A multi-year dispute between a San Diego congregation and a residential community over plans to build a church facility appears to be nearing its end.
All Peoples Church purchased land zoned as residential in the Del Cerro community in 2017 and has been facing opposition to its proposed facility ever since.
The church was planted by Pastor Robert Herber in 2008 and currently consists of about 800 adults and children, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. It currently operates out of a leased facility, and that lease is set to expire in June.
The church’s building project calls for a 54,476 square foot church building with a 900-seat sanctuary, classrooms, staff offices, and a multipurpose gym. The plan also includes a two-level, 71,010 square foot parking garage just north of the church building and an additional 153 surface parking spots.
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Additionally, the project plans for the addition of a new intersection with a stoplight at the church’s entrance, something that has been a major point of contention.
One group, called “Save Del Cerro,” has alleged that the All Peoples Church’s project has “potential negative implications for the Del Cerro community [that are] are immense and we need the community to get involved in our opposition efforts.”
The group has also called into question how it is that All Peoples Church was able to purchase and plan to build a facility on land that is zoned for low density housing. It further alleges that the plan lacks transparency.
The group’s website argues, “Given [that the] the questionable process [of] a change from tax-paying housing to a tax-exempt mega corporation occurred, what could happen if the developer (or new owner) decides to alter use again or change the plans to some other ‘institutional’ purpose?”
Since shortly after purchasing the land, All Peoples Church has been working with Navajo Community Planners, a group that has overseen the development of the Del Cerro community, to amend the community plan to allow for the construction of the church.
However, residents have raised several concerns. While some are opposed to the teachings of the church, most concerns revolve around the potential impact the church will have on traffic congestion in the area, particularly if the church ever decides to use its Sunday school classrooms for a regular school program or if it rents out its parking facility for events at the nearby San Diego State University.
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Given these concerns, the Navajo Community Planners voted unanimously to deny the project’s approval in August. However, when that decision was appealed to the San Diego Planning Commission, the project was unanimously approved. The fate of the project now rests with the San Diego City Council, which is set to vote on the project’s final approval.
