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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCUP 85B; Pilgrim Congregational Church; Conditional Use Permit (CUP) (18)PILGRIM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST An Open, Ah‘irming and Inclusive Congregation with a Liberal Theology and a Commitment to Social Justice WILMA OWENS MODERATOR DANA WHITSON VICE-MODERATOR JERALD STINSON PASTOR GORDON BAKER PASTOR EMERITUS PAT ALLEN CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR KAY GAULT DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES JILL THURLOW DIRECTOR OF YOUTH MINISTRIES 8 FACILITIES COORDINATOR TOM LAURENCE CHOIR DIRECTOR ANN ALLEN DIRECTOR OF PILGRIM CHILDREN’S CENTER TO: Dwight Vallely FROM: Rev. Jerald Stinsori DATE: September 12, I996 SUBJECT: Noise at Pilgrim Chi1,dreii’s Center ’ Dana Wliitson, Vice-Moderator Richard Allen, Chair, Board of Trustees Members, Pilgrim Children’s Center Liaison Members, Board of Trustees Ann Allen, Director of Children’s Center Jill Thurlow, Facilities Coordinator cc: Wilma Owens, Church Moderator Coininittee This memo will attempt to review our disciissioiis conceniiiig noise at Pilp-iin Children’s Center. ’ On September 3, 1996, you came to see me regarding colicenis you had about noise from Pilgrim Children’s Center that was having aii impact on you and other neighbors. I arranged for you and any otlier concenied neighbors to meet with some of the church officers on September 9th. You were the only person froin the neigliborliood who attended that meeting. The cliurch was represented by our Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Chair of the Board of Trustees and thee staff people: the Director of the Children’s Center, our Facilities Coordinator and me. Here are my recollections of the concerns you raised arid some of the responses we have offered to those concenis: You began by saying that you were reluctant even to raise these issues with us; you have always tried to be an understanding neighbor. You own daughter attended Pilgrh Cliildreii’s Center. There have been continued inciderits of noise over the years that have had an impact on you and your family but you have tried just to tolerate those. However, it is your perception that now the noise seems to be increasing. 2020 Chestnut Avenue, Carlsbad, California 92008 Telephone: (61 9) 729-631 l-Fax: (61 9) 729-1 562-E-Mail: pilgrirnucc@aol.corn-Children’s Center: (61 9) 729-4464 - PILGRIM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 911 2/96 Page 2 Yciu also indicated that you talked with officials fioin tlie City of Carlsbad to see what option were available to you. They said the Children’s Center operated on a Conditional Use Pennit aiid that if yo11 would file a complaint, they would send out a Code Enforcement Officer to iiivesti- gate. You chose not to do that, and to come iiistead and talk to us about your concenis. The rep- resentatives of tlie church expressed their deep appreciation for your sensitivity and expressed oiir hope that we can begin to resolve the various issues. You said your basic conceni was that there seemed to be something going on all tlie time at the Center - seven days a week and at all hours. So we then began to look at all the specific uses of the Center to see what could be done to cut down on the noise. CHILDREN’S CENTER PROGRAMMING: You indicated that you expected to have noise fiom 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, the hours of operation for tlie Children’s Center. Currently tlie maximum number of children at the Center at one time is 72, which is in fact lower tlian at earlier periods in the Center’s history. For the most part, your colicenis focus on noise at other times. But you would like to see if there are ways we can also cut down on noise during tlie time the children are present. Ann Allen indicated that she would encourage the teachers when they had a noisy activity planned to try if possible to conduct that activity in areas other tlian the small walkway be- hind the Center which is so close to your home. If possible, during noisy activities witliiii the Center, tlie back doors will be kept closed. This may iiot be possible on hot days and during activities that require ventilation. The church will look into tlie possibility of constructing a wall behind tlie center. It is possible that the cost of this will be prohibitive, but we will begin to get estimates. We will also look into what other kinds of physical cliatiges behind the center inidit cut down on noise, i.e. some sound-absorbing substance on the Center’s back wall that would cut down on the echo effect, shrubs, etc. NOISE RELATED TO CLEANING ACTIVITIES AT THE CENTER: You expressed conceni about the CLEANING CREW cleaning at all hours of the iiiglit with all the back doors open and loud radios playing. Tlie church staff members felt that was clearly something that liappeiied in the past but was not happening any longer. Tlie current custodian uses headphones oti his radio and does iiot keep the back doors open. On tlie even- ing of our meeting, 1 leR the cliurch at 10 p.m. and he was working in tlie Children’s Center. Me did indeed have on-liis headphones and all the back doors were shut. Nevertheless, we will make it a matter of our contractual arrangement with tlie cleaners that they must use headsets on radios and keep the back doors closed when they clean. - -* .. .a , dLGRIM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 911 2fQ6 Page 3 We will make siililar contractual arrangements witli ‘the CREW THAT POLISHES THE FLOORS (once a iiioiitli 011 second Friday of the month at 6:30 pm.) and tlie CREW THAT CLEANS THE CARPETS (twice a year). These crews will need to open tlie back doors Tor ventilation and drying, but we will ask that they do that ody after they have shut off their ma- clluies. Concenlirig VOLUNTEER AND STAFF WORK PROJECTS, we will by to be sensitive to our neighbors. We agree that tliere should be no outside work projects gohig on after 8:OO p.m. There is always one week per year when the Center is closed and the staff plus outside coiitractors clean, repair and pauit. There will obviously be extra noise during that week, but again an effort will be made to keep the back doors closed if possible, to shift as much work as possible to tlie fi-ont yard rather that1 the back. During that week, tliere will not be aiy outside work or loud imide cleatiig efforts after 8:OO p.m. Ea work project is plauied that will hclude additional noise, the cliurcli’s Facilities Coordiiator will notify you (and any other neighbors who request such notificatioii) iti advance so that you will luiow what to ex- pect. NOISE RELATED TO THE CHURCH’S GARDENER: - The church’s Facilities Coordhiator will attempt to develop a new schedule of gardeiluig services with our gardener that will reflect sensitivity to time and noise levels. This is difficult for many reasoils, iricludiiig the fact tliat tlie gardeiier cmiot work withi tlie parameters of the Center itself wllile the clddren are there aid that work on Saturday often interferes with special church meetings and weddhigs. It is also hard to Clem tlie church parking lot &er 8 a.m. since it fills up with cars. But ai effort will be made to make sure that no leafblowers or lawmowers are in operatiori before 8 a.m. at the Cllildren’s Center itself. It may continue to be the case tliough, that the gardeiier will work 011 other parts of tlie churcli property between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. NOISE RELATED TO MEETINGS HELD IN THE CHILDREN’S CENTER: You indicated that this had riot been a problem. We have regular meethigs of two Narcotics Anonymous groups there but since they enter and leave ilu-ougli the front doors, and do not open tlie back doors, you said you are not even aware of their presence. You said you do indeed hear tlie special events held at tlie Center by the Ola Fou Samoan Church 2-4 tunes each year. But their noise has not been of special coiiceni to you. As a courtesy thougli, we will try to let you know when those events are scheduled. You indicated to me during our earlier conversation (it did iiot come up during tllis meethig) that tliere were 110 problems with tlie Cliurcli School using tlie facility 011 Sunday iiionings. .- .-.. PILGRIM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 911 2/96 Page 4 OTHER ISSUES: Church staff members pointed out that some of the noise you are hearing at nights and on weekends may not be coming fi-oin the Center as much as fi-om children and teenagers on other parts of the chnrch campus. We have a terrible time with skateboarders who are at the church whenever they think they can get away with it. As you saw during our meeting, three carloads of skateboarders arrived. They are sometimes here after 10 p.m. and although they like to we the walkway in fiont of the sanctuary, they also skate around the patio. We simply cannot find way to stop them - the high school and LDS Church have the same problem. We will ask baby-sitters at church events to make sure that no children are on tlie small play- ground outside tlie nursery after 8:OO p.m. Tf other children are present at the Center when it is closed, some of them may be from the neighborhood and are there without our knowledge or permission. We have found the gate unlocked a couple times lately. We are reluctant to change the combination right now be- cause of the number of people we would have to notifl, but if we find evidence that other children know how to get the gate open, we will definitely change the combination. We would like to ask you, and any other concerned neighbors, to let us know whenever there is disturbing noise at the Center. We are especially concerned about weekends and at night. If there are children getting onto the playground at night, we would like to know about it. If you hear noise fiom cleaning crews, we wodd like to know about that. If you call immediately and leave a message on the church machine, we can investigate the incident the next morning. Please call Jill Thurlow, tlie Facilities Coordinator, at 729-631 1. She works from 9:OO a.m. to 1 :00 p.m. each weekday but has a voice mailbox where you can leave messages for her at any time.. T hope this is a fair summary of our meeting and that the proposed actions will indeed make a difference and cut down on tlie noise. We really want to be good neighbors and hope this is a step in the right direction. Please keep in touch with Jill Thurlow about the issue. And we really ap- preciate your willingness to be in conversation about your concerns and to seek constructive changes. We have been neighbors of one another for a long time, and I hope we can be good neighbors into the future. Sincerely,