Mailed flier says opponents distorted building proposal

By Rob Jennings, Daily Record

ROCKAWAY TWP. -- In a second mass mailing to thousands of residents, Christ Church of Montclair is charging that "a small group of residents" is deliberately distorting its mega-church proposal on Green Pond Road.

The pamphlet, which soon will arrive in the mailboxes of nearly 7,000 homes, asserts that building plan opponents have launched "a campaign of deception" by alleging that the 5,000-member church's plan would create an environmental hazard and traffic problems.

The group of opponents is not named in the pamphlet but Voices of Rockaway Township co-founder Lisa Salberg said she assumed that the reference was to her organization.

"If they want to spend all their money sending us nonsense, go ahead -- but if I was one of their contributors, I'd be concerned how they're spending tons of money," Salberg said on Thursday, after she and about a dozen other residents were denied access to a 10:30 a.m. church news conference at the 107-acre, former Agilent Technologies site.

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Church spokesman Marc Weinstein said the pamphlet reference was not aimed specifically at Voices of Rockaway Township, which was founded by two local couples to oppose the Christ Church building plan.

A 10th planning board hearing is scheduled for Dec. 20 on the church's proposal, which includes a 2,512-seat sanctuary, private K-5 school and recreational facilities at the Agilent site.

"It's referring to those who have made it publicly known of their opposition of the church's application to relocate to the Agilent site. It doesn't specify the name of any particular group," Weinstein said of the pamphlet.

Agilent spokesman Bob Lydum said the company, and not the church, made the decision to limit attendance to media representatives due to liability issues.

The hour-long conference was hosted by the church's pastor, the Rev. David Ireland, and church attorney David Steinberger. Both said the church's proposal would result in an improvement of the site, which previously had industrial operations.

Ireland, walking with reporters to a 10-foot slope at the front of the existing building, contended that excavating the dirt and adding a 277-space parking garage under the building would not qualify as "underground parking," contrary to the claims of some plan opponents.

The vast majority of the building plan, Ireland said, allows for a 300-foot buffer zone around Beaver and Hibernia brooks, even though the church believes that such a wide buffer zone is not required.

Ireland outlined a series of statements from the pamphlet, including restrictions on fertilizers and herbicides that he said would be implemented on the proposed church property. He said the project would not adversely impact an on-site public aquifer.

"We have to drink the water as well," he said.

Dennis W. Schvejda, conservation director for the New Jersey Sierra Club, joined the residents standing near the site's exit during the media tour. He said the church's 303,000-square-foot plan was simply too large for the property, which is within the 395,000-square-acre preservation zone under the new state Highlands law.

Rockaway Township is appealing in state appellate court a ruling by the state Department of Environmental Protection which exempts the church plan from the Highlands law, which places strict limits on development.

After the meeting, Ireland drove past the group, which was camped out by the exit. Salberg approached his car and asked whether he would meet with them, as he did with reporters.

Ireland responded that he had another appointment and drove away.

Weinstein said Ireland, who met with the four founders of Voices of Rockaway Township last year, indeed did have an appointment. He added that the pamphlet provides church contact information and requests feedback from residents.