Cities, Church Reach Accord

A complicated plan to move a Los Alamitos church and allow Cypress its first superstore is back on track following a compromise worked out by all parties involved, officials said Friday.

Officials from Cypress and Los Alamitos -- along with representatives of Cottonwood Christian Center -- have reached a tentative agreement under which the church will modify the traffic plan for its new sanctuary on a 29-acre parcel off Katella Avenue. The church will also dedicate additional land for improvements off that street.

“We’re encouraged that all parties are working hard for a positive outcome,” said Cypress Mayor Tim Keenan.

Said Los Alamitos Mayor Alice B. Jempsa: “We are pleased that this process has allowed the concerns of our residents to be heard.”

The new plan is the latest incarnation of one that began in 1999 when Cottonwood bought 18 acres near Walker Street in Cypress. The church intended to build a 4,700-seat sanctuary, preschool, bookstore, coffeehouse, meeting facilities and youth center.

The city rejected the plan, however, arguing that it needed the site for a new superstore, later identified as a Costco, and the church filed a lawsuit charging religious discrimination.

Cottonwood eventually agreed to sell its land to Cypress for a profit, in exchange for the right to buy and build on a portion of the nearby Cypress Golf Course. Nearby Los Alamitos then challenged the arrangement in court, arguing that it would create traffic problems.

Representatives of both cities said Friday that they expected to review a draft agreement next week, after which it will go before each city council.