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Foothills Sentry


Tuesday, February 10, 2015


Salem Church expansion approved; planning commissioners applaud rare community consensus


By Tina Richards The Orange Planning Commis-


sion approved a zone change per- mitting Salem Lutheran Church, 6500 East Santiago Canyon Road in Orange, to expand its facilities. The church is also home to a pre- school and K-8 classrooms, but enrollment is restricted by a long- standing covenant with the City of Orange, and there are no plans to expand those facilities. The unanimous decision made


during the Jan. 5 planning com- mission meeting culminated eight years of negotiations between the church and Orange Park Acres, the community that surrounds it. Orange Park Acres is known to oppose development that threat- ens its rural, equestrian-focused ambiance. Salem’s initial expan- sion plans called for a 712-seat, 39-ft.-tall sanctuary, and a new entrance on Santiago Canyon Road to replace its existing access point at the rear of its property on Frank Lane. A vacant house on the Salem property was slated to house its existing preschool, and its playground area would be lo- cated immediately behind resi- dences that abut the property at Frank lane. Frank Lane itself had long been


a combat zone between the church and residents who shared the nar- row street. Homeowners com- plained that church/school traffic restricted the only access they had to their homes, and that during the school’s drop-off and pick-up times, traffic made Frank and Or- ange Park Blvd. impassable. In addition, OPA believed that the planned sanctuary was way too large for the area, that ingress/ egress along Santiago Canyon. was hazardous to vehicles and equestrians, and that the church had not provided enough on-site parking to accommodate visitors. They disapproved of turning the vacant house into a preschool, cit- ing its proximity to residents and the disturbance it would create.


Give and take Salem, a fixture in the rural


community for some 50 years, wanted to be a good neighbor. OPA residents, many of whom at- tend the church, were not opposed to the expansion plans, in gen- eral, but could not support many of the specifics. Early meetings between church consultants, com- munity representatives and imme- diate neighbors were contentious, with Salem making small changes to the plan, and OPA rejecting them. Last year, the two sides agreed


to meet with city officials who would arbitrate Salem’s plans and OPA’s objections. The goal was to reach a compromise plan that suited the church and respected the neighborhood. The conversa- tions worked, and by the time the planning commission met, OPA was satisfied with the modifica- tions and had agreed to support the project. The revised plans lower the


height of the new sanctuary to 36 feet, and reduce its capacity to 590 seats. The old house will be demolished and replaced with a parking area. The Santiago Canyon Road entrance was aban- doned in favor of an improved approach on Frank Lane. Frank Lane will be widened, allowing two lanes of service for the church and school. A third lane for resi-


dents only will be separated by raised markers on the road. Traf- fic congestion along Orange Park will be alleviated during drop-off and pick-up times with the addi- tion of a dedicated lane extending from Santiago Canyon Road to Frank for those turning right onto the church grounds.


Meeting of the minds “You are the real heroes here,”


Commissioner Bill Cathcart told the audience of Salem parishio- ners and OPA residents. “You’ve shown that the community and a developer can work together.” While the improved traffic pat-


terns satisfied OPA leadership, not everyone was happy. Two households that depend on Frank Lane to get to and from their property do not believe that raised lane markers are a sufficient sepa- ration device for the shared lane. Members of both families wanted a fence instead. “The fence,” said Salem con-


sultant Frank Elfin, “has come and gone.


It was there for a while, but these same neighbors Salem Lutheran worked with Orange Park Arces to develop a compromise plan that satisfied almost everyone.


opposed it when we suggested it. So it went away.” “After eight years of work to


meet the goals of the city and the stakeholders, there will always be controversy,” Commissioner Daniel Correa noted. “We’re not going to resolve every single


problem.” “It’s not perfect,” Commission-


er Bill Steiner agreed, “but it’s as close to a win/win as I’ve seen in a public hearing.” Adriana Gladstone asked for,


and received, assurances that the street improvements would be


timed to coincide with the issu- ance of building permits, and not delayed until the new facility was occupied. The vote was 5-0 in favor. The


project must still go before the Orange City Council at a future date.


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