LOS ALAMITOS : 2 Sue Over Noise, Odors at Print Shop

The city has been named as a co-defendant in a lawsuit filed by two residents who said they are fed up with the noise and “sickening odors” caused by a printing company in their neighborhood.

In their lawsuit filed Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court, Lew Petix and Russ Iiams claimed that the city has been negligent and has allowed Trend Offset Printing to operate its business despite violations of local zoning law.

Petix and Iiams claimed that for the past two years, noise generated by the printing company’s trucks and odors from chemicals at the plant have made life miserable for nearby residents.

“This is our last option,” said Petix, 53, who has lived on Cherry Street, across from Trend Offset Printing, since 1989. “The situation has grown worse every day.”

Bob Lienau Jr., president of Trend Offset Printing, said his company “has tried to be good neighbors. We think we’re only days away from total compliance with city regulations.”

Lienau said a loading dock at the west end of the property, which nearby residents have objected to, will be moved farther away from the street. He said the residents are aware of this because there have been community meetings in the past.

Los Alamitos City Atty. Thomas W. Allen said the city is disappointed that the suit has been filed. “We feel we’ve been working diligently with Trend Printing to achieve compliance with zoning permits.”

Petix and Iiams are asking the court to issue a preliminary injunction to stop Trend Offset Printing from conducting business until the alleged violations are corrected.

“We’re asking the court to shut down the company entirely until they can come up with a plan to bring the noise level within acceptable standards,” said R. M. Anthony Cosio, attorney for Petix and Iiams.

In addition, Cosio said his clients are asking Trend Printing to pay up to $2 million in damages, including $1.5 million in punitive damages. They are also seeking $500,000 from the city.

Trend Offset Printing is a family business and started as Lienett Printing Company in 1970, according to Lienau. In 1986, it expanded under its current name. It has been a 24-hour-a-day operation for more than 20 years, he said. The company prints TV guides, college catalogues and government forms, Lienau said, and has 450 employees.