment proposed to be built on the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church property on West Johnson Street was approved Monday by the city’s Landmarks Commission.

The commission granted the design a certificate of appropriateness under the condition the developers, Knothe & Bruce Architects, make the building one story shorter, move it further away from the church and return to the Landmarks Commission with the updated plan.

Commission members expressed concern that the building was too close to the church and asked the architect in charge of the project, Randy Bruce, to examine the possibility of moving it.

Bruce disagreed with the choice, saying this was not ideal because it would block off one of the two entranceways into what remained of the parking lot.

Because the church is a historical landmark and exists in the Mansion Hill district, there are a lot of restrictions on what can be built.

Many parishioners and neighbors spoke in opposition to the apartment building.

Mansion Hill Neighborhood Association Chair Eugene Devitt said he did not think the building was appropriate for the neighborhood’s current architecture.

“I feel that this proposal will not enhance the historical value of the lot,” Devitt said.

Parishioners who spoke were not only in opposition to the architecture, but also had problems with the concept of the building itself.

Parishioner Gail Geib said she was worried about the lack of parking space in the current proposal. According to Geib, many parishioners gather in the lot after service to talk.

“This is where people tap into the lifeblood of a parish community,” Geib said.

Every parishioner who spoke was concerned about how having major construction going on would affect the church building itself. They worried the building could be damaged, and said, given its designation as a historical landmark, getting proper approvals to repair damage could be difficult.

Mark Landgraf, spokesperson for the Diocese of Madison, said the diocese is in strong support of this project, but they also wanted to make sure they took the opinions of the parishioners into account.

“They are working with the cathedral parish to discover the best use (of the lot),” Landgraf said.

Commission member Stuart Levitan reminded community members the Landmarks Commission’s jurisdiction does not involve how the lot is being used; it is about whether the design fits into the historical district.

“What happens to the community … that’s not our table,” Levitan said.

Levitan raised the question of whether the buildings within the lot should be considered in deciding whether the apartment fits in with the visual surroundings.

He added usually in historical districts, other buildings on the lot under construction are not considered. This case is unique because the church itself has historical designation, making it one of the reasons the Mansion Hill neighborhood is historical.

Commission member Michael Rosenblum said he thought because the lot would eventually be split into two lots — one containing the church, school and nun’s quarters, and one containing the apartment building — the other buildings should be considered.