Commission ties terms to church expansion

Deirdre Newman

A majority of members on the city’s Planning Commission are poised to

give a nod in favor of St. Andrew’s Church’s controversial expansion

plans. But a commission vote to recommend the project could come with

strings attached that neither the church’s leaders nor expansion

critics are gung-ho about.

In an informal poll taken by commission Chairman Larry Tucker at

Thursday’s commission meeting, six out of the seven commissioners

said they were OK with the church’s $20-million, 22,000-square-foot

expansion, anchored by a new youth and family center. No official

votes were taken Thursday on either the expansion size or the

conditions the church will have to abide by.

But the poll foreshadowed an expected commission vote on Dec. 9

that would recommend City Council approval for the project, which has

been scaled down 40% from its original scope.

The poll came as the commission met with church and neighborhood

representatives over sticking points over the conditions -- such as

caps on parking spaces and people capacity -- the church would have

to live by if the project was approved. Neighbors are concerned that

the entire project will create unwanted traffic and noise in the area

while church leaders see its growth as a boon for the neighborhood

and its ministry.

But now, after two years of debate that has engulfed the

neighborhood around 600 St. Andrews Road, at least some are

questioning the limits the sides can go to find a compromise.

“Some of the folks are saying, ‘This is not worth it,’” church

spokeswoman Jill Kanzler said of some church members’ feelings on

withdrawing the expansion application altogether. “This is a lot of

money, and a lot of individuals and families are giving $100 [or

more]. That’s a lot of money to have these restrictions.”

Some opponents are equally dissatisfied. They don’t feel the

conditions the church will have to adhere to will do enough to

protect them, said Don Krotee, one of the leaders of a group of

Cliffhaven and Newport Heights neighbors that oppose the large

expansion.

THE STRINGS

To get ready for the Dec. 9 meeting, commissioners asked the

church to provide the city with some more details on its expansion

plans, including an updated version of its parking-management plan.

The unofficial consensus among commissioners on the operating

conditions Thursday was that the church should provide 600 total

parking spaces -- about 270 on its site and about 330 across the

street at Newport Harbor High School -- and that its maximum

occupancy on Sundays should be capped at 1,500. Church leaders wanted

Sunday’s occupancy capped at 1,900.

The square footage is not as big of a concern as the intensity of

use, since parking is such a huge problem in the surrounding area,

Tucker said. The issue of parking drove the commissioners’ attitudes

on how many people could occupy the church at various times.

“If there’s not enough parking spaces to accommodate the people

the church is planning to have at any given time, then the project is

not going to work properly,” Tucker said.

The church’s ability to provide 600 parking spaces is up in the

air because a deal has not yet been reached with the Newport-Mesa

Unified School district.

Though the poll showed commissioners giving a nod in favor of

proposal, church representatives took small comfort, in hearing that

their reduced square footage will pass muster, since commission

members feel there should be restrictions on the use and occupancy of

the expanded church facility.

The church’s building committee is assessing its options after

hearing the commissioners’ thoughts, committee chairman Ken Williams

said. Committee members are also concerned that the amount of parking

the commission is requiring is contingent on a deal with the school

district.

“This is completely out of St. Andrews’ control,” Williams said.

“And of course, we’re nervous as to how it will work out, since the

whole project may be tied up on that one aspect. We have reason to be

confident that it might [work out].”

Commissioners also said that they did not want the church’s

proposed new gym to be used by any outside groups, including the

school district.

“I remember the [church’s] initial presentation that this gym was

for the church only,” Commissioner Ed Selich said.

Neighbors continued to lament the prospect of a larger expansion.

“I’m profoundly disappointed,” Krotee said. “It’s a very sad day

for the communities -- not just the specific communities that are

affected but all of the communities in this city -- when this level

of planning decision is made for an applicant at the expense of those

communities.”