MEINERS OAKS : Commission OKs New Church Hall

Plans for a new meeting hall at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Meiners Oaks were approved by the Ventura County Planning Commission Thursday.

The commission’s action clears the way for the completion of the 10,000-square-foot structure by 1994, church officials said.

“It has been the dream of the parish for many years,” said Deacon Bill Olivas, business manager for the church. “I am sure it will come to fruition.”

Located on California 33 at El Roblar Drive, St. Thomas Aquinas Church was built in the mid-1960s after it outgrew a smaller site in downtown Ojai.

There are at least 900 members of the Catholic congregation, Olivas said.

The church has long planned to build the hall but was only recently able to raise the money for construction.

Olivas said the building will cost an estimated $1 million.

When completed, the building will stand 27 feet high and include a 35-foot tower consistent with the church’s Spanish-style architecture, Olivas said.

It will be used for lectures, wedding receptions and other celebrations, he said.

The church must also receive approval from the county building and safety commission before construction on the new hall can begin, county planner Beth Painter said.