Expansion plans divide neighbors

June Casagrande

About 200 people packed the City Council Chambers and spilled out

into the lobby and lawn Thursday night as supporters and opponents of

expansion by St. Andrew’s Church squared off in their first public

forum.

About half the crowd was wearing buttons that said “No Expansion,”

and the other half were wearing stickers that said “I’m with St.

Andrew’s.” But despite this deep and clear divide, both sides were

extremely civil and respectful.

“This is a very difficult issue,” Cliff Haven resident and

expansion opponent Bill Dunlap said. “We’re all neighbors, so this is

very difficult for us.”

At issue is whether St. Andrew’s should be allowed to renovate its

campus at 600 St. Andrews Road between Clay Street and 15th Street by

adding a total of 39,950 square feet, including a new youth and

family center. A parking garage that’s part of the plan will add 150

spaces to the existing 250 spaces at the church.

Some neighbors say the renovated church will overwhelm their

sleepy community with traffic, noise and the imposing look of the

large campus.

Church leaders say they have gone to great lengths to manage the

traffic and that the added parking spaces will improve the current

parking situation. Their most emphatic point, however, is that they

believe the new youth and family center will benefit the entire

community.

“We want to make it a positive outlet and we want to be a good

neighbor,” said David Rockness, minister of youth for St. Andrew’s.

Planning commissioners’ only task on Thursday was to hear public

comments on the project. Staff members must finish responding to

comments on the environmental study before commissioners can take any

formal action on the project.

The matter will come back before the Planning Commission sometime

next month. For the expansion to take place, the commission must

approve a zoning change and a general plan amendment. The church is

zoned for residential use and officials say it will need to be

rezoned in order to expand. The expansion is just 50 feet short of

triggering a Greenlight vote; projects that exceed general plan

guidelines by 40,000 square feet or more must be decided by a vote of

the people.

If the Planning Commission approves the expansion in June or July,

the matter will then go to the council for final approval.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.