Officials approve church project

Hundreds of residents packed the chambers at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting for a pair of closely watched issues: a modernization project for a historic Huntington Beach church and the annexation of part of county Bolsa Chica land.

After public hearings and changes to plans, the commission passed a revitalization of First Christian Church, 1207 Main St., on a 5-0 vote, with two members recusing themselves because of connections to the church. While parishioners said their 50-year-old buildings desperately needed an update to accommodate their congregation, a number of neighbors said they worried about too much noise and traffic, during and after construction.

The church will tear down four buildings and put up three, according to commission reports. A bookstore and café, which detractors call a for-profit business but church members call a cafeteria mostly for members, stayed in the plan. The original plan would have included a three-story parking garage for parishioners, but a last-minute agreement with the city nixed that part of the project.

The commission also unanimously approved a specific plan and annexation orders for portions of the Bolsa Chica mesa now being filled with houses as part of the Brightwater housing development. While staff said the city did not have much leeway to change the plan, as it had to conform to the development’s agreements with the county and the California Coastal Commission, commissioners did add language to guarantee that all streets in the development would allow public parking.

Members of the conservationist group Bolsa Chica Land Trust said they worried the plan allows the homeowners’ association to build a guard house and create a gated community, which would, among other things, block off public nature trails. Planning Commission staff said such acts would violate agreements with the Coastal Commission, allowing the state to sue.

The plans show where zoning will be once houses are annexed from county land into the city, which will happen in phases once groups of houses are built. The annexation will go to the City Council for final approval.