HOLY TRINITY ROMANIAN
ORTHODOX CHURCH
10945 Wentworth
Street, Sunland, CA 91040
For Map (Click
here)
Project
description (Click here)
Web site: OrthodoxNet.org
- Tel. (818) 365-4274 - E-mail: preot@biserica.org
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Constantin Alecse
THE
“SIGN” ON THE NEW CHURCH PEOPERTY
-
17 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS MAINTENANCE
-
TIMELINE:
1987-2005
For display of pictures, please click on each one of the “exhibits” separately, or for all exhibits, click on the slideshow presentation.
On
July 18, 1988, the Holy Trinity
Romanian Orthodox Church was granted a CUP (Conditional Use Permit) – BZA 3733/
ZA 87-1106 (CUZ) “with no time
restrictions” based on Section 12.24-E, 2 of the LA Zone Code, as per the
November 22, 1988 letter from the Office of Zoning Administration.
To
benefit of “no time restrictions”
status, the church was requested to “place a sign on the
property indicating its ownership and the purpose to which it is to be
developed, as soon as legally possible after such approval. Such sign shall
have a surface area of at least 20 square feet”
(Ord. No. 130,134 Eff. 7/8/65). Further request: “The
sign is to be maintained on the property and in good condition until the
conditional use privileges are utilized” (Ord.No.123,664,
Eff.3/10/63).
The
Church had had manufactured the “Sign” using the required measurements 4’ x 6’
(Exhibit # 1), which, on August 12 1988
was installed on the highest point of property street level (Exhibit # 2) – thus assuring a clear visibility from all
the angles of the property
(Exhibits # 3 and # 4).
The
“sign” was installed at about 10-15 feet apart from a “Private
Property – No trespassing” sign (Exhibit # 5), posted on the property even before the church
purchased the subject property in 1987.
Presently, the new neighboring homes could be identified in the
background of both: the rusty “Private Property – No trespassing” sign and the
CUP’s required “church sign” (Exhibits # 1
and # 5
). Two members of the building committee, Mr. Miron Bonca and Joe Oros,
supervised the work of the “church sign” installation. Mr. Miron Bonca
(presently 83 years old, and retired) can be contacted at: (714) 434-9176; Mr.
Joe Oros (presently 86 years of age, also retired) can be contacted at: (805)
965-3730.
In
the letter dated September 30, 1988
(Exhibit # 6) to Mr. Stephen L Jones, the church’s attorney,
Mr. Joseph Oros submitted to the church’s attorney 2 photographs (see exhibit
#1), stating on the back of the photographs “same photos
sent for Jon Perica concurrence 9-30-88; code section 12.24E.2”,
therefore, copies of said photos are deposited in the Office of Zoning
Administration file ZA 87-1106 (CUZ).
In
the letter of November 22, 1988 addressed to Mr. Joe Oros (Exhibit # 7) , Mr. Jon Perica, Associate Zoning
Administrator, states the following: ”You recently inquired
if the City’s grant for your Romanian church project allowed an unlimited
amount of time to start construction. Section 12.24-E,2 of the Zone Code allows
churches and other civic institutions an unlimited amount of time in which to
utilize the grant. There will be no time restrictions for your project – ZA
87-1106 (CUZ)”.
In
November 1989 the church
celebrated its 50th anniversary. A vespers service and the blessing
of the property were officiated by Archbishop Nathaniel
Popp (Exhibit # 8), in the presence of hundreds of people.
As
customary in our church tradition, when the Hierarch blesses a “church
property”, He starts with the sprinkling with the Holy Water of all the
“structures” and/of “fixtures” then the property grounds.
As
there were no “structures” but only 2 “fixtures” on the property, at that time
were, He bless them as follows: the cross first (Exhibit # 9), the
“sign” second, and the rest of the property grounds.
His
Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel is a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the
Orthodox Church of America, with close to 10 Million Orthodox Faithful. The
Archbishop can be contacted at: (517) 522-4800/Ext. 201; He could make Himself
available to testify to the effect that he blessed the sign identified in
exhibit # 1.
For
10 years (1989-1999)
there were no development activities in the area where the subject property is
located, therefore the church only took-care of 3 things regarding that
property: 1). Pay the annual property taxes; 2). Clear the brushes and weeds 12
feet deep along the property line, as requested annually by the Fire
Department; and 3). Make sure that the subject “sign” stays in place, and is
properly maintained, at all times.
In
1999, the church celebrated its 60th
anniversary. In
the spring of that year, the community elected Dr. Sorin Muntean as chairman of
the building committee, and requested of him to conduct a “feasibility study”
and establish a timeline for the new church building project to start.
A
few weeks after election, Dr. Sorin Muntean took a group of
co-associated/co-chair people: Mr. & Dr. Dan Nuta, Dr. Kalin & Mrs.
Spariosu (Exhibits # 10 and # 11) to inspect the new property. In exhibit # 11, one could see from afar, as
one looks at the picture, the existence of a “sign” on the property (lower left
corner). A close-up of the sign (Exhibit # 12)
proves clearly that this sign is the same original sign installed on August 12 1988, but the colors stated to
fade-away. Dr. Sorin Muntean can be contacted at: (805) 373-9475.
In
February 2002, when Mrs. Maria
Pincu (310/394-7560) took the building committee chairmanship, she ordered the
building committee treasurer (Mr. Aurelian Marin – 818/951-8503) to have a new
sign manufactured, and “installed over the old-sign”
(not in place of the old-sign),
using for mounting the initial supporting structure (2 iron polls, the
aged-wooden frame and the 4 iron-string anchors (The back of the sign frame
close-up from 2 different angles, with the new homes development in the
background: Exhibits # 13 and # 14).
In
the Spring of 2002, Mr. Aurelian
Marin contracted the manufacturing of the new sign with “The Advertising Ideas”
Company, Mr. Peter Lucian president (818/988-3377), which was nailed over the
1988 sign, as one could see in exhibit # 15 - for close-up purposes, only the last part of
the sign is displayed.
One
could easily “un-nail” the new sign for the purpose of revealing the original,
undisturbed and permanently maintained
sign portrayed in exhibit # 1.
On
Saturday, June 14, 2003 – Bishop Irineu,
Auxiliary Hierarch of ROEA (tel. 517/522-4800 / Ext. 214) officiated a vespers
service, at the subject property in Sunland, blessing with the Holy Water the 2
“fixtures” (the “cross” and the “sign”), followed by the blessing of the
property grounds where the new facilities will be erected (Exhibit # 16). One
could see in the background of the picture - Exhibit # 16 – the grading work in
progress of the neighboring 57 homes development project, completed in 2004.
In
November 2003, 4 Romanian priests
(Frs. Simion Pavel from Chicago, Ioan Catana from Seattle, Dan Paun from Dallas
and Ioan Andrisoaia from Montreal, Canada), on the occasion of the 2003
Episcopate’s Retreat in Southern California, have visited the church property,
and prayed at the Cross (Exhibit # 17),
re-painted in 2002, at the same time when the “new sign” was
manufactured and applied over the “old-one” (for comparison – click on exhibits: # 9, then # 17 ) above).
At
the beginning of 2004, a gentleman, who
later-on became the owner of the adjacent house to our church property (1st
house to the east), learning from the sign on the property that the church will
undertake a “building project”, called a couple of times the Church’s pastor
Fr. Alecse to make inquiries about the Romanian Orthodox Church, thus making
sure that his family will feel comfortable with this church as a neighbor, in
case they decide to purchase that house.
So, “ the sign “ worked.
On
June 12, 2004, a visiting priest
and his wife, Fr. & Presbytera Viorel Mierlusca, from Romania, who wanted
to show his priest-colleagues the new property where the Holy Trinity Church
will build its new facilities, upon their return to Romania (end-of-June 2004)
are pictured in front of the “church sign”
(Exhibit # 18) .
On
Saturday, November 6, 2004, on the
occasion of the 65th anniversary of the church,
Archbishop Nathaniel, pontificated the great vespers service, at the new
property, and blessed the Cross, the Sign
and the breaking of the grounds (Exhibit # 19), thus, marking the official beginning of the
church building project (3rd and last BLESSING,
since 1989 - see exhibit # 9). The “sign” in subject, could be identified
in the upper-right corner, as one looks at the picture.
Also,
in November 2004, on the
occasion of the ROEA’s Clergy annual retreat in La Habra-California, 4 Romanian
clergymen - Exhibit # 20 - (Frs. Dumitru Sasu from Florida, Dr. Casian
Fetea, from New York, Remus Bleahu from Youngstown-OH and Dr. Nicolae Stoleru,
from Montreal, Canada) visited and prayed on the new church property. The
“short green grass” in the picture’s background is a testimony that property,
prepared for the 65th anniversary celebrations (held on Nov.6-7,
2004), after a few raining days, had sprung-up in the area where the
anniversary service was held.
Mr.
Daniel Green, LA Zoning Administrator, through an e-mail, dated June
9 2005, 5:33 pm, addressed to our church architect, Mr.
Garo Minassian (copy to preot@biserica.org),
alerted the church that: “I have color
photographs of the site taken recently which demonstrate that there was no sign
at the site. What evidence do you have that confirms that there has been
a sign on the property continuously since 1988? The photographs of the
signs you submitted could be any age, not necessarily anything erected 17 years
ago”.
The
church took the e-mail message, and the alarming June
9 2005, 5:33 pm statement very seriously, and - fearing
that someone who may have a hidden agenda – knowing that the church is in the
process of getting the building permits from the city - could’ve taken down the
sign in the last few days (thus trying to prove that the church “did not
fulfill the CUP requirements”), decided to dispatch to the property, just a
few hours after the receipt of alarming e-mail, a church representative to
asses what had happened to the “sign”. Thus, Mr. Constantin Jercan, the
building committee chairman, arriving at the property around 9:00 pm, found-out
that the “sign” is in its place intact. In Exhibit # 30 Mr. Jercan is pictured at night, in
front of the sign which is in place continuously since 1988 (June 9 2005,
appox. 9:00 - in the night).
The
following day, June 10 2005, between
10:00-11:00 am, the pastor himself went to the property, took a few pictures of
the subject “sign”, which, some, are presented in this report as “evidences”.
Summary:
Testimonials
to the effect that “the sign” was on the property continuously since 1988:
1. Physical
evidences (Hard-ware & Soft-ware):
(Polls,
frame and anchors, pictures & microfilms)
a. The
“present sign” (2002), mounted by nails over “the old-sign” (1988) – see
Exhibits: # 15; # 18; # 2.
b. The
“present sign” could be easily “un-nailed” from the frame to reveal the
original sign, mounted and installed on August 12, 1988, on the same initial
supporting structure: 2 ground-cemented iron polls, the aged-wooded frame and
the 4 iron-strings anchors (Exhibits # 13 and # 14).
c. After
examining the “signs” (old and newer one), the anchors, the frames… “builders”
and experts in building-materials, could
testify that the sign was
manufactured, installed and permanently maintained on the property since 1988.
d. The
“undisturbed” grounds, with weeds around the polls, around “the sign” and its
proximity are testimonials that the sign was placed and maintained on the
property since 1988, in the area where “the sign” was initially installed
(Exhibits: # 21; also # 13; # 14; # 30).
e. All
pictures and above-stated documents, specified as “exhibits” (originals
1987-2005) are preserved in the church archives and could be submitted for
examination per request. Their
“microfilms” are also kept in the church’s archives, remaining confidently
positive that the “Kodak” experts could easily point to the fact that they
belong to the 1987 picture developing techniques.
f. The
hard copy of the pictures, presented as 1999 “exhibits” could also be
identified by Kodak experts as belonging to that year.
Also,
the people identified in the pictures could testify to their identification.
g. The
Cross on the property, “planted” into the grounds only a year apart (1989) from
the time “the sign” was placed (1988) which is still there, as is the “sign” itself, is also a testimonial,
vivid in the minds of visitors and passers-by who, over-the-years identified
the property only by the 2 fixtures: The sign and The cross.
h. Taken
on June 10, 2005 – by Fr.
Constantin Alecse, the church pastor - the pictures of the “sign/signs”,
identified in the exhibits underlined below, were, are and will continue to be
on the property, uninterruptedly
(since August 12, 1988, present and in the future until the time the grading
work will start), clearly visible from all the angles of the church property -
see “exhibits”: # 21; # 22; # 23; # 24; # 25; # 26; # 27; # 28; # 29; # 30.
2. Personal
testimonials:
(Witnesses
& Potential Witnesses)
1. Rev.
Fr. Constantin Alecse, pastor of the Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church
(since 1982), unequivocally testifies that:
a. THE
SIGN IN SUBJECT WAS PLACED ON THE PROPERTY ON AUGUST 12, 1988 AND MAINTAINED,
UNINTERUPTEDLY UNTIL PRESENT;
b. AT
ANY AND ALL TIMES, when Church Hierarchs, visiting clergy,
parishioners, prospect-for-hiring professionals, friends, etc., met the priest,
or any other church officials, at the subject property, they ALWAYS,
WITHOUT EXCEPTION, made
sure to point-out the fact that “in order to continue having the BZA
3733/ ZA 87-1106 (CUZ)
CUP valid, the church has to - pointing
to the sign - “maintain this sign on the property, in good
conditions, until the conditional use privileges are utilized”
(Ord.No.123,664, Eff.3/10/63);
2. Testimony
can be given by the owner of “Advertising Ideas” Company, Mr. Peter Lucian,
president (818/988-3377), who in 2002 manufactured the new sign and nailed it
over the original sign of 1988;
3. Representatives
and other parish officials: former and present leadership of the building
committee, parish council, church auxiliaries;
4. The
Hierarchy of the Diocese (i.e. Archbishop Nathaniel, Bishop Irineu) who blessed
the new church property, grounds, cross and sign - during 1988-2004 numerous
services;
5. Mr.
Gaudencio Rosas (818) 830-0815, the gardner and his crew, who – for many years
– were hired to annually clear the brushes and weeds 12 feet deep along the
property line, as requested annually by the Fire Department (Exhibit # 31);
6. During
2004-2005, a prospect of 7-10 graders, were given appointments to meet the
church officials at the “new church property” in Sunland, could testify that
they identified the property by “the sign” and “the cross”;
7. Testimonials
could be sought from the church’s hired professionals: 2 architectural firms;
the civil engineering firm (George Boghossian & Associates, which was with
the project since 1987, doing some preliminary work for the church for the 1987
“public hearings”), etc.
8. Comstock
Homes Company (Mr. Andy Byrne, project manager 310/546-5781), owner and
developer of the neighboring 57 homes development, 2003-2004, could also
testify to the effect that the church “sign” was maintained at all times during
those years.
9. The
owner of the closest house to the church property (a doctor), who conversed on occasions
with the church’s pastor, before purchasing the house;
10. Faithful
attending the services officiated on the Sunland church property, over the
years (1988-2005), especially before the neighboring house development came
into its place 2003-2004, did identify the property by “the sign” and “the
cross”. And the list could go on, and on…
Conclusion
The
pastor, and the leaders of the church, who did work so hard, and detailed all
the presentations at the 4-5 public hearings (1987-1988), until “CUP” was granted
(Exhibit # 32), could testify under oath they made sure,
that the “sign” in subject, placed on the property on August 12, 1988, was and continue
to be maintained at all times, as per the CUP requirements; And, moreso…
Consider
the fact that, the Church Chancery, spent hundreds of thousand of US Dollars to
hire professionals to draw all the building project plans, and paid additional
tens of thousands on various city departments’ fees (plans submitted and
approved), would not act so irresponsible to decide recently to ignore the
essential condition, which gives the “no time restrictions” status to the
church, and abandon the maintenance of the requested “sign” on the property …
in good conditions, until the conditional use privileges are utilized”
(Ord.No.123,664, Eff.3/10/63).
And,
a final thought
Could
we dare to suggest that maybe (just “maybe!), due to the neighboring new 57 home
development subdivision process 2000-2002, which caused the change of the
initial church property address, from : 9801 Wentworth Street, to: 10945
Wentworth Street (new address) could’ve play a role in a possible
mis-identification of the subject property, and the Zoning Administrator may be
in the possession of photographs taken at a different property, where the
disputed sign could not be found, because the “sign”, is, where always has been
since August 12, 1988 on the right, located (according to the newly
“reassigned” address, at: 10945 Wentworth Street , Sunland, CA . Just
a thought!
Thank-you
for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Fr.
Constantin Alecse, Pastor
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