After much contention and a previous rejection, the San Diego City Council has given the green light to the All Peoples Church for their project in Del Cerro. In a tight 5-4 decision after a lawsuit citing religious discrimination, the council approved the construction of the church's new facility yesterday, according to FOX5 San Diego. Despite the project drawing considerable local opposition due to concerns over increased traffic and land-use misalignment, the church succeeded in reversing last year's decision when the City Council rejected the project 6-2.
Pastor Robert Herber of All Peoples Church was visibly emotional after the council's vote, expressing to The San Diego Union-Tribune, "Only God could do something this wonderful. We just really want to be great neighbors to the city and show them we really love this community and want to work with them over the next decades." The plan includes a 900-seat sanctuary, a multipurpose room with a basketball court, classrooms and staff offices, and notably, a large parking garage to accommodate attendees. However, the lawsuit filed by the church had accused the city of infringing upon their First Amendment rights, precipitating the vote reversal.
Residents and community advocates have consistently pushed back against the proposed development, worried that introducing a 54,476-square-foot church along with a 71,010-square-foot parking facility could be a detriment to the neighborhood's character and daily flow. The Del Cerro community has been firm in their stance, not against the church per se, but against what they see as a land-use problem in an already congested area. Arguments have been made by groups such as Save Del Cerro, including fears about the project's location safety, detailed in an interview with a 23-year Del Cerro resident given to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Despite the prevailing concerns, council members ultimately facing the possibility of a costly legal battle seemed to tip the scales. Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera acknowledged the fiscal risks involved in contesting the church's lawsuit, remarking to The San Diego Union-Tribune, "While it may seem like no big deal to say we will fight this to the ends of the Earth," he said, "there are real costs associated with that. Libraries will have to be shuttered, and there will be services that we will need to make really difficult decisions about." This financial concern may have played a part in the decision of some councilmembers to switch their votes in favor of the project. A neighborhood group that opposes the project, Save Del Cerro, was dismayed to be back in the City Council chambers more than a year after the project was voted down.
