Church, neighbors plead to planners

Deirdre Newman

Church officials and neighbors opposed to St. Andrew’s Church

expansion plans tried Thursday to hash out rules the church must

follow if its plans are approved.

And this time, like parents giving their squabbling children one

last chance to agree, the Planning Commission sat them down at a

table and let them plead their cases.

The commission has been nudging both sides to agree on the plans

for months, but the seven commissioners’ mediation made Thursday’s

discussion unusual. Commissioners were ready to be the final arbiters

on requirements the church would have to live by if the two sides

couldn’t agree by themselves.

As of press time, no agreement had been reached on sticking points

such as maximum occupancy on certain days and parking ratios. But

commissioners were leaning toward capping the church’s maximum

occupancy of people at 1,500 on Sundays and requiring the church to

provide 600 parking spaces every day, through on-site spaces and

those across the street at Newport Harbor High School. The church had

wanted a maximum occupancy of 1,900 on Sundays.

Church leaders are planning a 22,000-square-foot expansion,

anchored by the addition of a youth and family center. The plan is a

40% reduction from their original proposal. The expansion requires a

general-plan amendment, but neighbors have been opposed because the

development would create traffic congestion and noise, they said.

Seated at a conference table in the City Council chambers, church

officials and a representative for the neighborsgave their versions

of what the church’s operating requirements should be. Commission

members felt that available parking should drive the church’s maximum

occupancy, and that occupancy should be based on a different parking

ratio.

Now, each parking space represents three people, based on city

code for religious institutions. The commission was leaning toward

changing that to 2.5 people per space on Sundays, which would limit

occupancy to 1,500 on Sundays.

Gary McKittrick, counsel for the church, said that change would be

unfair.

“The [city] code is clear,” he said. “This is a significant

restriction. We operate like every other church. To make up a parking

ratio is imposing something different on us.”

The commission chairman disagreed.

“First of all, it’s a general-plan amendment [we are

considering],” Commissioner Larry Tucker said. “What we’re doing is

looking at the totality of the situation, and something is not

working now. This is an opportunity to figure out what’s wrong and

figure out how we can make this use work. We’re grappling not with

trying to treat the church differently, but we wouldn’t be having

this discussion if the parking was working today.”

Bruce Stuart, representing the joint-neighborhood leadership,

agreed that the parking ratio should be changed.

“My first reaction is that I don’t think three adults ride in cars

to church,” Stuart said. “This is California. I don’t think the 3-1

ratio gives us a lot of good comfort.”Both sides presented their

suggestions to the city on Nov. 4 of what rules the church should

have to abide by. While there was some agreement before Thursday, a

number of issues remained, including church occupancy.

After the operating conditions are resolved, staff members will

officially record them so they’re ready for the Dec. 9 commission

meeting, when a vote to recommend approval or denial of the project

is expected.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers government. She may be reached at (714)

966-4623 or by e-mail at [email protected].