Variety contacted yesterday the Saipan Zoning Board’s office for comments but was told its officials are headed to a public hearing.
Rev. Paula N. Kalei of the New Beginnings Ministries International Church told Rep. Stanley T. Torres, the chairman of the House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications, that their congregation was very disappointed.
“I have since officially closed down New Beginnings Ministries International Church where the congregation is 95 percent Chamorro and Carolinians. The congregation was hurt and disappointed and is now seeking new direction for their spiritual needs,” said Kalei in a letter to Torres, Ind.-Saipan.
The church was leasing the property of Torres’ son, Stanley Jr,, and his wife, Juanny, at the Ladera Center.
Kalei said the zoning board told them they must vacate the Ladera Center because “the public lands department was going to occupy 11 stalls and did not want to be next to a church.”
“Within a couple of days, we vacated the Ladera Center and moved the church into my home in As Lito, which is quite large, until I could find another suitable place of worship,” she said.
“Meanwhile, our church business license expired so I went to renew it. I paid $50 for renewal and was told at licensing I needed to have a ‘clearance’ from the zoning board. That is when the turmoil and stress started,” she added.
She said she was given a run-around at the zoning office and spent a significant time to process the church’s clearance to no avail.
“The final synopsis from all three people in the zoning office is: If I wanted to have a church in my home, I must prepare photos, legal documents and applications which must be viewed and approved by the zoning office before it could go to the zoning office for approval and that is not even guaranteed. Also, I was told it could take months,” she added.
Torres told the zoning board he is very “disturbed” by its actions.
The lawmaker said he is now inclined to push for the suspension of the zoning law because of many complaints about its adverse impact to many businesses around the island.
“Granted, the New Beginnings Ministries International Church was located upstairs in my son’s commercial building but it has a current commercial enterprise operating downstairs, so how in the world of common sense could you refuse to allow a small religious ministry to operate upstairs!” he said.
“In conclusion, you continue to drive business, and now, even God away. And seemed destined to create your own ‘business ghost island.’ It is unfortunate that we in the CNMI have been spoiled by continuous federal and outsider handouts, which have prevented some people on Saipan to really understand what it is like in the real world of common sense and true worldly knowledge of how to survive and allow others to survive,” he added.
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