It’s been a slow week around our town Tustin. Only one item occupies the Planning Commission Agenda for Tuesday, February 12, 2013. And, unless you are a church going kinda person, it may not interest you.

The Los Angeles Diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church has applied for a Conditional Use Permit to modify an existing building and use it for a church with classrooms and a bookstore. The building is located at 3002 Dow Avenue, an industrial/commercial area of Tustin off Walnut and Jamboree. The building is a 4800 square foot suite that is part of a small complex of buildings owned by LBA Realty. Staff is recommending approval of the project.

This is a small church by anyone’s standards with a maximum attendance projected at 58 people (the floor plan shows 60 max in the sanctuary). The rest of the facility would house a bookstore and rooms for Sunday School. City Staff have dictated the use is exempt from CEQA.

Church attendance is expect to be primarily on weekends and evenings. Even without the low numbers, it’s doubtful the number of attendees would drastically impact the 640 parking spaces available to all tenants. They expect only about ten folks for weekday services.

According to the staff report, the proposed church meets all of the requirements and should be approved. The only glitch is the parking which the 19 spaces allotted for the building would give them a maximum attendance of 57 members. I guess they’ll have to draw straws to see who stays home that day (actually, the plans say they only expect 50 folks on Sunday). I expect if there is any concern, it would be from the other tenants, all of whom are industrial or commercial in nature.

Unless anyone plans on speaking during public comments, this should be a fairly quick meeting for our commissioners. Hardly worth the $2500 for coming out to city hall.