Board of Adjustment approves special-use permit for Grace Community Church expansion on Camino Carlos Rey

The Santa Fe Board of Adjustment approved a special-use permit for Grace Community Church’s proposed 5,800-square-foot addition at 22247 Camino Carlos Rey during its meeting. The board voted unanimously to grant the permit with staff-recommended conditions and added a requirement that exterior lighting be shielded to prevent nuisance glare into neighboring properties.

The permit allows the church to construct a single-story, 24-foot-high community building adjacent to the existing 5,500-square-foot church. City case planner Claudia Kath told the board the new building is intended for weddings, meetings, memorial services, baby showers and weekday church uses such as bible study, and that the applicant proposes building hours “primarily about 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.” The application requires compliance with Municipal Code 10-2.5 (noise) and other zoning rules in Chapter 14.

The board’s approval follows a staff presentation and responses from the applicant’s representative. The site plan submitted by the applicant, represented as the agent Plan A Architecture, shows a courtyard between the proposed structure and the existing church, a playground relocated within that courtyard, and a covered connection (breezeway) linking the two buildings. Materials are described as Santa Fe-style with natural stone cladding at the lower massing to better match nearby single-family homes.

Key project details noted by staff and the applicant include: a proposed 73 parking spaces (72 required by code) including six accessible spaces (one van-accessible); 14 bicycle parking spaces proposed (the code-required total shown in staff materials was 10); a revised circulation pattern that would route vehicles to enter at the north curb-cut and exit at the south; a sidewalk along Camino Carlos Rey to provide ADA access to the church; extension of utilities to serve the new building (staff described an eight-inch water line and a four-inch sanitary line shown on civil drawings); a sprinkler system for the new structure; and retention basins plus permeable paving to manage runoff. Staff said the existing church is within 400 feet of a fire hydrant and that the new building will be sprinklered to the fire marshal’s satisfaction.

Board members and neighbors asked about several operational details. Board member Painter and others pressed whether the rear access to Los Cedros Lane would remain available to neighbors; the applicant’s representative said the easement and existing back access remain in place and that gates at the property would be automated and provide keypad access for neighbors and emergency responders (the plan includes a Knox box and Opticom device for emergency access). The applicant said gates installed to deter trespass and suspicious activity would be maintained and automated for controlled access.

A nearby resident, Ralph Nava, testified in support of the project but told the board he has used the gravel back access to reach his garage for about 40 years and asked that construction and future operations not block his access. Nava said he had been negotiating an agreement with the church and asked staff and the applicant to ensure access during construction and to clarify the legal extent of any easement. Kath and the applicant indicated civil drawings and recorded plats would determine exact easement extents; staff noted the city does not adjudicate private easement disputes and advised the resident to consult recorded plats or legal counsel for property-rights questions.

Other neighbor concerns raised during public comment and board questions included refuse collection (applicant said trash receptacles will be stored in a new garage and put out to curb for regular pickup; applicant said additional receptacles would be available when events generate more waste), the size and overflow of retention basins (applicant and staff said the stormwater design includes engineered overflow to the storm-drain system), and exterior lighting (staff asked for and the board added a condition requiring shielding of outdoor lights to prevent nuisance glare into adjacent residences; staff said a photometric plan will be finalized and reviewed).

The motion to approve the special-use permit was made by board member Colleen (last name not specified in the record) and seconded on the record. The board voted unanimously to approve the permit subject to attachments A and B of the staff report, technical corrections, and the added condition requiring nuisance-light shielding.

The board’s action allows the church to proceed with the proposed site work and building subject to the listed conditions and any technical revisions required before permit issuance. City case planner Claudia Kath and the applicant indicated that civil and photometric drawings remain under review and that required permits and final plan checks will follow prior to building or site-work permits being issued.