Planning Commission OKs Church Expansion

An ambitious expansion plan--which includes more than 300,000 square feet of new buildings--by Mariners Church in Irvine received unanimous approval Thursday by the city’s Planning Commission.

Church leaders agreed to pull the plug on any amplification in its 1,000-seat amphitheater after nearby University Hills residents expressed concern over noise.

The 10-year expansion project calls for a 4,000-seat worship center, chapel, park and lake, family recreational center, “community hub” with coffeehouse, food court and bookstore, and 3,500 parking spaces.

The first of three phases--which includes a youth center and a children’s ministry building and the purchase of 16 acres of land--will cost an estimated $50 million.