Hey - this fight is taking 5 years AND it's in a busier citified area AND they're moving CLOSER to where their members live:

http://www.tribnet.com/news/local/story/5111315p-5037980c.html

  






Fred Matamoros | THE News Tribune



Proposed Christian Faith Center

Two sides face off over proposed megachurch

STEVE MAYNARD; The News Tribune

Opponents and proponents of a proposed megachurch in Federal Way faced off Monday night, clashing over the increased traffic and community benefits Christian Faith Center would bring.

More than 150 people overflowed City Hall for a public hearing on the 320,026-square-foot project, which includes a 4,500-seat sanctuary.

"Traffic in Federal Way is already bad," resident Lynn Bowen said. "This is all going to lead to road rage."

But church member Nesbia Lopes said Christian Faith Center would be "a fantastic neighbor," bringing customers to restaurants and stores and church programs for children.

The Rev. Casey Treat and his Christian Faith Center have tried for five years to build the megachurch and sanctuary.

Opponents say the project would add more traffic, remove some wetlands and take one of Federal Way's last large chunks of business property partly off the tax rolls. The church is requesting a rezone from business park to multifamily residential for the 47-acre site between Interstate 5 and Highway 99, south of South 336th Street.

Treat wants to put up a 218,500-square-foot sanctuary and a 101,526-square-foot school.

Monday night's hearing was a step toward the City Council taking action on the project in July.

City officials recently recommended the City Council approve the project, which includes Christian Faith Center paying for widening, adding turn lanes and other improvements on four streets to offset increased traffic.

The entire church project would cost $60 million. The church would spend $6.9 million to offset the impact of the development, including $4.7 million on street improvements, a church official told the City Council on Monday.

According to an environmental impact statement, traffic at three intersections on Sundays would exceed the city's capacity limits.

The statement estimates more than 2,000 vehicles would enter and leave the church after the Sunday morning service. Traffic would increase beyond the city limits at eight intersections near the site during the weekday evening commute. The church would generate 26.5 percent of the peak evening commute traffic that a business park on the site would cause, the document says.

If the City Council approves construction, Christian Faith Center hopes to start grading the site immediately, church spokesman Morgan Llewellyn said. Construction would start in early 2005 with the church's opening planned for late that year, Llewellyn said.

Church members stressed at the meeting how the congregation has helped them and will help others in Federal Way. From added store sales to food bank donations, Christian Faith Center "brings to you a lot of opportunities," member Troy Dawson said.

Treat said Monday he wants to move the church from its SeaTac location to be closer to where the majority of its members live. About 4,000 of the 6,200 who attend Christian Faith Center in SeaTac live in the Federal Way area. Another 1,600 attend a satellite church in Everett.