City, neighbors talk settlement over gym

Neighbors of the Brethren Christian Junior and Senior High School are in settlement talks with the city of Huntington Beach, after filing a lawsuit against them.

The neighbors, who formed the Neighborhoods for Safety and Quality, filed a lawsuit June 19 over the construction of the private school’s new gymnasium. The 26,785-square-foot, 31-foot-tall building is part of the school’s $3.5-million renovation plan.

The settlement talk is a common first step in a lawsuit, said Terry Crowther, a Neighborhoods for Safety and Quality member in the settlement discussion. The neighbors meet with the city on Friday and will meet again Sept. 3 to see if they can avoid going to court, Crowther said.

Crowther said he can’t discuss possible settlement terms.

The residents are concerned about the impact the gymnasium will have on their neighborhood. Their biggest concern with the gymnasium, neighbor Kim Lerner said in the past, is the sheer size of the building in proportion to the the school and the parking problems they anticipate.

Kevin Coleman, the applicant for the project, has said the building is more than just a gym, because it will also hold two large storage facilities and restrooms for the American Youth Soccer Organization, a weight room, a dance and cheer room, a storage facility for drama, a concessions stand, two offices, and team lockers and restrooms.

— Britney Barnes