Benicia Historic Preservation Review Commission will hear an appeal Thursday of an administrative approval of the design review of the Community Congregational Church parking lot at 1305 West Second St.

Jackie Mullikin, who owns Happy Hearts Preschool, filed the appeal Oct. 16, saying she has concerns about the timing of the construction and how it might impact children in the preschool classroom building and outdoor play area she leases at the same address.

Suzanne Thorsen, associate planner, wrote Nov. 6 that the city’s community development director approved the design Oct. 6, agreeing the church could modify its parking lot circulation and dropoff areas, as well as add lights and landscape the site.

She explained that administrative design review is required for exterior alterations of less than 2,500 square feet of floor area.

Dan Marks is the city’s interim community development director. Thorsen wrote that before Marks made his decision, Mullikin wrote Aug. 26 saying the construction could produce dust, tar fumes, noise and additional traffic.

“Staff considered Ms. Mullikin’s concerns and determined that limitation on the timing of construction when the preschool is in session fall outside the scope of design review, as these concerns relate more to construction management and private landlord-tenant issues than to the physical design of the site,” Thorsen wrote.

She wrote that the Decision of Record has a condition of approval that requires the construction area be marked and barricaded, and that the property owner should provide to the preschool a written construction schedule. The permit has a term of two years, Thorsen wrote.

City employees told Andrej Dekleva, the project’s architect who also is the applicant, that Mullikin’s concerns should be addressed privately, and noted that Mullikin’s preschool soon would move to Lighthouse Covenant Church, 1175 Church St., which could give the Congregational Church a chance to get its work done without disrupting the preschool.

Dekleva told city employees Oct. 15 that his client would begin construction after Happy Hearts left, Thorsen wrote, adding that Mullikin was told of that decision when she filed her appeal.

Thorsen is recommending the HPRC deny Mullikin’s appeal and uphold the design review approval.

In other matters, the commission will set its meeting calendar for 2015.

The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Commission Room of City Hall, 250 East L St.

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