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lounge area, an 861 square foot conference/media room, approximately 848 square feet of <br />storage, a 671 square foot kitchen, various offices ranging from 141 to 212 square feet, a 387 <br />square foot bookstore, a 316 square foot staff lounge, and 185 parking spaces. Other general <br />uses of the space include various study rooms, a counseling room, a copy room, rehearsal room, <br />eight cubicles, a pastor's office and study, restrooms and various storage and audio/video rooms. <br />The applicant proposes to conduct three weekly religious services at the site each Sunday <br />morning and afternoon. The applicant expects the first Sunday service to attract approximately <br />325 persons; the second to attract approximately 675 persons, and the third to attract <br />approximately 450 persons. In addition, the applicant proposes to conduct additional holiday <br />services, with attendance that is "usually higher" than at weekly Sunday services. The applicant <br />also proposes to conduct numerous group meetings, rehearsals, and bible study sessions on <br />evenings throughout the week, with these sessions expected to attract groups ranging in number <br />between 15 and 65 people, with a weekly "Food Fellowship" event estimated to attract 400 <br />persons. <br />A total of 185 parking spaces are proposed. The applicant has used the Assembly Use parking <br />ratio of 1 space per 50 square feet to calculate their parking, thereby providing 130 regular <br />spaces, 50 compact and 5 handicap spaces, for a total of 185 parking spaces. However, in order <br />to meet the City's parking standards for an assembly use, a total of 1 parking space per 50 square <br />feet is required, pursuant to Article 17, Off -Street Parking and Loading Regulations, for a total of <br />373 parking spaces. The applicant needs an additional 188 parking spaces. <br />The Staff Report fails to mention that after the Conditional Use Permit application was <br />submitted, the City amended its parking requirements for Churches to almost quadruple the <br />required parking. Prior to the amendment in May 2007, the zoning code requirement for <br />"Religious Assembly" was "1 space per 100 sq. ft. of main seating area". Under that <br />standard, the proposed 188 parking spaces far exceeded the parking standard. The amendment <br />changed the parking requirement for "Assembly Use" to A space per 50 sq. ft. used for <br />assembly uses." This not only doubles the basic parking requirement, but vastly expands the <br />"assembly" area subject to parking requirement. In addition to the "main seating area", Staff <br />now counts some combination of the lounge area, youth ministry area, and children's assembly <br />area, as if those areas are fully occupied during the maximum church service, and the children all <br />came in their own cars. <br />This new parking standard, if applied as recommended by Staff, will make it impossible to start <br />or expand any church in San Leandro, in residential or industrial locations. <br />Moreover, that level of peak parking is not justified, especially in industrial locations like <br />Catalina Court. On Sunday mornings Catalina Court is abandoned with blocks of on -street <br />parking available in several directions. Staff is also aware that Pastor Gary Mortara approached <br />neighboring property owners and made agreements that they could use the on-site church <br />parking lot for overflow parking during the week and the church could use their on-site parking <br />for overflow on Sunday morning. <br />BZA Staff Report December 6, 2007 <br />PLN2007-00013 Page 4 of 11 <br />