WESTMINSTER : City Denies Request for Usage as Church

The City Council voted 3 to 2 last week to deny a request by Calvary Chapel to convert two vacant office buildings into a church.

The Calvary congregation has met at McGaugh School in Seal Beach for 12 years and has been searching for a place to build its own church for the past four years, said Wayne Goranson, a member of the congregation who was hired as the project manager.

The Planning Commission had unanimously approved a conditional use permit to the nondenominational chapel for the Westminster Boulevard site, but this required a variance. The church plan included 235 parking spaces, short of the required 267 spaces.

Councilwoman Charmayne S. Bohman, who voted against the conditional use permit, cited concerns over parking and location.

“It’s an emotional thing,” Bohman said at Tuesday night’s council meeting. “I’d like to see Calvary Church come in to Westminster, but I have concerns about the location and the potential that there will not be enough parking.”

Councilmen Craig Schweisinger and Tony Lam also voted against issuing the permit.

Goranson said he had met with neighboring residents, none of whom were bothered about potential parking problems. “We’ve dealt with parking problems for 12 years,” Goranson said. “Many residents were excited at the idea of having a church there.”

The chapel had hoped to convert the two office buildings into a sanctuary, fellowship hall, classrooms, offices, a bookstore and a broadcasting studio.

More than 800 adults now attend Calvary Chapel services, Goranson said.

Mayor Charles V. Smith and Councilman Frank Fry Jr. voted to approve the permit, saying that a church would be welcome in the area and that any parking problems could be accommodated. “The area is blighted, and if we don’t put the church in, the buildings could stand vacant for years,” Smith said.

Goranson said that it would be difficult to find other locations and that the chapel instead would revise its plan and approach the city again for a permit at the same location.