By Dale Bryant
Calvary Church and its neighbors on Robie Lane recently agreed to compromises that allowed the Los Gatos Town Council to approve the church's master plan, including demolition of an existing building, the construction of a multi-use facility and expansion of the parking lot.
The council overrode an earlier decision by the Planning Commission, which ran out of time for deliberating and had to deny the application.
Neighbors on Robie Lane had opposed the plan primarily because of the parking-lot expansion and plans to make the new multi-use building two stories.
Steve Boersma, the church's executive pastor for administration, called the end result a "good compromise that met our goals and the goals of the neighbors."
A key to the compromise was the church's willingness to agree to a 107-foot setback on the Robie Lane side of the building.
After weeks of meetings between neighbors and project architect Sal Caruso, the multi-use building was redesigned so that it would be just one-story on the side closest to Robie Lane.
A vacant lot at the end of Robie Lane will be turned into a parking lot, as the church originally requested, but, as part of the compromise, the church will open it only during Sunday services and during specific special occasions.
Boersma said the next step for the church is to go through the architectural and site process; they will have to design and submit plans for building interiors. He expects plans to be submitted in the fall; construction is unlikely to begin before late 1997 or early 1998, Boersma said.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, January 24, 1996.
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