City Council grants temporary sanctuary to church

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- The City Council on Monday unanimously rejected a

Planning Commission decision and decided to allow a local church to build

a 36-foot-high temporary sanctuary while its new permanent building is

under construction.

The 7,910-square-foot tent at 2115 Newport Blvd. will be needed to

host services for three to five years, Calvary Church administrators

said.

The council approved the tent for 2 1/2 years, after which the church

will be required to return to council members with a construction update.

The church may then receive a 2 1/2-year extension.

Councilman Gary Monahan placed the item on the agenda, saying the

church’s request is well within the 50-foot height limit, which is the

city’s standard for permanent buildings.

Monahan added that the temporary structure would have no effect on the

nearest residence, which is about 360 feet away, and that a denial would

force the church to redesign its permanent structure.

Senior Pastor Tim Celek came to the council Monday armed with noise

and architecture studies, as well as a timeline that seemed to convince

council members that the tent would not become permanent and would be

removed when the permanent structure is finished in about five years.

Celek said he was pleased with the council’s decision and added that

the council’s conditions for approval would act as motivation to get the

permanent building finished as soon as possible.

“It gets the clock ticking,” he said. “And that’s a good thing because

it is in our best interest to move to the new building sooner.”

The Planning Commission members in February decided against the tent

in a narrow 3-2 vote because commissioners said the structure would not

be compatible with its surroundings and would set a precedent for other

organizations that come to the city with similar requests.

Commission Chairwoman Katrina Foley said Tuesday that the council’s

decision surprised her.

“But I think the process worked because [church officials] reviewed

and revised their plans to address the concerns that were raised by the

Planning Commission,” she said.

A few disgruntled neighbors spoke at Monday’s meeting, saying the

church’s rock ‘n’ roll music would prove too noisy for them on Sunday

morning.

“I’ve attended their services,” Sam Calderone said. “It’s loud, it’s

noisy. The looks of the tent presents a carnival-like picture.”

But Celek said the tent will comply with the city’s building codes,

and is tougher and more noise resistant than the average “circus tent.”

Several parishioners were present at Monday’s meeting in a show of

support for their church.

Calvary Church Newport Mesa has embarked on a multimillion-dollar

project, which, when finished, will double the size of its existing

Orange Avenue campus and include a new sanctuary, educational buildings,

a four-level parking structure and a multipurpose room.

Celek has said holding services in the temporary structure would allow

the church to accommodate its growing congregation while church officials

monitor the real estate market to find the right time to sell the Orange

Avenue property. The money from the sale would fund the new sanctuary.

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 deepa.bharath@latimes.comf7 .