EDITOR:

We represent several hundred homeowners who live in the immediate vicinity of 5395 Roswell Road. We objected to the original rezoning in 2009 and now object strongly to a further proposed expansion of the use as a church, by conversion of the basement parking garage.

We believe that neither of our local [city] council representatives is happy with this proposal and we find it inconceivable that the city council will on July 17 approve a 44,000-square-foot building — a 30 percent expansion — for a variety of church uses, with only 80 parking spaces to “serve only the designated use” — as required by the city’s zoning ordinance. The remaining spaces by which the applicants seek to justify the proposal are on land owned by the U.S. Postal Service and for which the applicants only have the benefit of a “non-exclusive” easement. This site is unsuitable for such an intensive use and the city should deny the expansion and loss of basement parking spaces.

Even a simple office use of a 44,000-square-foot building would require over 130 dedicated parking spaces. We are pleased to know that the city has included in its [fiscal] 2013 budget a proposal to redesign the current, extremely dangerous Glenridge Drive/Roswell Road intersection, but we question whether this much needed improvement can be achieved without a loss of some of the parking spaces on the land owned by the Church of Scientology.

Keith Weiner, President, Carriage Gate Townhomes

Patty Burns, President, Roundhill Condominium Association

Susan Masser, President, The Glenridge Unit Homeowners’ Association

Carolyn Hyde, President, Willow Glen Condominium Association