Christ Church brings armed guard to hearing Critics say it's an 'odd wayto express trust' toward Rockaway Twp. residents
BY ROB JENNINGS DAILY RECORD
ROCKAWAY TWP. -- Christ Church brought some firepower, literally, to Monday's planning board hearing -- an armed security guard hired to protect Pastor David Ireland and other church representatives.
A Rockaway Township police officer assigned to the 8 p.m. hearing -- the 23rd on the controversial mega-church building plan -- said the Randolph Services Inc. guard had a permit for his weapon and was authorized to carry it inside the municipal building's hearing room.
Christ Church spokesman Marc Weinstein said the tone of the ongoing controversy convinced the church to add private security, though he did not identify any threats from township residents.
"Better safe than sorry,"Weinstein said.
Opposing view
Voices of Rockaway Township co-founder Adam Salberg countered that the addition of an armed guard was "an odd way to express trust and faith in the community."
"I'm uncomfortable to see anyone other than a police officer with a gun in our municipal building," said Salberg, whose group opposes the church building plan.
There has been a township police presence at most of the planning board hearings, which have been under way since Dec. 15, 2003. At Monday's hearing, township Police Lt. John T. Czohla stood in the back of the room while the security guard stood inside by one of two entrances.
Dwindling turnout
Ireland was seated in the front of the room, about 20 feet away from the guard. There were fewer than 30 people in attendance, not counting township officials and church representatives.
The Randolph-based security firm was founded by George Okun, Randolph's first police chief. Okun's son, Martin J. Okun, is now its chief executive officer.
According to its Internet site, Randolph Services Inc. has been "protecting the people and assets of New Jersey businesses since 1952."
Line of questions
At Monday's hearing, public questioning of Christ Church's traffic expert, Karl Pehnke, concluded with questions from residents Eva Fisher, Jeanne Hambright and Dennis Haas.
Hambright asked whether other church functions -- such as a national conference which was held several months ago at a Parsippany hotel -- might take place at the church site in Rockaway Township.
Pehnke said that, while there were no specific plans, that such events conceivably might occur at the church.
Case history
Christ Church, which purchased the 107 acres on Green Pond Road last summer and received permission in September to relocate its 50 administrative employees there, wants to build a 2,512-seat sanctuary, private K-5 school and recreational facilities.
The church currently holds Sunday services in a Montclair cathedral with room for 900 worshippers.
From the start, the proposal generated opposition among Rockaway Township's residents.
Christ Church, in April, filed a federal lawsuit accusing the mayor, planning board, environmental commission and council of stalling and trying to undermine the building plan.
Meanwhile, the township succeeded in getting the state Department of Environmental Protection to reconsider an exemption from the new Highlands law that it granted to Christ Church's building plan. The law places additional limits on development on a 395,000-acre zone that includes the proposed mega-church site.
Sorry couldn't make it last night. Besides the traffic, what else happened at the meeting. DR didn't say............
HIRED GUN????????? Why does someone that wants to be welcomed in our community feel the need to have someone protect him? Ongoing controversy? Is that a threat tohim? NO, we just don't want his mega church to destroy our environment.....increase our traffic!
What a ridiculous and pompous ass Ireland is. Guess even our twp police arent good enough for him. If Whiney was worth a dime he would have told him how that would make him look to the public. I guess that tells us two things. First, like we already knew, Ireland is all about himself. Second. In spite of what Whiney says, Ireland knows how much he is disliked and not wanted in RT. It just re-enforces my previous opinion that, now, regardless of what size the project ends up being, we dont want a jerk like him for a neighbor.
". . . we dont want a jerk like him for a neighbor."
As you know, I have been intimating that for two years now. The quality of life in a municipality is directly related the quality of ones neighbors. Ireland would make a very low quality neighbor. He'd be an "I, Me, My, Mine" kind of neighbor.
Gimme, gimme, gimmee!! Then, gimme some more.
Tell him to take a hike and to terrorize some other community.
While I was not intimidated by the private security at the planning board meeting, I would assume that he may have been there to intimidate anyone else that may have wanted to attend. More of a diversionary tactic by the Rev Ireland and his PR firm in hopes of spuring public support from those outside of Rockaway Township. He now wants the world to believe that he is under some type of threat to his life because he wants to develop the property on Green Pond Road. Perhaps he got the idea after reading about the kidnap attempt last week and saw how much front page press that unfortunate event has garnished. It's a sad state of affairs that he must feel so threatened just because there are people who do not agree with his plans. For something like this to spill out into the planning board meeting is distasteful at best. I can see why Rockaway Townships police dept and mayors staff takes this as a slap in the face, especially since, to the best of my knowledge, there has always been a police presence (in and out of uniform) at all of the planning board meetings. I feel perfectly safe while I am there, why can't the Rev?
Church hires security firm for Ireland Spokesman claims threat as hearings continue By CLAUDETTE LEMERDY Contributing Writer 12/07/2005
ROCKAWAY TWP. - Monday night’s hearing on an application by Christ Church of Montclair to build a campus-type church facility off Green Pond Road included the presence of an armed guard hired by church officials after they received intelligence of a potential threat to the Rev. David Ireland, according to a church spokesman.
Planning Board Chairman Morton Dicker spoke by phone the day after the meeting and indicated he did not know the church had brought an armed guard to the hearing, the 23rd on the application.
“There were two people dressed in police uniforms at the rear of the meeting room - I assume one may have been from the (Rockaway Township Police Department),” said Dicker.
But church spokesman Marc Weinstein, also reached by phone yesterday, said, “They (Christ Church) had private security at the last meeting, so this is old news.”
When asked why Christ Church had hired the armed guard (from Randolph Services, Inc.) Weinstein said, “There were concerns about increasing hostility towards the church, over its recent acquisition of the Agilent property.”
Christ Church purchased the Agilent site and moved its administrative offices onto the site within the past four months.
Therefore, Weinstein said, “We wanted to take every precaution possible to ensure Rev. Ireland’s safety.”
“There has been no recent police protection at recent Planning Board meetings, so we thought we had to take steps to provide that level of protection for Dr. Ireland,” continued Weinstein, who also added. “We received some intelligence indicating there were concerns for Dr. Ireland’s safety.”
“I’m not going to go into how we found out about that. We just want to take every precaution possible,” stated Weinstein.
Weinstein also pointed out the township had provided police protection at earlier Planning Board hearings on the church’s application, given the hostility toward the church’s efforts to relocate its facilities to the Agilent site, but that police protection had been withdrawn, Weinstein said. However, Weinstein added the township also thought it was necessary to provide a township police officer again, at Monday night’s hearing.
“The township also must have felt there was a need to have security personnel at that meeting (Monday night) as well,” pointed out Weinstein.
The church had filed a federal lawsuit against Rockaway Township and its officials last April, alleging the church was discriminated against, in its efforts to relocate its congregation to Rockaway Township, and the United States Department of Justice recently launched an investigation of how Rockaway Township officials have been handling the Christ Church application.
Justice Department spokesperson Eric Holland, who spoke by phone two months ago, had said, “We notified Rockaway Township ... that we were opening an investigation that focuses on the township’s treatment of Christ Church’s land use applications.”
Speaking about testimony presented at Monday night’s meeting, Planning Board Chairman Morton Dicker said, “We dealt predominantly with questions in regard to traffic issues from the public and then we went into fire-matics (fire safety issues), with testimony from Mr. Maglione (Samuel A. Maglione, the township’s fire expert) and Mr. Slye (a fire expert hired by Christ Church),” said Dicker.
“Mr. Maglione has been working with the representatives from Christ Church, in regard to the entrances and spaces and seating, and the like, they (Christ Church) complied with his suggestions, and there was a general presentation made by their consultant (Christ Church’s consultant) and finally Mr. Maglione made a few comments and we completed that (testimony about fire compliance issues),” continued Dicker.
At Monday night’s meeting, the church’s traffic expert, Karl A. Pehnke completed his testimony about traffic issues concerning the church, also according to Dicker.
“The next meeting on the church’s application, which is scheduled for Jan. 09, 2006, will involve testimony in regard to acoustics and an environmental impact statement, according to Dicker. And Dicker said he believed there would be more testimony about engineering issues following the January meeting.
When asked how many more meetings would be required on the Christ Church application before the Planning Board would make a decision on the church’s project, Dicker responded, “I have no idea - that depends on the extent of the testimony, and the amount of questioning from the public, and whether or not Voices of Rockaway (a group opposed to the church) are going to come forward with testimony or experts in regard to the application,” said Dicker.
“They (VORT) are opposing it (Christ Church application); they have an attorney and the attorney has not appeared at a number of meetings,” added Dicker.
When asked if VORT attorney Michael Edelson had attended Monday night’s meeting, Dicker said, “No.”
When asked why the Planning Board had approved a Chabad center expansion project so quickly, as compared to the Christ Church application which has required meetings over a nearly two-year period, Dicker responded, “Because apparently there is not the type of testimony and detail that was required in regard to the current application (by Christ Church).”
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The truth wins out over slick PR and personal attacks.
The Christ Church Plan for the redevelopment of 140 Green Pond Rd is just too big for the area.
it is my opinion that ms "CLAUDETTE LEMERDY" may be in the pocket of CC - anyone doubt it?? I thought not...what a journalistic icon she is...not!
I call for a halt to private carry of firearms in our public buildings - that is what we pay our Police Dept for - I trust our professionals - not rent-A-cops...
One of my specialties happens to be in the field of Acoustical Engineering and Audio Engineering besides my background in Electrical Engineering and Power Conversion Technology.
You are welcome to have me evaluate their 500 KWatt Sound System and its impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
If you want to see my credentials, please refer to the following.
I am half-owner of the following Audio Software Company:
www.diamondcut.com
Intelligence and military agencies throughout the world use our products to pull conversations out of noise in the forensics audio world using our Diamond Cut Live Forensics software package.
Resume:
http://www.diamondcut.com/Maier/index.htm
For a more detailed look at my credentials in this area, goto:
http://www.diamondcut.com/Maier/Resume.htm
-------------
BTW - my fee is 0. My Professional IMPACT can be strong based on the aforementined credentials. My company and I are known worldwide in the area of audio DSP and audio Engineering and I have a number of patents to prove our excellence in the same.
I can provide a scientific analysis of his system, free for the asking.
This guy is just a jerk with a big mouth, and a very loud PA system, IMHO. But, we can demonstrate it's noise IMPACT with analysis and numbers.
---------------------------------------------
Interestingly, where we pray at our Shul, there is NO Pa system. Based on some screwy theory, we feel that G-d will hear our prayers without yelling through a high powered amplification system. We just pray that our prayers go from our mouths and hearts to G-ds ears - - - a real novel concept.
I think that ireland believes that the only way to communicate with his god is via a very powerful electronic sound system; what a circus clown this guy really is.
Now your talking Rat. Your hired. The last thing any of us want is to have to listen to Mr. Ireland recording his infomercials on Sunday Mornings. Isn't there some law around the right to peaceful enjoyment of ones property?
More important the location of HVAC equipment and its noise impact on surrounding residents. And lets not forget the kitchen fans for all the food service facilites. Did I forget anything?
I think that you forgot one thing; what is the collective sound pressure level that is produced by 2,500 car engines starting up in the parking lot? That would also have to be put in the mix.
Sounds like a plan. Your input would be much appreciated either as a witness for the town, for VORT, or at the very least, as a concerned resident posing some informed questions to their expert. Thanks in advance.
I think that it is important to point out that whether or not RT decides to use me, it is absolutely imperative that RT hires some expert on acoustics to counter whatever cc's expert claims. Lets face it, cc is going to say that there is no acoustical output level past the property borders to be concerned with, that I can guarantee. So, their expert will have to be countered with another designated expert, else cc's expert testimony will be taken as Gospel on this issue.
I think you're correct that one way or another the town needs to have the input of an expert other than the one hired by CC. Regardless of whether the town decides to engage your services (they may not since you've been in the papers) I would think that there must be a way that you could intervene in the proceedings on your own (just like VORT did). After all, you too have a stake in this (assuming your house is still unsold) and I'm sure many RT residents would sincerely appreciate your efforts. I encourage you to do what you can to get the true facts before the PB.
I believe all testimony regarding the application is availabe to the public. There is nothing stopping you from obtaining the information presented, performing your analysis, then presenting your results to the planning board.
CC has been less than honest with just about every aspect of this proposal. You can be sure the games will only intensify with the evironmental aspects of the application.
Offer still stands Mr. Ireland; In the name of Christianity, prove us wrong.
That is probably true, BR. But the point that really needs to be made most succinctly is the effect that an "expert" will have on the panel vs the effect of someone in the audience. There are 2 reason for this:
1. The designated "expert" will have been an indidual declared as such by the township, thus his or her weight is more substantial in terms of testimony. This person can query cc beforehand to determine things that are likely missing from the data such as power amplifier model numbers, loudspeaker driver model numbers, acoustical enclosure types, building material attenuation factors, etc.
2. The designated "expert" can be "examined" and "cross examined". This will not occur with an audience participant rendering such an individuals testimony almost impotent.
Point number 2 is extremely important; RT really needs to consider having a formal witness testifiy about this situation. And, it will take that person some amount of effort to perform the analysis and run the numbers ahead of time in order to determine sound propagation patterns and sound levels outside the facility.
I strongly advise the hiring of an acoustical expert to counter what I can assure everyone will be a proclaimation by cc and their expert that there are no deliterious acoustical effects by cc on RT residents. You can see that one comming from 10 miles away!
Back in the beginning of this process didn't VORT present an expert to testify before the PB? I think the expert may have been a professional planner although I may be mistaken. Anyway if VORT had the ability to introduce an expert before the PB, what prevents you or any other group or individual from intervening in the process by presenting a qualified expert to testify?
I am not a lawyer, but VORT is a 501(c)3 status corporation represented by attorney Michael Edelson, if I remember correctly. I doubt that anyone in RT can just simply get to sit up at the deus without having some legal status above and behond that of sole citizen. Thus I doubt that anyone can make statements in the capacity of an expert witness without the committee first recognizing that individual or agency as such. Futhermore, there would have to be a lot of back and forth between an expert and the applicant prior to a formal meeting. The required information is just not going to be sitting there on a silver platter waiting for someone to pick it apart. Do you think that ire-land is going to provide me with anything whatsoever other than the fickle finger?
But, find out and let me know what you learn about it.
I've been trying to think of the best way to find out about the rules for being an expert witness and so forth and the best I can come up with is to contact Mayor Sceusi and/or Chairman Dicker and ask them. I could do this and then relay what they said to you but probably the more direct and efficient way would be to ask you to give them a call directly. Does that make sense to you?
Thanks. It sounds like your expertise in the accoustical area can at least keep CC honest in this regard. Hopefully there is a not too onerous way for you to have input.
