By Joe Vazquez, "CoCo Community Divided Over Religious Sanctuary" - CBS 5 - San Francisco, CA, USAWednesday, March 18, 2009
A strange building design resembling a spaceship is at the heart of a community disagreement in Saranap, a neighborhood in unincorporated Contra Costa County near Walnut Creek.
A group called "Save our Saranap" has formed in opposition to the 66,000 square foot sanctuary proposed by a religious group called Sufism Reoriented.
About 50 people – mostly children – formed a picket with homemade signs Tuesday afternoon after CBS 5 had previously informed a "Save our Saranap" member that we would be in the area shooting a story. "Don't let them build the spaceship!" shouted some members of the protest group while cameras were rolling.
The group follows the teachings of Meher Baba, a mystic who once coined the phrase, "Don't worry, be happy."
Brian Kilian, spokesman for "Save our Saranap" said the sheer size of the project has many in an uproar in this small community. "It's like taking an 800 pound gorilla and shoving him into a little monkey cage," Kilian said.
The story was first reported Sunday in a blog called crazyinsuburbia.blogspot.com.
"It is by no means a looming, huge building," said Robert Carpenter, a spokesman for Sufism Reoriented. The center building in the proposed sanctuary would be about 35 feet tall; roughly the same height as the apartment complex next door. "I would characterize it as a small sanctuary in a small glade of trees," Carpenter said.
"You know when I first saw that image from the sky I thought 'My gosh, what is that?'" said Pascal Kaplan, a member of the Sufism congregation. But church officials argue that the aerial photo doesn't take into account the fact that there will be much more landscaping surrounding the property. They also point out that two-thirds of the square footage will be underground. And they point to ground level drawings that suggest the sanctuary will barely be visible from Boulevard Way.
Sufi officials say they need to build the sanctuary in order to expand from the converted restaurant they have inhabited for the last 30 years.The project is still in the planning stages, according to Arena Bott, Deputy Director of Community Development in Contra Costa County.
Bott told CBS 5 that the application is complete, and the county has selected a consultant to conduct an environmental study."After he prepares a document, we would circulate it," said Bott. "The public can look at it and submit comments."
Bott said the Community Development staff would make a recommendation to the county planning commission and the commission would make a decision on whether to approve the project, deny it or approve it with certain conditions.
If the project passes, the public has 10 days to appeal it. If it is appealed, the County Board of Supervisors would make the final decision, Bott said.
Despite the vocal opposition by the "Save Our Saranap" group, Bott said the Land Use Permit Application file has just as many supporters as opponents. "We have about 200 letters from each party," said Bott.
Picture: Proposed Sufism Reoriented religious sanctuary in Saranap, near Walnut Creek. Photo: CBS
[Visit Sufism Reoriented's website http://www.sufismreoriented.org/].
A strange building design resembling a spaceship is at the heart of a community disagreement in Saranap, a neighborhood in unincorporated Contra Costa County near Walnut Creek.
A group called "Save our Saranap" has formed in opposition to the 66,000 square foot sanctuary proposed by a religious group called Sufism Reoriented.
About 50 people – mostly children – formed a picket with homemade signs Tuesday afternoon after CBS 5 had previously informed a "Save our Saranap" member that we would be in the area shooting a story. "Don't let them build the spaceship!" shouted some members of the protest group while cameras were rolling.
The group follows the teachings of Meher Baba, a mystic who once coined the phrase, "Don't worry, be happy."
Brian Kilian, spokesman for "Save our Saranap" said the sheer size of the project has many in an uproar in this small community. "It's like taking an 800 pound gorilla and shoving him into a little monkey cage," Kilian said.
The story was first reported Sunday in a blog called crazyinsuburbia.blogspot.com.
"It is by no means a looming, huge building," said Robert Carpenter, a spokesman for Sufism Reoriented. The center building in the proposed sanctuary would be about 35 feet tall; roughly the same height as the apartment complex next door. "I would characterize it as a small sanctuary in a small glade of trees," Carpenter said.
"You know when I first saw that image from the sky I thought 'My gosh, what is that?'" said Pascal Kaplan, a member of the Sufism congregation. But church officials argue that the aerial photo doesn't take into account the fact that there will be much more landscaping surrounding the property. They also point out that two-thirds of the square footage will be underground. And they point to ground level drawings that suggest the sanctuary will barely be visible from Boulevard Way.
Sufi officials say they need to build the sanctuary in order to expand from the converted restaurant they have inhabited for the last 30 years.The project is still in the planning stages, according to Arena Bott, Deputy Director of Community Development in Contra Costa County.
Bott told CBS 5 that the application is complete, and the county has selected a consultant to conduct an environmental study."After he prepares a document, we would circulate it," said Bott. "The public can look at it and submit comments."
Bott said the Community Development staff would make a recommendation to the county planning commission and the commission would make a decision on whether to approve the project, deny it or approve it with certain conditions.
If the project passes, the public has 10 days to appeal it. If it is appealed, the County Board of Supervisors would make the final decision, Bott said.
Despite the vocal opposition by the "Save Our Saranap" group, Bott said the Land Use Permit Application file has just as many supporters as opponents. "We have about 200 letters from each party," said Bott.
Picture: Proposed Sufism Reoriented religious sanctuary in Saranap, near Walnut Creek. Photo: CBS
[Visit Sufism Reoriented's website http://www.sufismreoriented.org/].
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