Point Reyes Light - August 16, 2001
Monks take Dillon residents to court
By Gregory Foley
Representatives of St. Antony Coptic Orthodox Monastery, the San Bernardino-based group that plans to build a monastery complex in Dillon Beach, on Tuesday filed a legal action against neighboring ranch owners.
The neighbors want to deny the use of an access easement across their ranchland for a gathering Friday, Aug. 24, of Coptic Pope Shenouda III and 50 followers. Originally the monastery had announced it planned to have 100 to 200 followers at the event.
The monks want to build a 20,000- to 30,000-square-foot complex (including a monastery and businesses) on the 464-acre Christopher Ranch.
Attorneys for the monastery are seeking a court-issued restraining order and preliminary injunction against Nancy Vogler (an owner of Lawson’s Landing), several members of the Lawson family, and several members of the Pozzi family.
Monks in court
In seeking the restraining order and injunction, the monks hope to keep the landowners "from interfering with, restricting, or otherwise preventing access" to the Christopher Ranch for next week’s gathering to bless the property. However, no plans for the immense complex have been approved by the county; neighbors and county planning staff note it would violate the site’s present agricultural zoning.
Documents filed in court argue that St. Antony’s has a valid road easement over two adjacent ranch properties that allow them access to their land.
In a letter to the Oceana Marin Homeowners’ Association, the bishop of St. Antony’s, Bishop Karas, complained that the adjacent landowners have denied access to the easement by locking an entry gate. Karas notified Oceana Marin homeowners that he was advised by an attorney to take legal action to enforce the easement.
Pope visiting from Egypt
"The real problem is that our Pope is coming from Egypt to bless the land... and we have no means of getting him on the land," Karas wrote.
Vogler on Tuesday told The Light that she and her neighbors do not believe that use of the 20-foot-wide easement is "valid" and subsequently decided not to let St. Antony’s personnel on it.
Vogler appeared in court Tuesday and will resume her attempt to fight the restraining order and injunction at a second court proceeding scheduled to take place before the planned gathering at the monastery site.
In addition, Vogler said she called several county agencies to complain the gathering has no county permission.
County research
Supervisor Steve Kinsey on Wednesday told The Light that he has asked the Community Development Agency to research the matter. However, Kinsey noted, "easements across private property are civil matters" and are not interpreted by the county.
Tom Lai, senior planner for the Marin Planning Division handling a pre-application by St. Antony’s to construct a seven-building complex for some 21 monks – up from 10 when plans were announced in 1999, said that he determined that the one-day event did not require a permit because it was being held outdoors without temporary or permanent structures.