Growing Traffic Problems Cited : Carlsbad City Council Rejects Plans for Church

The Carlsbad City Council, bucking the recommendations of the city Planning Department, reaffirmed Tuesday its earlier decision to stop a church from building across from Holiday Park, claiming it would only heighten growing traffic problems in the area.

Residents who live near 1198 Pine Ave., the Apostolic Assembly church’s planned location for the building, argued successfully that the traffic created by those attending services would clog the narrow streets surrounding Holiday Park, an area they say is already plagued with congestion.

But for the Rev. Juan Hernandez, pastor of the 70-member congregation, the adamant, anti-construction stance taken by the council has left him baffled and disappointed.

“I just don’t understand why the council is so against us,” said Hernandez, whose group was appealing the City Council’s original decision two weeks ago to deny the church’s proposal.

“They have based their decision solely on these traffic problems, but we have met every city requirement in order to prevent them from occurring. Their own city Planning Department has approved our choice for a new site. Yet they seem intent on believing we will create all these problems.”

8-Year Search

Hernandez said his congregation has spent the last eight years searching for a new location, hoping to escape from their current quarters, a dilapidated building in downtown Carlsbad. He claims the proposed site--which the congregation bought in June--is right, and refuses to let the council have the last word.

“We have spent a lot of time and money looking for an appropriate site,” Hernandez said. “We just can’t walk away from it now. We believe the council has not given our case ample consideration. We think their decision is unjust and we’ll continue to fight for our site in Superior Court.”

Hernandez said the Planning Department’s report specifically counters many of the residents’ concerns.

The report states that “from a traffic standpoint . . . the project will not impact the streets in the vicinity,” and concludes, “ . . . the church would be a desirable land use and would not be incompatible in the area.”

But that evaluation failed to quiet complaints from residents.

They say Holiday Park is already heavily used and that the park struggles to accommodate traffic generated by facilities surrounding it, such as a day-care center, a girls’ club and another church.

Such concern was shared by Councilwoman Ann Kulchin.

Traffic Concerns

“I think the big problem is that the times when the church will be used the most, like Sunday afternoons, will conflict with times when the park is already heavily used,” she said.

“We use that park a lot, for our book fair and our children’s day. With the lack of parking spaces I’m afraid members of the congregation will drive farther into the neighborhood to park their cars and cause more traffic problems.”

The church is designed to seat 135 people and provides 27 parking spaces, in compliance with the city’s zoning ordinances. But residents say the number of spaces is insufficient and fear overflow traffic will seep into neighborhood streets and fill the few public parking spaces available along Holiday Park.

Residents also expressed concern that the congregation’s festive services--which includes loud music--will disrupt their quiet environment.

“I really don’t think we’re going to outdo the freeway,” Hernandez said, referring to Interstate 5, which is located fewer than three blocks west of the proposed site.

“We have met every single requirement established by the planning department and have volunteered to go even further to quell any fears the neighbors might have,” he said. “We have promised to insulate the new church in order to make it soundproof and have agreed to put up a decorative, masonry wall to serve as a buffer between the church and neighboring houses.”

But council members appeared skeptical about whether the congregation can keep those promises in the years ahead.