Neighbors deserve more from Trinity

For too long, neighbors of Trinity Christian Center, home of the

Trinity Broadcast Network, have had to put up with loud outdoor

broadcasts, parking nightmares and tour buses, not to mention the

center’s annual One Million Lights Christmas display that many find

overtly garish.

Last month, the Costa Mesa Planning Commission wisely stepped in

and said, “Enough’s enough.”

Instead of approving a permit that allows Trinity to continue the

outdoor programming, it postponed the decision for six to nine months

and ordered the center to document how it will handle issues like

traffic, landscaping and equipment. City staff members will then

track its effectiveness before reconsidering the outdoor broadcasting

permit.

It was a reasonable decision, especially given the bitterness that

has been sown among neighbors since Trinity moved to the community in

1996. It will allow enough time for a lasting solution to be not only

found, but tried and perfected.

Unfortunately, Trinity officials do not agree and have appealed

the decision, arguing that it “imposes a substantial undue burden on

[the network’s] ability to conduct its religious services in a manner

it chooses without a valid, justifiable or legally viable reason.”

The City Council is scheduled to consider the appeal on April 21.

Had Trinity been a better neighbor during the seven years it has

been part of the Costa Mesa community, there would be far more reason

to support its position. But the weight of evidence, beginning with

the center’s refusal for three years to apply for the disputed

permit, is squarely against the center. It has not made getting along

with those living in its shadow a priority.

The commission’s decision will force the center to be more

considerate of those people. The City Council should uphold it.