Residents rallying against expansion

June Casagrande

The environmental study for the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

expansion was still hot of the presses when the first controversy

erupted.

In his newsletter to parishioners, Pastor John Huffman paraphrased

some city leaders by writing: “In our meetings with planning

department and city officials, we have been told on several occasions

that there is nothing about our proposed project that is a concern to

them from a planning and development viewpoint.”

Now that a neighborhood leader has cried foul, church leaders say

they regret the choice of words.

“I wish we could have been more delicate when we said that,” said

Ken Williams, a spokesman for the church. “It makes it sound like we

think the project’s a shoo-in and of course nothing’s a shoo-in.”

What really happened, Williams said, is that planning department

staff had told church leaders that the technical aspects of the

project wouldn’t be the biggest hurdle -- winning support of

neighbors would be the biggest challenge to the 36,000-square-foot

expansion.

“We apologize for that misunderstanding,” Williams said.

The faux pas could be the first step in a long and rocky road

toward community consensus on the plans to add a new youth center, a

parking garage and to demolish and replace two of the church’s

existing buildings, transforming the facility from 104,440 square

feet to 140,388 square feet.

“If the church and the residents can’t come up with some sort of

compromise, it’s going to be difficult to approve anything,” said

City Councilman Don Webb, whose district includes the church, located

at the intersection of St. Andrews Road and 15th Street.

Webb is not a member of the church.

Some residents oppose the project, saying it will bring too much

traffic to this residential area and that the sheer size of the new

church will overwhelm their neighborhood.

“It’s a land-use outrage,” said Don Krotee, spokesman for the

Newport Heights Improvement Assn. and a leading critic of the plans.

“If you have to live across the street or around the way from it,

you’ll have to look at a bigger bulk than is zoned for the area.”

Church leaders say they are eager to win over residents through

traffic management, creative landscaping and other measures.

Councilman Steve Rosansky, whose district begins across the street

from the church, said the church should continue meetings with

neighbors to arrive at an accord.

Williams said the church has the same goal.

“There’s not a drawing in those plans that’s in permanent ink,”

Williams said. “The church is wide open to doing whatever we can.”

Community members have about five weeks to comment on the

environmental study, which is available at the Mariners Branch

Library and in the Planning Department at City Hall. The project

requires a general plan amendment because it would rezone the land,

but it would not require a Greenlight vote.

Eventually, the Planning Commission will decide whether to approve

the general plan amendment. After that, someone could still appeal

the matter to the City Council.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.