Disposition Summary

Approve the expansion of a place of worship for a priest's living quarters because it is compatible with surrounding development and consistent with adopted plans.

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Staff Recommendation

Approve the expansion of a place of worship for a priest's living quarters because it is compatible with surrounding development and consistent with adopted plans.

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This request is for a 480 sq ft addition to the rear of an existing church called St. Thomas the Apostle for the priest's living quarters. The church building is a converted single-family home that matches the size and appearance of the surrounding homes in the neighborhood. The addition will match the existing height and style of the church.

STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING A SPECIAL USE (ARTICLE 16.2.F.2)

1) THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH ADOPTED PLANS AND POLICIES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE ONE-YEAR PLAN.
A. The One Year Plan specifies that a church should be located on an arterial or collector street, where it can serve one or more residential areas in a manner that will not adversely affect adjacent, less intensive land uses. The subject property is located on Ault Road, which is a major collector street in the Alice Bell/Springhill Neighborhood. The church's building capacity is not of a scale that it should have any impact on the surrounding single-family residences.
B. The use of a church is not in conflict with the LDR (Low Density Residential) land use classification), or any other policies in the East City Sector Plan.
C. The minor expansion of the church does not conflict with any development policies in the General Plan.

2) THE USE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE GENERAL PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THIS ZONING CODE.
A. The RN-1 zone is intended for traditional low-density residential neighborhoods with a predominant land use pattern of single-family dwellings. Limited nonresidential uses that are compatible with the character of the district may also be permitted.
B. The church building is a converted single-family home and has maintained the general appearance of a single-family home. This nonresidential use can be permitted in the RN-1 zone and is compatible with the residential development that surrounds it.

3) THE USE IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE IT IS PROPOSED, AND WITH THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF BUILDINGS IN THE VICINITY.
A. The minor expansion of the church for the priest's living quarters is in the rear of the building and will not be apparent from the street. The church will maintain its general appearance as a single-family home and is compatible with the neighborhood.

4) THE USE WILL NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INJURE THE VALUE OF ADJACENT PROPERTY OR BY NOISE, LIGHTS, FUMES, ODORS, VIBRATION, TRAFFIC, CONGESTION, OR OTHER IMPACTS DETRACT FROM THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT.
A. The expansion of the church and the use in general is not anticipated to have any noxious impacts on surrounding properties.

5) THE USE IS NOT OF A NATURE OR SO LOCATED AS TO DRAW SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS.
A. The capacity of the church building is not such that it should have a significant impact on traffic, even during peak service hours. Although the property is located within a neighborhood, the street access is a major collector street that can accommodate a church of this size.

6) THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IS NOT SUCH AS TO POSE A
POTENTIAL HAZARD TO THE PROPOSED USE OR TO CREATE AN UNDESIRABLE ENVIRONMENT
FOR THE PROPOSED USE.
A. There are no aspects of the property or the surrounding area that should pose a risk to the use of a place of worship, or the building expansion for living quarters.