Oro Valley church retaliates for Town Hall ‘vendetta’

ORO VALLEY — A leading church for wedding services is accusing town planners of foiling their expansion plan because they lost a lucrative eminent domain case against the church.

The lawsuit in Pima County Superior Court comes from Reflections at the Buttes Community Fellowship, an Arizona nonprofit whose for-profit arm makes money on weddings through its licensed minister, John Fazio.

The church leased a scenic piece of property in the Santa Catalina foothills in 2000. At the time, part of the premises were used as a residence and the other part served as a church.

Fazio submitted plans to Oro Valley Town Hall in order to renovate the residence. Part of the intention was to include adult day care services at the facility.

But Reflections officials claim Oro Valley officials, including building safety administrator Terry Vosler, stonewalled the project because of the town had recently tried to seize part of the church’s property through eminent domain and lost in court. A jury rendered a six-figure verdict against the town.

Reflections staff claim Vosler hid their renovation plans under his desk and changed them to delay the project as part of a "vendetta," the complaint states. The church filed a notice of claim against the town, which officials rejected.

So they followed up with a lawsuit seeking damages for lost income and legal fees. Tucson lawyers Clifford Altfeld and Maya Kashak are representing the church.

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