Disciples of sect master Da Free John want to transform an old grocery store in Santa Venetia into a church for 300 to 500 believers.

The Laughing Man Institute, which set up its headquarters in the dilapidated center at 740 Adrian Way last year, will have its plans reviewed by the Marin County Planning Commission.

County Planning Director Mark Riesenfeld said he's recommending the proposal be approved, in a large part due to the neighborhood's support for the group's plans.

"They've got a good reputation out there," he told the Independent Journal Wednesday. "They've been really straightforward with us."

Besides the institute, the group leases a building at 923 C St. in San Rafael, where it operates the Dawn Horse Bookstore.

The Dawn Horse Bookstore has been open at that location for more than two years, according to Paul Augspurger, who was working at the store Wednesday.

The store sells various spiritual books - not all on the church - and books on health, diet, science and sex. It also sells modern music tapes, cards, incense and an assortment of other items, including a Tibetan bell selling for $129.

A meditation hall is located in the rear of the store.

The group's holdings worldwide include 6.5 acres on the island of Kauai in Hawaii and 600 acres in Lake County, where a $1 million residence was reportedly built for Franklin Jones, the group's leader.

Jones, however, lives on an island in Fiji.

The group also operates a residential school in New York state on 27 acres owned by a member.

In Santa Venetia, the group's followers have refurbished the center, which had become a neighborhood eyesore. Many nearby residents, who called the sect's members "good neighbors", said their feelings toward the group turned from wariness to curiosity after they saw how it spruced up the old center.

"They made the place look beautiful", said one neighbor, who termed the sect "a religious-type cult for professional people".

Another neighbor said the group "is benign, but a little bit weird."

Neighbors said they were wary of the group at first, but so far its followers have been quiet and friendly neighbors in the community.

Few neighbors were troubled by the group's presence in their neighborhood.

"It's a very introverted religion, if one at all," Robert Proctor, a neighborhood leader said.

"They seemed like nice people," said Karen Kibler, a director of the Gallinas Village Community Services District, one of the neighborhood's governing agencies. "What they did was try to assure us that they were good neighbors."

The work the group did to spruce up the shopping center was "quite an improvement. As far as I'm aware of they have been good neighbors. I have not heard any complaints," Kibler said.

"I think the majority of people feel pretty good about it. They are not bothering anybody", Nani Wurl, a leader of the Santa Venetia Improvement Association, said. "They are quiet people and we didn't even know they were there."

At one point, followers offered the neighborhood blood from one of its blood drives. But news stories have piqued neighborhood interest in the organization, Wurl said. "Now there is concern about what is going on".

A longtime resident, Irene Dubbs, agreed.

"We actually wondered what kind of organization they were," Dubbs said, adding that a friendly relationship has been built between its followers and her church, the Presbyterian Church of Santa Venetia, which is directly across the street from the center.

The group has loaned the church equipment and its followers have attended some of the church's dinners.