Permit talks delayed

The Planning Commission has voted to continue its discussion on the use of Brethren Christian Junior and Senior High School’s gymnasium and field, which has incited numerous complaints from residents and two notifications from the city.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the commission voted 5 to 1 to discuss at a later date whether to schedule a revocation hearing on Brethren Christian’s conditional use permit.

The city issued the school a notice of violation in October and a civil citation in November for failing to follow the conditions of approval by using more lights than allowed during football games, and residents have complained about the lights glaring onto their homes.

Greater Long Beach Christian Schools Inc., which represents Brethren Christian, has appealed the civil citation, which led the commission to postpone its discussion. School officials could not be reached Wednesday.

Commissioner Blair Farley cast the only vote Tuesday against postponing the hearing to an unspecified date, arguing that the city should have a revocation hearing as soon as possible.

“There’s been a blatant violation,” Farley said to a smattering of applause from the audience.

Brethren Christian’s conditional use permit could face further review or be revoked if the commission opts for a public hearing.

Neighbor Terry Crowther, one of the most vocal opponents of Brethren Christian’s expansion, said the commission had been too lenient Tuesday.

“The Planning Commission continues to ignore the concerns of the neighbors,” he said. “Now that Brethren Christian High School has violated their conditional use permit on six occasions, they still seem to side with Brethren Christian as opposed to listening to the citizens they’re supposed to represent.”

The conditional use permit was approved by the City Council in May and allows the private school to build a 27,000-square-foot, 31-foot-tall gymnasium, use it for school and community uses and employ the existing soccer field as a football field with bleacher seating and four portable lights.

Neighbors have been fighting the construction of the gymnasium for eight months and have formed the group Neighborhoods for Safety & Quality.

The group filed a lawsuit June 19 against the city and had its attorney file a request to revoke the school’s permit.

The residents are concerned about the size of the gym and are asking for it to be reduced to 18,000 square feet.

In addition, the neighbors want to eliminate nighttime football games because they don’t want the lights shining in their houses, bands playing and people screaming, and are against allowing anyone beside the school to use the facilities, with the exception of the American Youth Soccer Organization.

The building is part of the school’s $3.5-million renovation plan, which includes two large storage facilities and restrooms for AYSO, a weight room, a dance and cheer room, a storage facility for drama, a concessions stand, two offices, and team lockers and restrooms.