Some followers of the Serbian Church in the Bay Area have waited even longer.

This year, though, it seemed to be all coming together. There were enough funds to go ahead with plans for a new chapel. A rift with the Serbian Church in Cupertino had ended some years ago and the property had been sold.

It was to be their dream project, complete with cupolas and bell towers. Their planned chapel would take the place of a makeshift chapel that has served as a place of worship on Allendale Avenue since 1968. An architectural firm had been commissioned for the design.

Then the group decided to call a meeting and inform local residents about its plans.

Ted Macauley was one of two local residents to show up for that meeting in March of this year. He was horrified at what he saw.

"My jaw dropped, I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw a simulation of the new building of the church," said Macauley, who then spoke out against the proposed plan at the meeting.

Macauley, who went to school in Saratoga before moving elsewhere, has lived in his house on Serra Oaks Court for the last six years, ever since returning to the city.

"I was a very concerned man by the end of the meeting," said Macauley. He said that he went back home and talked with his wife, Stephanie, late into the night.

He was worried that more people would start coming to the property once a new church was built. He was worried about the safety of neighborhood children because of increased traffic. He was worried that the church building was not consistent with the rest of the buildings in the area.

"The size, height and location of the church really bothered me," said Macauley. He set about informing his neighbors. Very soon, a neighborhood task force had been formed.

"We have nearly 100 homeowners who are part of our association right now. And nearly 95 percent of them are opposed to the building of the church as planned," said Macauley.

The neighbors have been meeting every few weeks. They have a website so that those interested can voice their concerns. Many of them worry that the facility will become a cultural center. "Our concerns are consistent," said Macauley.

Jovic has lived in Saratoga for the last four years. He lives on the 4.3-acre facility on Allendale. "We have 450 families on our mailing list in Santa Clara County. For years we have been using this makeshift property that was originally intended to be a church school," he said.

Jovic says that a church built in the Byzantine style would be a beautiful addition to the neighborhood. "One of our churches built in this style in Sacramento has won a design award," he said.

Jovic says that he wants the church to be built but also wants to address the concerns of the neighbors. "The same people who come to the church on Sunday morning will use the new facility," he said.

The current facility will accommodate fewer than 100 people. If the plan for the new church is approved, the capacity would go up to 250.

Nick Miljevich, whose father had donated the plot to the Serbian Orthodox Church, said that the church should be built at the back of the property, away from the eyesight of neighbors.

Macauley said that the church has not responded to a letter sent by the neighborhood committee, but Jovic said that, though he lives in the neighborhood, he has never been invited to one of its meetings.

Macauley said that he welcomes the growing ethnic diversity in Saratoga and would like to talk to clear the air.

Jovic likes to talk about an old Serbian saying while talking about the church. "It is more important to get along with your neighbors than your blood brother," he says. "The brother might be far away, but your neighbor is right next to you."

The real good-neighbor test, though, will begin only after the matter comes up for a planning commission hearing in September.