CHURCH VACATES SANCTUARY : PARISH LEAVES NEW FACILITY AFTER DISCOVERY OF STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

An Episcopal congregation has moved out of its new $1 million sanctuary after the architect notified the church of possible structural problems, church officials said Tuesday.

Neither St. Stephen's Church officials nor the architects would disclose the full nature of the defects, but Pastor Lynn Jay said they include a beam that could twist and damage walls inside the sanctuary.

The problems surfaced when Pasadena-based Puchlick-Dell Architects informed church officials of the faulty construction after being alerted by their structural engineers.

Church leaders and representatives of the architectural firm met in July to discuss the problems, but the church asserts it is being kept in the dark on the specifics of the defects. The church plans to file a lawsuit Friday demanding full disclosure, Jay said.

``We're concerned that we're not being told the entire truth,'' she said. ``How do we know how to settle? In order to settle we have know what the full problems are.''

Puchlick-Dell Architects, Jay said, hasn't been ``terribly willing to share what the problems are.''

Officials with the architectural firm declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

Three weeks ago, the church moved out of the worship hall on the advice of its own structural engineers who are expected to issue a report in two weeks. The architect's engineers made no such recommendation.

Santa Clarita city building officials, who inspected the building ``several dozen times'' during its eight-month construction period, are withholding a final certificate of occupancy until they receive a copy of the structural engineer's report. A temporary certificate was provided before the congregation moved in for Good Friday services.

City building officials said they are unaware of any structural defects at the church. Inspectors are trained to verify that actual construction matches approved building plans; they're not trained to ferret out engineering flaws, city officials said.

``We inspect to make sure construction is done in accordance with approved plans,'' said city building official Ruben Barrera. ``If there wasn't something designed properly and put in the engineering plans we ask them to revise it. (But) sometimes it's not so evident without detailed analysis. The plans are approved and permits are issued.''

Church officials said the defects have forced them to return to their former sanctuary, a smaller building now used as a parish hall. St. Stephen's also has canceled two weddings and likely will have to increase the number of Sunday services from two to three to accommodate worshipers in smaller quarters.

``It's very hard to grow when you're cramped,'' Jay said, looking around the older building, a tile-floor room where padded metal benches serve as pews and the organ sits on a faded carpeted dais.

It took about eight months to build the worship hall, a post-modern building that can accommodate up to 400 congregants and features oak pews and an outdoor memorial garden.

Parishioners moved into the building in April. Having to move out stunned many who had donated money and worked days to move the church organ, pews and other furnishings into the new building.

``There's a lot of anxiety in the congregation and people are both concerned and curious,'' said Mark Young, a five-year member and attorney for the church. ``The building project has been a 10-year dream and so this situation is a nightmare. It's a very hard thing to deal with. It's almost like being evicted from your own home.''

For Jay, the solution is simple: ``We just want to repair it so we can use the building we paid for.''

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Photo: (color) Revs. Lynn Jay and Ron Culmer of St. Stephen 's Church in Valencia have closed the doors on their $1 million worship hall.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News