Christ Church fights new zoning Asks court to overturn Rockaway Twp. rules
BY JIM NAMIOTKA DAILY RECORD
ROCKAWAY TWP. -- Christ Church of Montclair filed a motion in U.S. District Court on Friday, asking a federal judge to throw out parts of a Rockaway Township zoning ordinance that forced the church to make significant revisions to its building plans.
The motion, which seeks to overturn the environmental portions of the ordinance, claims that existing New Jersey laws pre-empt the township rules.
The zoning ordinance, adopted in March, sought to bring churches and other building projects into compliance with toughened state stormwater regulations and the new Highlands law, which strictly limits development in a 395,000-acre preservation zone that includes the proposed 107-acre church site on Green Pond Road.
When it passed unanimously, the ordinance immediately applied to Christ Church's proposal, forcing several expensive changes, including:
• Reducing the total square footage of the building plan from 301,984 square feet to 262,927.
• Reducing a parking garage from 277 to 240 spaces.
• Elimination of a parking deck.
• Reduction of enrollment in its planned K-5 school from 500 to 350 pupils.
Specifically, Christ Church's new motion -- part of an ongoing religious discrimination lawsuit brought against the township by the church --claims that the township ordinance violates the state Highlands Act, stormwater management regulations and freshwater wetlands protection laws, all of which restrict or prohibit municipalities from writing their own environmental rules in those areas.
The church is asking the federal court for a summary judgment, which would immediately overturn the township zoning ordinance.
"In essence, this ordinance has caused considerable expense to the church ... and it continues," Christ Church spokesman Marc Weinstein said Friday.
Township Councilman Max Rogers said Friday that council members had not been notified of the new motion and could not comment.
The Christ Church plan has been a lightning rod for local criticism since shortly after the church's $14 million deal to buy the property from Agilent Technologies was announced in summer 2003.
Residents have charged that the church's plan will worsen traffic, strain the township's infrastructure, remove a large parcel from the tax rolls and hurt an environmentally sensitive location.
The church has suggested that prejudice against the mostly black, evangelical Christian church is a factor, and noted that the building plan includes a cleanup of contaminants already at the site.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Namiotka can be reached at (973) 428-6653 or jnamiotk@gannett.com.
...too bad we can't post on the russosaurus forum, but it seems that on HIS fair forum, he refuses to approve anyone other than his 2 cronies for posting.
6771. Daily Record 10/15 - great article by IreLies, 10/15/05 8:59 ET What's this - an article appears in the Daily Record about cc and their spinners are NOT on here at 3AM talking about it? How can it be? What does this article say??? Let's see...
cc has filed suit to "overturn the environmental portions of the ordinance...[which was] adopted to bring churches and other building projects into compliance with thoughened state stormwater regulations and the new Highlands Law"
But what about the cc spin we've heard - that cc LOVES the environment??? Now we find out the TRUTH - that ireland is SUING to have ENVIRONMENTAL RULES overturned. How pathetic is that mister ireland????
The article goes on to state that the ENVIRONMENTAL ORDINANCE FORCED cc to:
"Reduce the total sq footage from 301k to 263k"...
say it ain't so, cc supporters...YOU told us that cc did this to be a "good neighbor"!!!!
"Reduce the parking garage from 277 to 240 spaces"
say it ain't so, cc supporters...YOU told us that cc did this to be a "good neighbor"!!!!
"Elimination of a parking deck"
say it ain't so, cc supporters...YOU told us that cc did this to be a "good neighbor"!!!!
"Reduction of enrollment of its planned K-5 school from 500 to 350 pupils"
say it ain't so, cc supporters...YOU told us that cc did this to be a "good neighbor". YOU told us that ireland reduced the school to HELP OUT and REDUCE HIS MASSIVE TRAFFIC burden. It seems that your fearless leader AGREES that you are all a bunch of LIARS and that he ONLY reduced his plan because he was forced to by ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS THAT HE DOES NOT WANT TO FOLLOW!!!
The article goes on to state the THE CHURCH HAS SUGGESTED THAT PREJUDICE AGAINST THE MOSTLY BLACK CHURCH IS A FACTOR...so it IS true - ireland is CLAIMING that Rockaway Township officials are a bunch of red neck racists!!!
...Whiney had the quote of the day in the article when he stated about the ENVIRONMENTAL ORDINANCE "This ordinance has caused considerable expense to the church"...
Ahhh, thanks WHINEY...the truth is out. IRELAND ONLY cares about MONEY and NOT about our environment.
No WONDER we didn't cc the usual 3AM postings from the LIARS for HIRELAND on this forum when this Daily Record article.
It shows them as being anti-enviromental, only offering a smaller school & project because of the ENVIRONMENTAL rules and NOT to "help out" and contuing to make claims of racism.
The sun is finally shining this morning and the light of truth and justice is now shining on the LIARS for HIRELAND.
I would love to be a fly on the wall when the Rev and Spring O'Whinners meet. Those meetings have to be like a three ring circus. I hope Marc W saved some cash, cause I think the CC money well is going to dry up soon.
I wonder if the Rev is feeling the financial stress now? Paid PR, maintenance and upkeep at 140 GPR, security guards, still owns space in Montclair, lawyers, plus still helping those in need. That must be some monthly nut he has to come up with just to keep the lights on.
Could it be the negative cash flow is catching up to the Rev?
