Cornerstone is an expanding ministry that serves a large congregation of families from Simi Valley, the County of Ventura and many other surrounding communities. The current facility has been at capacity for approximately five years. Due to a lack of space, Cornerstone is unable to expand its existing facilities to meet the growing size and demands of its congregation. Cornerstone has explored many possible locations and creative designs for a new church campus. As a result, Cornerstone has entered into an agreement to purchase a parcel of land located in an unincorporated area of the County for the development of a new church campus that is capable of serving its expanding congregation.
On June 11, 2007, Cornerstone submitted an application to the County for a conditional use permit to develop the Cornerstone Tierra Rejada Campus. The County determined the original application incomplete on July 20, 2007 and requested additional information and technical reports. On April 25, 2008, Cornerstone submitted a revised application that includes a refined project description, several technical reports, and responses to all of the County's comments on the original application. The County is now considering the revised application.
Project Location
The project site is located on 138.5 acres of private land in an unincorporated area of the County immediately west of the Simi Valley jurisdictional boundary. The project site is regionally accessible from the east by State Route 118 and Los Angeles Avenue and Madera Road, and from the west by State Route 23 and Tierra Rejada Road. Specifically, the project site is located immediately south of Tierra Rejada Road between SR23 and Madera Road. The nearest residential community is located in Simi Valley approximately 0.5 miles to the east. The project site is also defined as Assessor Parcel No. 500-0-370-285. Click here to see the Project Location Aerial Map.
Project Overview
The project consists of multiple buildings and structures arranged in a campus-style development that clusters development on the northern portion of the site. The project is organized into several planning areas, including (1) the Cornerstone Church and Eternity Bible College facilities, (2) the Children's Hunger Fund (CHF) facilities, (3) common-use athletic fields, (4) onsite parking facilities and (5) open space. Click here to see the Overall Site Plan.
The project design clusters development on the flatter portions of the site adjacent to Tierra Rejada Road. As a result, most of the site's sloped areas will not be impacted. The project incorporates ample landscaping and internal open spaces between buildings and structures. Overall, the project requires the development of only approximately 40% of the site. The remaining 60% of the site would be preserved as open space to complement the setting of the surrounding Tierra Rejada Valley.
The project includes the following features:
- Cornerstone Community Church & Eternity Bible College Facilities
- Outdoor Sanctuary – 3,000-person capacity
- Gym/Multi-Purpose Building – 1,000-person capacity
- Chapel/Multi-Purpose Building – 300-person capacity
- Administration Building with Library
- Classroom Buildings
- Maintenance and Restroom Buildings
-
Children's Hunger Fund Facilities
- Administration Building and Learning Center
- Warehouse/Packing Buildings
- Administration Building and Learning Center
- Athletic Fields
- 3.8 acres of shared-use athletic fields (no night lighting)
- Use by local community will be encouraged
- Onsite Wastewater Treatment Facility
- Creates tertiary-treated recycled water for irrigation
- Comparable to other systems used in unincorporated County areas
- Onsite Parking Facilities
- 2,000 parking spaces
- Eco-friendly "grass-crete" pavement
- Open Space
- Approximately 58.8 acres of preserved open space
- Only 3% of total site area developed
Click here to see the Site Plan – Developed Area
Project Entitlements
The project requires a conditional use permit for the proposed uses. The project does not require a general plan amendment or zone change.
Cornerstone believes that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act ("RLUIPA") applies to the project and, in particular, that the "equal terms" provision of RLUIPA requires the County to process and take action on the revised application. The equal terms provision provides that "[n]o government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that treats a religious assembly or institution on less than equal terms with a non-religious assembly or institution."
As discussed above, the Project includes three related uses that involve religious institutions and/or assemblies – the Eternity Bible College, the Cornerstone Church and the Children's Hunger Fund facilities. Cornerstone believes that each of these uses is already a conditionally permitted use and/or must be treated as a conditionally permitted use by the County pursuant to the equal terms provision of RLUIPA.
Within unincorporated Ventura County, several notable colleges and other schools, government buildings and camps and retreats have been developed and expanded in ways that have had a similar or greater impact on the County's open space goals than would the project. These existing uses were developed and/or expanded through the conditional use permit process. In addition, these existing facilities are used for a variety of secular assemblies, as well as some religious assemblies, that are similar or identical to the religious assemblies associated with the project. Therefore, Cornerstone believes that a conditional use permit is the appropriate entitlement for the project.
We look forward to a formal presentation of the project to the community in the months ahead.
