Southlake city council voted Tuesday night to award Gateway Church a five-year mass gathering permit to host its fall festival.

Representatives from the church requested the permit in perpetuity, but some members of the council thought too much could change in the coming years.

"Five years is a long time," said councilman Randy Williamson. "We don't give perpetuity, to my knowledge."

The event – which runs annually in late October – draws some 10,000 attendees and is held at the church's Southlake campus on 700 Blessed Way.

While perpetuity is granted in rare cases – mostly for city-hosted events – a lot of problems would be avoided by not doing so in this case, said Mayor John Terrell.

"It sets a precedent to have everyone ask," he said.

Council members were concerned too much could change in Southlake over even five years, so language was added that could require the church to come before the council to get the permit altered.

"We need to build in a mechanism that if we get a complaint we can say, 'You have to come back in.,'" said councilman Martin Schelling.

The council unanimously voted yes to award the permit to the church for five years as amended.