PLYMOUTH, Minn. — At a time when church attendance is down drastically around the country, one church in Minnesota is seeing so much growth it wants to build a new campus in the west metro.
Eagle Brook Church purchased land to do that in Plymouth, but Tuesday night, city leaders rejected those plans at its council meeting.
"I just think there's a better use," said one resident, many of whom cited location as the reason to oppose it.
Eagle Brook has 11 locations in the metro, and another in Rochester, drawing thousands of people to its services.
"I don't think people are voting against a church," said another resident. "Some are voting against the church in this area."
The few supporters at the meeting were church members, or residents against another proposal to build affordable housing on the site. It's an old farm field that sits in the northwest corner of the city council member Alise McGregor not only represents, but where she lives.
"I see the traffic and I see the amount of growth firsthand, and so that specific site was concerning about how we were going to route traffic," said McGregor.
She was one of six members to vote down the idea, despite the planning commission's full approval. The mayor was the only member to vote in favor of it. The plan included a 1,500-seat auditorium and 685 parking spots.
"Obviously that property is going to sell at some point and it's going to cause a stress on the infrastructure of some degree, and that's where to me, was a gross stress to it," said McGregor.
In a statement, the church's expansion director, Stephanie Hauber, wrote, "We are disappointed in the Plymouth City Council’s decision not to approve our proposal for a campus along Chankahda Trail. We have been a part of this community for more than five years, hosting services two miles away at Wayzata High School, and are ready for a permanent location. Eagle Brook staff will consider options for the future. In the meantime, we will continue hosting services at Wayzata High School."
This is also the third time that Eagle Brook has tried to build a new campus unsuccessfully. In the last few years, the city of Corcoran said no, while the church withdrew its application from the city of Minnetonka. Both mayors told KARE 11 that the size, traffic and proximity to homes are some of the reasons why.
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