San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
DEL CERRO RESIDENTS SEEK TO BLOCK MEGACHURCH
Proposed 1,000-member facility opposed due to size, traffic concerns
Residents of a hilly single-home neighborhood where a local church is planning to build a 52,600-squarefoot complex are fighting it, saying it is not a good fit for the community.
Del Cerro, which borders the College Area and San Carlos, is a mostly residential neighborhood near San Diego State University with panoramic views of central parts of the city.
Area residents worry that the proposed site for All Peoples Church — with its more than 1,000member congregation — will worsen traffic and redefine the character of the community. Opponents hope the City Council will reject the proposal when it comes before them next year.
“I’m not saying the church is bad ... but just not at the scale that they are trying to build in the community,” said Del Cerro resident Barbara Blakeley.
The church’s supporters say the development will be an opportunity for church members and the community.
“A church longs to help people, a church wants to be an asset to a community, not just their own parishioners,” said the Rev. Robert Herber, pastor of the church.
The proposed church building would sit at the intersection of College Avenue and Interstate 8 on a nearly 6-acre lot, at the entrance to Del Cerro.
The project consists of a 900seat church, with 12 classrooms, 363 parking spaces, a gymnasium and an outdoor space for members to socialize. The project also includes a proposed new intersection, which would cut through the median on College Avenue, to create an entrance.
The proposal has given rise to a social media campaign, “Save Del Cerro,” with more than 260 Facebook followers and 330 Instagram followers. Some residents also have placed “No mega project” signs on their front lawns.
Mardine Davis, who moved there five years ago, said traffic is already bad because of the neighbor
hood’s proximity to SDSU.
“It’s an inappropriate use of the land, and it’s not consistent with the character of the neighborhood.” Davis said.
Residents are skeptical
Del Cerro has about 2,300 residents. It’s made up of mostly single-family homes with a small commercial center along Del Cerro Boulevard. Residents describe it as a place few people know about, where neighbors look out for each other.
“It has turned out to be one of the best neighborhoods I’ve ever lived in,” Davis said. “The people are very welcoming.”
The community is home to other churches, including St. Therese Parish, which accommodates roughly 800, the Del Cerro Baptist Church and Temple Emanuel, a Reform Jewish synagogue, both with a membership of more than 300 families.
Blakeley, a real estate agent who sold homes in Del Cerro before moving there in 2018, said she was attracted to it because it is full of families. She is not against the 6acre site being developed, but a “giant” building at the entrance of Del Cerro will cause traffic issues, she said.
“What is one more church going to bring to our community that is going to offset the negative that it’s going to bring?” Blakeley said.
The site of the proposed church has been vacant for years. In December 2017, San Diego City Council approved a project that would have built 24 homes on the lot, but the land was sold to the church later that month.
Proposed 900-seat ‘home’
All Peoples Church began in Pastor Herber’s living room 13 years ago. Since then, the nondenominational Christian ministry has grown into a 1,000-member congregation, and it has “planted” churches in Mexico, South Africa and Southeast Asia.
Its current leased space in City Heights seats fewer than 300 people. Before the pandemic, the church offered services three days a week, with four services on the weekend to accommodate members.
Now it hosts online and in-person, outdoor services because of the pandemic. Herber said COVID-19 has drawn down attendance, because people grew tired of online services, but he hopes the congregation will go back to normal with the new building.
If the project is approved, Herber plans to reduce the number of services a week, he said.
Herber said the lot is an ideal location for the church because it’s near SDSU, where the church does outreach, and it’s accessible to people who live outside Del Cerro.
“A church just needs a permanent home, like anyone,” Herber said.
Herber is adamant the church will be a good neighbor. He envisions community members using its space for meetings and its gym for youth sports.
“It’s sad when you get strong opposition, but I would say please give us a chance,” he said.
Planning review in March
The Navajo Community planning group, which makes land use recommendations for the communities of Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Grantville and San Carlos, will likely review the proposed project no earlier than March, said David Smith, chair of the planning group.
The planning group serves in an advisory role only, with the final decision falling on the San Diego City Council.
Smith said he understands residents’ concerns and shares some of them. He said he questions how realistic it is to plan to seat 900 people indoors with the “new normal” of the coronavirus.
He also wonders what residents would like to see done with the space, if the church project is not approved.
Davis said some residents would prefer the land be used for the originally proposed 24 homes or for it to remain a green space.
Some residents said the process has not been transparent, because many only recently found out about the lot’s ownership change and the proposed church. If the project is approved, Davis said, it will feel as if the community was not heard.
Smith disagrees. He said it’s on residents to attend community meetings regularly.
“We are doing what we can to update the community and show them that they have a voice,” Smith said.