Planning Commission approves Wellness Center changes

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Fallbrook Regional Health District's Community Health and Wellness Center received approval from the county's Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission voted 7-0 Oct. 29 to approve a Major Use Permit modification and to find the change in use from church to wellness center activity exempt from further California Environmental Quality Act review.

The 4.8-acre parcel in the 1600 block of East Mission Road has RR Rural Residential zoning and a VR-2 Village Residential land use designation. The property had previously been affiliated with the Wisconsin Synod denomination of the Lutheran church. Prior to the construction of St. Stephen, the Planning Commission issued a Major Use Permit in March 1977 which allowed phased construction of the church consisting of a sanctuary, a community hall, an education building, and an outdoor sports field.

The Planning Commission approved a modification of the Major Use Permit in June 2001 to allow the education building to be expanded to include additional classrooms, and that modification also allowed for a shade structure by the basketball court. The permit allowed for the operation of a private elementary school as well as a church. No St. Stephen church activity has occurred since 2018 although elementary school education continued until early 2020.

The application to change the use to a health and wellness center was filed in June 2019, although prior to the application, two community meetings were held in early 2018 to evaluate potential community needs that the health and wellness center could accommodate and those activities were incorporated into the application.

The Fallbrook Community Planning Group reviewed the application in September 2019 and voted 12-0 to recommend approval while adding the recommendation that access driveways to the site be maintained in the same configuration and that any directions provided recommend a specific traffic route through Gum Tree Lane and onto East Mission Road. The site is accessed through a private driveway which connects to East Mission Road.

The FRHD did not object to the planning group's recommendations. Not only will the driveways be maintained in the same configuration, but signage on those driveways will be improved and health district information about the site will include the route through Gum Tree Lane which will reduce the likelihood of drivers trying to turn left from East Mission Road.

The declaration of a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak allowed the site to be used as an emergency interim center for coronavirus exposure testing and vaccination. The revised Major Use Permit allows health and wellness education seminars, walking paths, community gardens, health screening and testing, telemedicine clinic operations, summer fitness camps, support group meetings, nutrition-oriented cooking classes, blood donation drives, financial literacy classes, community meetings, and nonprofit fundraising events and partnerships.

Although no major changes to the structures are planned, some minor interior remodeling of the education building may occur to accommodate equipment for health seminars and similar classes. The education building has classrooms which will be utilized for cooking classes as well as health seminars and similar uses. The sanctuary and community hall buildings will be used for meetings and support groups.

In addition to being used for outdoor activities, the sports field will also be an overflow parking area for fundraising events. The existing residence will not be occupied on an overnight basis but will instead be used for storage and for meetings associated with the health and wellness center. The parking lot will retain its 61-space capacity as well as its circulation system.

The fundraising community events are limited to 330 people, and no more than two per year can occur. The permit conditions do limit attendance at other events including classes and seminars, but the health district anticipates no more than 50 individuals including staff members for weekday operations and no more than 40 individuals for evening support group meetings.

The weekday activities will occur between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. with a break from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. to avoid rush hour traffic, and weekend events will occur between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. but also with a break from 4 to 5. Any amplified speakers are required to be indoors.