HomeMy WebLinkAboutUPUMC Carter05/03/2005 08:52 FAX 9729806815 ~001
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Mayor, City of University Park
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F R 0 b'l: Bob and Janice Carter
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THI~ PANDA CROUP 4100 SPRING VALLEY, SUITE 1001 DALLAS, TEXAS 75244
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05/03/2005 08:52 FAX 9729806815 ~002
~20 VT
:2005
New York Report
Praying for a'Bigger ChurCh. Suing, Too.
In New Jersey, a Megachurch Fights to Win Approval to Build on a New Site
which is predominantly block but else has 0
significant number of members of other
Besides a large sar~ctuary. Christ
Th~ site in Rockwway Townships N.J., where Christ Church wants to b'uild a new church~ A biotechnolo~,y firm now owns the lO1-
acre property. The toms}llp ha~ not approved the ~hur~b'a building pla~a, '.~'hieh ware s~bmitted nearly two years ago.
The pewe are usually filled at Christ Church'~ five SUnday a~ervices in Montclair, N.J.
ricoh Methodist I~plscopol Church, tn Ja-
maica. Queen~/, and a former United States
men," Mr. Reason said of Dr. Irelmld, who
Is black,
Sharon Givens, of Bloomfield. who has at-
tended Christ Church for o year and a half,
said she first heard Dr. Ireland preach on
the church after moving to the area. "I love
said. "I run tiirou~h emotions here that lust
by its diversl~y. "I'm Iookin~ forward to
cnn actually offer I~ople in the church and
community but in'Rockiway," she said.
churches, Christ Church's desire for more
space has caused It to.run In~o a legal thick-
et.
In April 2003, the church entered into a
'contract wltll Agllent Teahno~oglea to buy
Its 101-acreproperty on Green Pond Road It
Rockaway Township approved the church's
pla~ for t~ae site, In March 2005, the township
passed a senior law that Dr. Ireland be-
ll~ves was aimed at keeping Christ Church
out.
He said the church tiled s~lt in Federal
District Court in l~ewark On April 15 to
avoid missing a deadline for appealing the
law. The suit said the townshlp~ Its council.
planntn~ board, envh'onmantal commi~aion
The church's complaint cites a federal
law requtring government& to Eive Justifica-
tion for any Iow that places a burden on a re-
ligious organization through land-use poli-
cies. The new law Da Rockaway Township,
which clarifies what can bo built in different
perm of town, replaces an ordinance that
WlilJlnm Dimin, tho lawyer for the town-
ship's planning board, said was too vmzua.
Mr. Dl~IiIn also said tile approval proceli$
for Christ Church had not taken a~l unusual-
ly long time for a project of ira size.
Critics of the church's plml have ques-
lloned the exemption the church received
from the State Depal~Inent of ~nvlronmen-
tel Prot~ctlon to build in the protected HIRh-
laa~ds region~ saying the plan~ have changed
alnce tho exemption was gr~nted.
Lisa Soiher~, one of the founders Of ¥oice~
lowed by law.
and mayor manufactured im_prol~r barri- remain optimistic that his church will even-
ers to the plans, deliheratety itr~od their . tually he able to build a new homo In Rocks-