Traffic problems raise issue of land use for building approved only as a school - by Aaron Burgin, U-T San Diego
The Rock Church in Liberty Station has a well-documented parking and traffic problem on Sundays, as thousands of parishioners flood the area to attend worship, grinding traffic to a halt on several streets in its vicinity.
The traffic issues are at the center of numerous complaints and a multi-million dollar class-action lawsuit against Liberty Station’s developer, Corky McMillin Companies.
Now, the San Diego County Grand Jury is calling for the city to suspend the church’s permit, review it and determine if the church actually fits the plan that governs development in the area.
In a five-page report, the 19-member civil courts panel that reviews local government issues details the finding of its investigation into how the church was granted a permit in its current location, the site of the old Technical Training Center at Service School Command San Diego.
The plan that governs development on the grounds of the old Naval Training Center calls for an educational complex where the church is located. The city granted the church and its companion K-12 Academy a permit in 2005.
“The Grand Jury believes the city issued a (permit) to a church in an educational zone in violation of these planning documents,” according to the grand jury’s news release.
The church, founded by Rev. Miles McPherson, a former Chargers defensive back, relocated from its previous Serra Mesa location to Liberty Station in 2007. Since the move, the church’s attendance has grown from 9,000 to 12,000 congregants who attend one of five church services on Sunday.
The school has over 400 students.
The traffic has become so bad that police determined that Truxtun Road, a main street in the Liberty Station community, should be closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays. Neighbors, shoppers and visitors to the community’s recreation areas have complained that the traffic makes it impossible to move around when Truxtun Road is closed.
Church officials in the past said they have worked to address concerns, including by increasing the number of traffic controllers and by posting “No Rock Church Parking” on certain residential streets. They have also placed security staff and and a tow truck in one of the lots to make sure that churchgoers park in the assigned areas.
The church also contends that the permit only limited traffic on weekdays, not the weekend.
Church officials said they would comment later today on the report. The Watchdog has also called the city for comment and will post when it arrives.
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