ON THE AGENDA Here are some of...

ON THE AGENDA

Here are some of the issues the commission will consider Thursday.

THEATER EXPANSION

The commission will consider a request by Mary Lonich, executive

director of the Balboa Performing Arts Theater Foundation, to

increase the height of the existing theater, at 707 E. Balboa Blvd.,

to a maximum height of 55 feet.

The theater, built around 1927, is a designated landmark building.

The proposed height increase is part of a plan to restore the

theater.

This application is limited to a review of the building height and

to make sure the project complies with the Balboa Village Design

Guidelines, adopted by the city in 2002 to set the preferred design

elements for the development and redevelopment of buildings in the

area.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Planning staff members recommend allowing the theater to increase

its height to a maximum of 55 feet.

ST. MARK COMPLEX

St. Mark Presbyterian Church will make a slew of requests

including a change in the general plan, a use permit and a traffic

study for the construction of a new church complex at the corner of

MacArthur Boulevard and San Joaquin Hills Road.

The complex would house a sanctuary, fellowship hall,

administration building, counseling center, preschool buildings,

nature center plaza and another building for future expansion.

The project requires a general plan amendment to change the

land-use designation from recreational/environmental open space to

government, educational and institutional facilities and to establish

a 34,000-square-foot floor area limit for the site. The amendment is

needed because a church use isn’t allowed within the current land-use

designation.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Planning staff members recommend approval of all the church’s

requests. Although the site is designated for open space, no plans to

use the site as a public park, open space or recreational facility

have been included in the city’s long-range planning documents,

according to the staff report.

ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH EXPANSION

Church representatives have requested the hearing on St. Andrew’s

expansion be continued until Oct. 21 because the church has not

submitted a revised proposal for the expansion, which mainly includes

a youth and family center.

Church representatives assessed their needs as the Planning

Commission requested in August and continue to discuss the expansion

with residents of the Cliff Haven and Newport Heights neighborhoods,

which would be most affected by it, church spokeswoman Jill Kanzler

said.

The request for postponement is to have more time to revise the

plans, Kanzler said. The church is considering reducing the size of

the project even further, Kanzler added. In August, the church

announced plans to reduce its proposed growth from 35,948 square feet

to 27,168 square feet.

Church-expansion proponents are not going to be at the meeting

because they are expecting the issue to be postponed, Kanzler said.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The commission will most likely postpone the item until Oct. 21.