Property owner wants to display permanent sign
Keith Walker/News & Messenger
Gaudencio Fernandez wants to display a sign of protest permanently at 9500 Liberty St. in Manassas.
Like it or not, former Manassas property owner Gaudencio Fernandez is planning on submitting a special use permit application for a much larger, more permanent sign to replace his controversial structure at 9500 Liberty St.
In January, Fernandez came to the city offices for what officials thought would be a building permit application for the existing structure. However, Fernandez instead presented plans for a 220-foot long, 16-foot-high L-shaped structure that would display murals “expressing the community’s ideas.”
“We wanted more room to display the great history of our country and show that it doesn’t just belong to white Americans, it belongs to us,” Fernandez said.
According to Manassas Community Development Director Elizabeth Via, the city denied a building permit for the proposed structure on Jan. 3 because what he was proposing would have necessitated a special use permit. On Wednesday, Fernandez said he would be applying for the special use permit by the middle of April.
Because of the reinforcements that were done last fall on the second version of the sign, the city had requested that Fernandez get a building permit because the city began to consider the once temporary structure permanent. Fernandez never applied for that permit and the case has been passed along to the city attorney’s office for possible litigation, Via said.
City code requires that a written application must be submitted and approved before a structure can be constructed, enlarged, altered or demolished.
If built, the new structure would replace a third version of the sign Fernandez recently placed on the site. It contains the angriest rhetoric yet since cloth was first draped across the remaining wall of the demolished house last summer.
The current sign calls Manassas and Prince William “the national capital of intolerance” and is littered with statements like “the actions of Prince William County and Manassas City Council are similar to the collaboration between local governments and the KKK in the 1900s.”
Fernandez said as long as the city and county back the newly instituted Immigration and Customs Enforcement 287(g) program, he will not take the current sign down.
“As we long as we have not seen any changes, we will not remove our message,” Fernandez said.
The same week the building permit was denied in January, Fernandez and Montclair architect Don Little presented their case for rezoning the Liberty Street property to commercial to allow for a mixed-use building.
Via said a special use permit would require a public hearing and the city’s Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board would each have to review the issue before sending it to the city council.
A recommendation by the ARB would be necessary because the structure is located in the historic district. The property is zoned residential and would not have to be re-zoned to conform with what Fernandez is proposing, Via said.
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Reader Reactions
warisnec: you ask what is the sign’s purpose other than to enrage people…Now let me ask you: what is the purpose of Mr. Letiecq’ blog except to enrage people and to rally hatred?
—It is interesting that you designate the illegals for manual labor, like levies. And that they would serve 2 yrs in the military - without pay. Ah yes, shades of slavery. “Carry me back to ol’ Virginny”.
—Blog chic: you should be the one, or the schools, who explains the American holocast against the Indians, slavery, lynching, civil rights, hatred, racism, ethnic cleansing, corruption, wars, etc. Gosh, some of that stuff is not too far back. Remember Va.‘xs “massive resistance” program, closing of public schools, segregation, states rights, etc etc. You just can’t take an aspirin and pretend it never happened. And how will you explain the Stewart/Stirrup resolution fiasco in later years to the kids?
Did not know there were so many Traitors in PW County. Defending foreign lawbreakers against US Citizens who oppose illegal immigration is down right disgusting. Glad they are leaving and don’t give a damn if I have to pay an additional $300 this year on property tax’s. Recent statistics show that over 600 students left the ESL program half way through the year. Not sure how many in k-5 but that will be an enormous saving’s to PW County. School budgets are already strained each year and the burden to teach the worlds children will no longer fall on the shoulders of the Citizens of PW County. Illegal immigrants do not show up in affluent neighborhoods. They do not attend schools over on the Potomac River. They invade small town America and expect us to shut up and sit down. Our elitist friends need their little nannies, lawn care workers and house keepers but care nothing that this results in over crowded homes in the blue collar communities such as Manassas, Sterling & Culpepper. Keep denying the recent high profile cases involving illegal immigrants. The open border crowds are nothing but appeasers. Here is the best definition of an appeaser, “THOSE THAT CONTINUE TO FEED THE ALLEGATORS IN THE HOPES THEY WONT EAT YOU WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS GONE”.
warisnec - I agree wholeheartedly with every word you wrote!
Occoquan lost- Yes, he has the “right” to put the sign up, but how comfortable would you be to have your children (small children) read it and say “who killed Indians? Not something I like to have to explain to my children when I don’t think they can interpret it. It just sad that things have come to this. Letting illegal immigrants into our country, and communities is ILLEGAL if it wasn’t we would not have the laws in place that we do today. I don’t get it, if they come here to work then why don’t they do it the right way and get a work Visa? Gaudencio Fernandez could have used his business in a constructive capacity to help his works obtain the proper papers to come here and work for him. Instead he chooses to hire illegal workers instead.
PWCMom I agree with you, if he can put up a sign them maybe we all should.
There is no simple solution to the immigration crisis; however, it is clear that something needs to be done. There is a lot of animosity (rightly or wrongly) of legal citizens against illegal residents and vice versa…just read the comments posted on this site. True, without illegal residents we would have higher costs for everything from burgers at McDonald’s to the convenience of lawn care. Amazingly, people from across the world come to this country for the opportunity to flip burgers and cut lawns; jobs most Americans wouldn’t do under any circumstance. I believe, no American owns this country or can deny the same opportunities that they were fortunate to have received.
However, things have changed for the worse and many (not all) illegal residents don’t care too much about this country or its people, values, etc. People use to come to this country to be part of something great – freedom, exploration, opportunity, etc. Now they come for jobs, jobs, jobs. Instead of trying to build a country, they are just reaping its rewards with no sacrifice.
So, there must be a new system that makes everyone once again part of this country without throwing out millions. My solution: there should be a mandatory two-year, no pay, service in the US Military for any illegal resident. This system for enrollment could be tiered so it isn’t overwhelmed. I know the borders could use a lot more troops protecting it and the levies in New Orleans and Sacramento still need a lot of work. After two years of honorable service, they will be allowed to apply for citizenship and then will have the respect of other fellow citizens. Plus, it would weed out any criminal elements.
I know this idea will never get enacted but something needs to be done. Calling people names and erecting hateful signs will not solve the problem, just infuriate more anger. What is the point of Mr. Fernandez’s sign other than to enrage people? Makes you wonder what his true intentions are or if he really cares about the people in his community. This immigration crisis will continue to get out of hand, both locally and nationally, if nothing is done.
Where was the outrage displayed by Help Save Manassas supporters when Mr. Fernandez’s property was vandilized and his first sign torn and set on fire? Does HSM oppose all criminal acts or just those acts committed by immigrants?
Is Mr. Fernandez hollering because he had to but a fence up to keep criminals out of his property? Yes PWCMom, feel free to put up your own sign, but don’t be upset if someone tries to tear it down. An Eye for an Eye and all.
Chris, the hiring of illegal immigrants over legal immigrants may be discrimination, but with race-on-race it is hard to be racism. I will agree (if this was your point) it is wrong to hire illegal workers when others have made the effort to be documented. That is why all my foreign workers are documented, on payroll, tax-paying residents.
And please, help Cobra answer all my other questions on funding and economic impacts for the HSM Simplicity Plan. As a professional, should be a walk in the park for you.
Our immigration policies need to be addressed, but the simplistic argument that “the county is enforcing the law” is specious. People who turned in fugitive slaves were enforcing the law; the Romans in crucifying Christ were enforcing the law; the Catholic inquisitors were enforcing the law…sometimes law enforcement needs to be tempered with thought, mercy, and justice.
Hey Ray, isn’t favoring the hiring of illegal immigrants racism against the legal immigrants also as defined by Webster’s definition of racism. LOL. amateur. Chris Cummings
Hey Blog Chick - Lets not forget what is written in our constitution. Also, forgetting our past, good or bad is by no means what was intended by our forefathers. The land that occupies the United States of America was not created by God for a segment of people, and not for others. Please people, this man has a right to express his views. Just as we as readers of this paper have a right to express our views.
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