A grand jury report suggests the City of San Diego suspend a conditional use permit issued to The Rock Church.
Citing the initial development plans for the Liberty Station area, the grand jury report says the 12,000-member church is incompatible with land-use plans.
Grand jury members say traffic congestion and police closure of Truxton Road on Sundays is a direct result of incompatibility.
Read the report here
The city issued a conditional use permit to a church in an educational zone in violation of the planning documents, according to a written statement from the county released Thursday.
Now, the grand jury suggests the city suspend that permit pending a review.
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders has until August 22 to respond to the report.
According to its website,The Rock Church began 12 years ago with services in an auditorium on the San Diego State University campus.
The church began building its Liberty Station building in 2005 and moved into the campus two years later. The church seats 3,500 people and includes a 1,600 square-foot High-Definition screen.
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Pastor Miles McPherson, a former defensive back for the San Diego Chargers, oversees a ministry that includes two campuses and offers eight weekend services.
A spokesperson for The Rock Church sent this response to NBCSanDiego Friday:
"We have reviewed the Grand Jury report and believe that it is factually and legally inaccurate. The City of San Diego Planning Commission approved our Conditional Use Permit in 2004 at the conclusion of a public hearing in which the commissioners and staff reviewed documents that included thorough analysis of all regulatory requirements applicable to our project and environmental review of all impacts pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. The Grand Jury report itself shows that the Grand Jury failed to properly review and consider the correct regulatory requirements and documents prepared by the City and approved by the Planning Commission. As a result, the Grand Jury findings are incorrect."
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