Talks underway over St. Andrew’s expansion

Alicia Robinson

St. Andrew’s Church officials and neighbors are meeting in the middle

to discuss the church’s proposed expansion plans, on which they are

poles apart.

Expansion plans include adding 39,950 square feet, part of which

is a new youth and family center, and a 150-space parking garage

could be built.

Residents of the nearby Cliff Haven and Newport Heights

neighborhoods have opposed the plan, citing concerns with traffic,

noise and parking. After a contentious Planning Commission hearing in

May, the commission told church officials and neighbors to try to

work things out. A June 17 hearing of the church’s request was

rescheduled until next month, so the two sides could talk.

“We said OK, we understand -- although we’ve been meeting for two

years with the neighbors -- that we need to redouble our efforts,”

said Ken Williams, chairman of the church’s building program. “We

need time to work this out.”

The Planning Commission and City Council must approve a zoning

change and a general plan amendment before the church can move

forward with plans to renovate and expand its campus at 600 St.

Andrews Road, between Clay and 15th streets.

Representatives of the church and the neighbors have held three

meetings since May with another planned for next week, Williams said.

Progress is slow, but the meetings have been positive, he said.

While the discussions have addressed some of the traffic and

parking issues, both sides must still clear one major hurdle together

-- the new youth and family center.

Some progress has been made on parking and other issues, but the

talks have stayed away from the new building, said Cliff Haven

resident Bruce Stuart. With some neighbors still against any

expansion, it’s unclear whether a compromise can be reached.

“At this point, I’d say the simple answer is: I don’t know,”

Stuart said. “I think that’s very dependent upon the church’s ability

to address the neighbors’ concerns about the impacts the additional

30,000 [square] feet would have.”

He said the neighbors think it’s incumbent upon the church to show

that the additional facility will improve or at least not worsen the

existing traffic and noise problems.

The youth and family center is an integral part of the project to

church officials, who are not prepared to postpone another Planning

Commission hearing, Williams said.

However difficult reaching an agreement may be, both the neighbors

and the church think it’s important to try.

“We’re in the same neighborhood. It makes a heck of a lot of sense

to have a good relationship,” Stuart said.

The Planning Commission is expected to hear the St. Andrew’s

Church expansion request July 22.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].