I have a letter from the DEP to CC. It appears that the DEP is unable to complete the review as CC has incorrect calculations of sq. footage and inconsistant data in their application. It is interesting that CC has ommitted a letter from the Rockaway Valley Regional Sewage Authority with confirmation if they have capacity to accept the proposed wastewater flow.
Paula Saha from the Ledger called earlier to ask what Voice of RTWP thought about this... I said it was typical non prepared CC I was not surprised. Check tomorrows Ledger for more details.
Sorry I missed last nights meeting I had been in NYC speaking at a conference most of the weekend and Monday and did not get home until very late.
Best to all, Lisa
__________________
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.
DEP asks church to recheck numbers Congregation seeks Rockaway Twp. site Wednesday, December 07, 2005 BY PAULA SAHA Star-Ledger Staff
Before making a decision on whether to exempt Christ Church from the Highlands Act, the state Department of Environmental Protection has asked the church to "recheck their calculations."
The church, which wants to build a new campus on the former Agilent Technologies property in Rockaway Township, is arguing that it qualifies for an exemption because its plans fall within 125 percent of the footprint of what is already on the site.
But according to a letter the DEP sent to the church late last week, the square footage calculations provided by the church differ from figures collected by the state. State officials, however, could not say yesterday how much the numbers differed.
"We suspect that the discrepancy in the existing impervious surface figure is due to three areas that you neglected to include and should be added," the letter states.
Church spokesman Marc Weinstein said the church's professional team was working to provide the information to the DEP. "There's always going to be some holes that need to be filled," Weinstein said.
The state also asks Christ Church to provide a letter from the local sewer authority indicating it has the capacity to accept wastewater generated by the project and committing to serve the proposed project.
Christ Church, a 5,000-member congregation that now meets in Montclair, has been before the Rockaway Township Planning Board for two years seeking site plan approval for a new building that would include a sanctuary for more than 2,500 people, a K-5 school and other facilities.
Opponents of the church's plan have charged that church officials have had incomplete plans and have been less than forthcoming with information. Lisa Salberg, one of the founders of a citizens group opposing the church's plans, said yesterday the DEP letter was further proof of that. "Yet again, CC has inconsistencies in their data," she said.
This is the second time the DEP has reviewed Christ Church's application for an exemption. The state granted the exemption last year, but Rockaway Township appealed the decision and the courts sent the matter back to the DEP for further fact-finding.
"I am very happy that they are taking a careful look at this, as the planning board was required to do, are recognizing some of the discrepancies and are at least questioning them and doing examination to resolve them," said Mayor Louis Sceusi.
In the meantime, the presence of a uniformed, armed guard to protect church pastor David Ireland at Monday night's planning board meeting raised some eyebrows yesterday. Sceusi said that while he knew the church might have plainclothes security officers, he was upset to see someone in uniform at the meeting.
Weinstein said the church hired the guard because of "chatter on the Internet," though he declined to provide specific details and said the church had no plans to make a police report. He called the security "precautionary measures against the possibility of an individual or individuals engaging in a potential violent act against members of the church."
Weinstein added that the church decided to hire its own security because it was not fair for Rockaway Township taxpayers to bear the cost of police protection. "We in no shape or form want this to appear that this is any slight on the capabilities of the Rockaway Police Department," he said.
Paula Saha covers Rockaway. She may be reached at psaha@star ledger.com or (973) 539-7910.
Weinstein added that the church decided to hire its own security because it was not fair for Rockaway Township taxpayers to bear the cost of police protection. "We in no shape or form want this to appear that this is any slight on the capabilities of the Rockaway Police Department," he said
Give us a break, Weinstein. With all the money Irland has, you think he could afford a real PR person. You have made a lot of stupid remarks and told many lies for your boss, but this one truly shows what you are made of. You are nothing more than a low-life-lying-hack-marketeer for hire. "Church Spokesman" my Azz!
Lets see, you dont think the residents should bear the $200 security guard, but you have no problem taking more than 700K off the tax roles and reaking havic on OUR TOWN resources and our environment.
"The state also asks Christ Church to provide a letter from the local sewer authority indicating it has the capacity to accept wastewater generated by the project and committing to serve the proposed project."
A first order effect that would drive wastewater output would be the projected size of the congregation vs time. Since nobody has ever officially established the growth of this business on an expert basis, how can capacity requirements realistically be provided or estimated?
As I have said before, why has Thuma not been hired by RT to establish the likely growth rate of this business so that sewerage capacity limitations can be properly established?
ps Basically, the entire thing is a huge load of sewerage which is ripe for flushing.
