The community of Saranap is one that most local residents revere as a modest, semi-rural neighborhood. There aren’t many concrete sidewalks or curbs here, very few stoplights, and in general, not much of the trappings associated with urban life or for that matter, highly developed suburban tracts. Most residents like it that way.

We feel that the proposed Sufism Reoriented (SR) facility contains more features found in high density bustling cities where housing and commercial buildings are crammed side by side with very little space in between, if at all.

If we all wanted to live in a bustling city, we would live in a city. We are in Saranap for its eclectic charm, its gardens and abundant mature trees and its relatively quiet streets.

This is not just a neighborhood church. It is a mega-church complex proposed by a small group who happen to have the means to purchase the largest amount of space per member of any church in Contra Costa County. And it has the smallest amount of parking for any church of this size.

This building site currently contains a cluster of single-family homes. This is what the next-door neighbors moved into and expected to live next to for their time in Saranap. It is not unreasonable to assume that if you live in a residential neighborhood, you would expect it to remain residential. Now these neighbors would be subjected to the disruptive construction and eventual reality of a 66,000 sq. ft. building literally across their back fence.

We are not opposed to Sufism Reoriented building a new facility on this site, but they need to listen to the concerns of their neighbors and reduce the size and bulk of the project, provide adequate parking, retain trees, and reconsider the design so it blends in with the Saranap community. We are asking them to continue to be the good neighbors that they have been for many years.

Whatever happened to compromise? It’s clear that from the beginning that SR was contemplating other alternatives for their facility; why else would they have purchased so many properties near their current location? Why the former LaRossa’s Market; why the office building at 1285 Boulevard Way and the vacant lot next to it? These purchases were not accidental. These are already commercially zoned properties that would have been perfect for a campus configuration for their facility. They now refuse to consider this, or any other alternative. Is this reasonable when we consider the impact of the proposed mega-church shoehorned onto a lot that is too small for it?

The Contra Costa County Planning Commission approved the proposed Sufism Reoriented development. The Saranap Homeowners Organization submitted an Appeal to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. The Appeal hearing meeting date is Tuesday, February 21 in Room 107, County Administration Building, Pine and Escobar Streets, Martinez.

Board of Supervisors hearings are heard on Tuesdays. Letters to Board members can be sent anytime. See Board member's information on our Contact Us page.

The most efficient way to have your comments reach the full Board of Supervisors is to address them to the Chair of the Board Mary Piepho (dist3@bos.cccounty.us) with a copy to June McHuen, Clerk of the Board (june.mchuen@cob.cccounty.us). Anything received that is addressed to the Chair of the Board is automatically distributed to all five Supervisors.

Correspondence sent to the Supervisor in time to be read in advance of the hearing is appreciated. If you have already sent something to the Supervisor, it will be provided to the Clerk for the record by their office. If you did not have time to get a letter in to the Board of Supervisors before the meeting, the Clerk will still accept anything you have into the record. She will be collecting all relevant material right up to the end of the hearing.

Your letter must be received no later than 96 hours (4 work days) before the hearing if it is to be included in the PDF scan of the packet that is provided to the Board before the hearing. If received afterward, it will still appear in the record. After the meeting, the Clerk will add an additional scanned attachment to the minutes capturing any additional material received.