Opponents of Sufism sanctuary ask for more time to review massive EIR

Saranap residents on opposite sides of a three-year battle over a religious organization's plan to build a new 66,000-square-foot sanctuary in their neighborhood had their first chance to have their say in an official setting. 

The occasion was a hearing earlier this week before the Contra Costa County Zoning Administrator. Ultimately, the zoning administrator will leave it to the county planning commission to pick apart the project. Sufism Reoriented is proposing to build a white, multi-domed project on 3.25 acres along Boulevard Way. The Planning Commission will make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on the project's suitability for the neighborhood, which is in an unincorporated area west of downtown Walnut Creek. 

Still, the administrator's regular meeting served as the first of many government-sponsored sounding boards for residents to comment on the project, in this case on the draft environmental impact report. Previously, residents on both sides have aired the support or concerns at neighborhood association meetings, in neighborhood newsletters, and on local blogs. 

Ten of the 11 people who spoke oppose the project because of what they view as the "significant"environmental impacts to the neighborhood, which were cited in the report. They said they could not get too specific with their comments and asked for an extention on  the 45-day time period allowed for public comment on the draft EIR. 

The report, they said, is more than 400 pages long, and it includes newly released appendices that number more than 1,000 pages. 

"I'm still trying to muddle through it," said Curtis Trenor about the draft EIR. He lives on Warren Road, behind where the sanctuary would be built.  

He and several other speakers raised concerns about the size and height of the project and its visual impact on the neighborhood. Much of the neighborhood consists of single family homes, although the stretch of Boulevard Way where the sanctuary would rise is lined with apartment buildings and commercial and office buildings.

Trenor and others asked the county to require Sufism Reoriented to erect "story poles," on the site. These are wooden poles cut to the exact specified height of a construction project and placed around the site to give people an idea of a project's size.

Sufism Reoriented leaders have previously rejected the idea of erecting story poles, saying that computer-generated renderings they have shown to neighbors provide a more accurate image of the project's scope and impact. 

Trenor and other opponents raised concerns about how construction of the sanctuary will involve major excavation of the site, because two-thirds of it — 46,000 square feet—will be built underground. 

He worries that the excavation could create soil instability for him and other neighbors--a point mentioned in the draft EIR. 

The draft report said that the sanctuary's environmental impacts could be mitigated by a series of steps. 

While disagreeing with opponents' request for story poles, Steve Sardella, the outreach coordinator for the Sufism project, said his organization is willing to comply with the draft EIR's other suggestions for lessening any adverse environmental impacts. This includes obtaining a grading permit from the county to make sure that a qualified geotechnical engineer will monitor soil and groundwater conditions during excavation and construction.

The report also says that, aesthetically, the new Sufism Reoriented sanctuary would not “degrade the quality or character of the site and its surroundings.”

The report comes more than a year after Contra Costa County's Community Development Division decided that the project merited a thorough environmental analysis, notably over concerns about aesthetics, air quality, traffic and soil quality. 

As the project became known to Saranap residents, it hit a nerve, with a large group of residents objecting to the “spaceship-looking” building that would sit on seven parcels in their semi-rural neighborhood.

Opponents complained about aggressive door-to-door visits from Sufism members disseminating what opponents called misleading information about the project. They staged a protest, held public meetings and created their own homeowners group, the Saranap Homeowners Organization, after saying that the board of the long-standing Saranap Community Association had been taken over by Sufism members to advance this project.

Sufism members and supporters contended that some of the opposition to the project stemmed from religious intolerance and lack of understanding about their organization. 

Sufism Reoriented leaders say the building will be used for religious, cultural and educational programs for its 350-member congregation. Sufism Reoriented is a nonprofit religious corporation, established in 1952. It has  500 members in the United States and two existing sanctuaries. One is in the Washington, D.C., area; the other is in a building on Boulevard Way, about a quarter mile east of the project site. Sufism Reoriented also runs the K-5 Meher School, which is also located in the Saranap neighborhood. 

Despite its name, the organization is not affiliated with Islam, but follows the teachings of the late Meher Baba, a spiritual leader from India. Its teachings are “designed for individuals who strive to devote their lives to the love of God through service” and whose members “work in harmony with all religions.” 

The facility would include a prayer hall, administrative offices, library and bookstore and classroom spaces. Sufism leaders have said that the building, particularly the domes, was designed to blend in with the surrounding grass-covered hills. They also say it would be eco-friendly and “nestled in a glade of trees.”

Although members of the Sufism group were present at the hearing, none spoke at the meeting. Sardella said Sufism members didn't need to speak at this hearing because they were satisfied with the fndings of the draft EIR. He contended that his organizations has received strong neighborhood support. 

The only person who spoke in favor of the sanctuary was J. David Dacus, an architect and member of the board of directors of the Saranap Community Association.  He called the findings of the draft EIR "fair" and added that his organization will meet with residents to provide more input to the county. 

The county prepared this report in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.  Its purpose is not to recommend approval or denial of this particular project but to make the agency with jurisdiction—in this case, Contra Costa County—aware of "the consequences to the natural and human environment before carrying out or approving any project."

It is important to note that this EIR is not final. Rather, as a draft report, it is open for public review and revision. 

Senior planner Lashun Cross said the Community Development Department will review the request for an extension of the public comment period, which is  to close May 13. She said typically requests for more time to review draft EIRs are granted.