Anthem Chapel may need a few prayers.
The Goleta Planning Commission on Monday rebuked the church’s proposal to build a new campus next to Christ Lutheran Church, 6595 Covington Way.
“My question really is, does it need to be that size,” said Commissioner Rita Serotkin. “It’s probably terrifying to people who live in the neighborhood.”
The new church would create a permanent home for the Anthem Chapel congregation — operating as a “mobile church” since 2018 — in a Goleta neighborhood. It currently holds weekly Sunday services at Goleta Valley Junior High School.
Nate Wagner, lead pastor for Anthem, acknowledged neighbors’ previous noise and traffic concerns, but said the church seeks to be a positive presence in Goleta.
“Not only for ourselves, but for the community we love,” he said.
Commissioner Anne Miller attributed her “no” vote to public safety concerns and inciting divisiveness in the neighborhood.
The decision follows three meetings with the Goleta Design Review Board, which unanimously approved the revised project in late May. Commissioner Katie Maynard noted that the project is consistent with zoning ordinances, but the board ultimately sided with community members worried about traffic, noise and neighborhood compatibility.
The meeting concluded with two votes, one to divide the land into two parcels, and one to approve a conditional use permit. Commissioners voted 2-1 to split the land but did not approve the permit. Commissioner Anne Miller voted no on both motions, with Commissioner Rita Serotkin joining her in the second vote.
The Anthem Chapel developers may appeal the decision to Goleta City Council. Chatter of “we’re not done yet” was heard as the meeting closed.
The project proposes splitting the 3.4 acre single-family residential zoned site into two smaller lots. Lot 1 will retain existing Christian Lutheran Church facilities, who Anthem is currently renting land from. Lot 2 proposes the new Anthem Chapel campus, which includes a 6,512 square foot sanctuary, a 13,554 square foot, two-story education building to house a daycare and pre-school, and 117 parking spaces.
Though the staff report ensured that 117 parking spots would satisfy the demands of both services and education programs, commissioners were concerned that the report didn’t include weekend traffic analysis, since the church plans to have 3 Sunday services. Commenters spoke on overflow traffic and parking into the surrounding neighborhood.
The public comment section of the meeting brought over 20 speakers to the podium, several of which have been residents of the neighborhood for up to 30 years. Many noise concerns stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic, when Anthem Church held services outside under tents. Church representatives acknowledged these past disruptions.
“The vast majority of these (amplified sound) events are happening indoors, which is a big difference between now and what was happening during COVID,” said Steve Welton, principal planner of SEPPS Land Use Consulting, “We’re proposing only amplified sound indoors.”
The project also proposes reducing a 100 foot environmentally sensitive habitat area (EHSA) buffer for monarch butterflies to 50 feet, expanding the area to church members. In restoring the lot with trees and other vegetation for monarchs to forage, the staff report said the project will increase the likelihood of monarchs returning to the region.
Though the environmental findings in support of reducing the ESHA buffer were reviewed by a local monarch specialist, many public speakers felt the findings were side-stepping CEQA review.
Neighborhood speakers worried that if approved, the Anthem Church could set a new precedent that welcomes other projects this large a scale into Goleta neighborhoods.
Welton said the planners did size the project down, but the sanctuary size, which will fit 500 people, remains fixed.
Additional public safety concerns stemmed from the project’s proposed new driveway onto Los Carneros Road. One speaker cited the recent death of a biker, others worried that traffic could block a nearby fire station. Los Carneros Road is also a popular evacuation route. Though the plans were reviewed by the Santa Barbara county fire department, neighbors were skeptical.
Members of the Anthem Congregation attended the meeting and expressed that the project would provide a home for their community. Currently, the church is operating out of shipping containers and storage sheds.
Other speakers for the church said it will serve the community amidst a mental health crisis. Some were in support of the church, but not the location it wishes to inhabit.
“We were impressed with the drawings and the plans for a beautiful building,” said Carter Morgan, a Goleta homeowner. “Just not in this location.”
