Orchard Church Moving To Murrieta: Parking, Traffic Concerns

MURRIETA, CA — The Murrieta Planning Commission signed off on a conditional use permit this week for a local church that wants to welcome its large congregation to the Murrieta Crossings shopping center off Interstate 215.

Orchard Church, which currently operates in Temecula, has purchased the now-vacant 40,000-square-foot Scandinavian Designs furniture store in the center at 39777 Avenida Acacias. The church is also leasing the center's nearby 34,000-square-foot Aerosports Trampoline Park building at 39729 Avenida Acacias — with an option to purchase the property.

The former furniture store will be used as a place of worship with auditorium seating for 1,100 people, while the old trampoline park building will be used as a children’s ministry center, according to the city and Orchard officials.

Two very busy hotspots — an In-N-Out Burger and the 24/7 emergency pet hospital VCA California Veterinary Specialists — bookend the church sites in the shopping center.

Parking and traffic flow were the biggest concerns during Wednesday's Murrieta Planning Commission meeting that included a public hearing on the matter.

Access to the church buildings will be off Avenida Acacias, but that will require education: Congregation members will be instructed to use driveways on Avenida Acacias, and told not to enter or exit off Los Alamos Road.

Church "ambassadors" will help guide motorists and pedestrians when services are scheduled, according to City of Murrieta Associate Planner Aaron Rintamaki.

A total of 973 parking spaces are available in the shopping center, but commissioner Michael Fisher expressed concern that it may not be enough for Orchard's congregation. According to the project's parking plan, only 342 stalls will be available solely for churchgoers while another 54 will be allocated to Orchard staff and volunteers. Ninety-two parking stalls will be designated for the other businesses adjacent to the church, and 485 spots will be shared.

The city is undergoing a street slurry project on Avenida Acacias, which includes bike lanes on both sides of the roadway. Once it's completed, no street parking will be allowed.

Jim Jackson is Orchard's lead pastor. He was on hand for Wednesday's planning commission meeting.

"We're not unaware" of the challenges, he told the commissioners who ultimately voted 4-0 to approve the church's conditional use permit. "Our hope is that we would be a blessing to Murrieta."

Jackson told commissioners the Orchard congregation has grown to "thousands."

The Awakening Church is also currently located in a 20,000-square-foot building in the shopping center. It is not affiliated with Orchard Church. The Awakening was not required to use Avenida Acacias as its access point, and Rintamaki told the commissioners that concerns about traffic bottlenecking during Sunday and traditional Christian holiday services were unwarranted.

Orchard plans to hold Sunday services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Church office hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Community nightly meetings will take place 7-9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and a monthly Saturday breakfast will be held.

During Wednesday's meeting, several Orchard supporters turned out, with four speaking in favor of the church's Murrieta relocation. No one spoke against the project.