Belvedere board backs plan to convert Christian Science Church into home

The owner of the former Christian Science Church on San Rafael Avenue in Belvedere has won permission to convert it into a home and add a detached garage accessible from Acacia Avenue. (NorCal MLS)

A Belvedere couple has the city’s OK to convert a historic San Rafael Avenue church into a family home with a detached garage. While the plans generally won praise from commissioners and neighbors, some residents expressed concerns with how the garage would impact what they say is already congested parking in the area.

Marcel and Liora Houtzager purchased the iconic Christian Science Church at 501 San Rafael Ave. for $3 million in April. It was built in 1952 by late Tiburon architect Warren Callister. Belvedere’s First Church of Christ, Scientist put the property up for sale last year after it merged with the San Rafael congregation.

Among the improvements approved by the Planning Commission are new windows and doors, a new standing seam metal roof and restoration of the existing redwood and concrete siding. As part of reroofing the existing structure, the building height will be raised 1 foot, 8 inches, for a maximum building height of 28 feet. The project would retain the building’s existing spire.

The property currently does not have on-site parking, but it will be required to have two spaces under Belvedere rules for single-family homes, and the Houtzagers plan to build a 552-square-foot two-car garage off the hillside below Acacia Avenue in place of the existing auxiliary structure. The garage would sit above a new accessory dwelling unit and would be 11 feet tall when viewed from street level at Acacia Avenue, accessible via a new concrete driveway.

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