Historic Poway church getting addition

The historic Community Church of Poway chapel is getting a little company.

On Tuesday night the City Council unanimously approved the church’s plans to build a 624-square-foot annex building containing restrooms, a bride’s dressing room and storage space that will be constructed to the north of the 128-year-old chapel. The plan also includes a landscaped chapel courtyard that will be used for receptions.

The annex will feature a design very similar to the chapel and will have the same exterior materials and colors, according to associate city planner Carol Rosas.

The design was reviewed and approved by the Poway Historical Society. Mary Shepardson, the society’s vice-president, told the council she really liked the idea of the second building because it will add “historical perspective” to the site, at 13501 Community Road.

Rev. Glen Larsen said that once completed, the annex will be of benefit to wedding parties and other groups using the chapel. He said the church, which holds services in a larger building on the site, plans on allowing the community to use the chapel about 25 percent of the time.

The matter was one of two church-related items on the council’s agenda. In another unanimous vote, the council approved plans submitted by St. John of Damascus Church, 16903 Espola Road, to add 3,000 square feet to an existing multi-purpose building. Approval had been hung up while the church and the city tried to work out a solution to a condition imposed by the city when the church was built in 1990 that required a paved sidewalk on Chabad Way. The church has not completed that requirement and contends it does not have the money to do so. On Tuesday night the council agreed that the current situation of not having the required sidewalk seemed to be working OK for both the church it its neighbors.