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from Industrial Professional (IP) to Limited Industrial (IL) in order to set up the possibility of a <br />use permit for an assembly use at the site. The applicant purchased the property in January <br />2007. <br />The Church elders asked guidance from City Staff in May 2006 and were told to apply for IL <br />(Limited Industrial) zoning. The IL District has the same clauses relating to "entertainment <br />activities" and "commercial recreation" that the IP District has, so it was a pointless application. <br />After waiting over seven months for an answer, and not even getting a hearing on their re- <br />zoning proposal, the Church was forced to close escrow or lose the deal in January 2007. <br />At the time the applicant purchased the property, assembly uses were not allowable in the IP <br />zone, or any other commercial or industrial zone in the City. On March 19, 2007, the City <br />Council approved Zoning Code and Map amendments establishing an Assembly Use Overlay. <br />The Assembly Use Overlay allows assembly uses with approval of a Conditional Use Permit. <br />The City Council also approved application of the Assembly Use Overlay to 196 parcels in <br />commercial and industrial zones, which were identified using 8 criteria developed by staff <br />consistent with General Plan provisions and policies. The project site was not identified for the <br />Assembly Use overlay designation. The Zoning Code and Map amendments became effective <br />on May 1, 2007. <br />On April 12, 2007, Faith Fellowship's rezoning application was heard by the Planning <br />Commission and the application was denied. On May 7, 2007, the matter was appealed to the <br />City Council, where it was also denied. The findings for the denial stated that the property was <br />inconsistent with the AU Overlay District criteria, as the property was located within the West <br />San Leandro General Plan Focus Area, and did not abut or lie within a quarter mile of an arterial <br />to ensure adequacy of the street system to accommodate an assembly use. The project site <br />meets 6 of the 8 Assembly Use criteria outright, and meets the substance of the remaining two <br />criteria for Assembly Use designation. (See "Our Core Argument" under "traffic" and "study <br />area"). <br />On March 28, 2007, the City received an application from Faith Fellowship requesting a <br />Conditional Use Permit (PLN#2007-00013) to operate what the applicant characterizes as <br />"entertainment activities — same church use" at the project site. The applicant submitted a <br />statement claiming that their use meets the San Leandro Zoning Code's definition of an <br />"entertainment activity." <br />DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL <br />The subject property comprises three parcels totaling approximately 154,889 square feet, or 3.55 <br />acres currently developed with a vacant industrial building. No exterior physical changes would <br />occur with the proposed project. <br />The proposed uses would consist of a 10,348 square foot sanctuary and seating area where <br />congregation members would assemble, a proposed 4,130 square foot youth ministry area, 4,077 <br />square feet of classrooms, 2,386 square feet for a children's assembly area, a 1,761 square foot <br />BZA Staff Report December 6, 2007 <br />PLN2007-00013 Page 3 of 11 <br />