Ireland has not shared with the public his membership growth projections. He is presently occupying 35,000 square feet of space. He plans to construct 412,000 square feet. Ultimately, we will have to perform those growth projections for him, since he has been less than forthcomming. What is the number of congregants that you think he is planning for with his Megachurch on Green Pond Road?
I can only speak as the reverend monster, if I was running that show, complete with christian rock and roll extravaganza, ala religious lolapolooza festival 20,000 weekly would be my iniatial goal. Of course we would have to have a Quarterly convention with a really big show. You must think like Phil Grahm, Don Kirschener or Clear Channel to grasp this mans market.
I am confused by the results of this poll. Why would a businessman invest 2.5 million to get 5,000 members and then turn around and invest 31 million to get only between 10,00 and 20,000 members? Obviously, I think that the number Ireland is planning for is much higher than the survey would reveal since he is a businessman (see feature article on Ireland in Church Business Magazine, December 2003). He is not inclined to make stupid investment errors.
I guess if I had posed the question as to the number of "spectators" I would have gotten a more logical response to the polling question. Oh well. Guess that there is a bit of an art to polling people. 10,000 to 20,000 makes no sense based on the past history of this thing.
"He is not inclined to make stupid investment errors."
I thought so also, but what was he thinking as he looked up GPR and envisioned the masses traveling up the road? Could his ego be so big that he wouldn't care about the massive traffic jam his parishoners and towns people would be sitting in? If the poll is accurate and I think it's a little lower than what's to be expected, there's no way GPR could handle the traffic without long delays, even on a Sunday. Yesterday was just a normal Sunday and there were quite a few cars on the road at 10AM.
I think that Ireland is smart enough to realize that he is not responsible for improving the roads leading to his theme park. If his congregation happens to grow, that is not his fault and he had no growth projections anyway. So, it is not his fault that the town is gridlocked. If I were him, I would just let the traffic jams build up as my flock grew and then demand that the County and the Township fix the problem. If the town and county did not respond, I would sue them for the damages, pain and suffering caused to my flock and myself by the inconvenience caused by the lack of a pro-active response to the problem by the localities involved. I believe, that by law, we (taxpayers in the town and county) would have to make the infrastructure improvements required, else nobody in Rockaway township would be able to go anywhere on Sunday. He knows that. So, why should he conceren himself with it?
Well if that's the case, why can't we do something about the gridlock on Rt 80, Rt 287 and all the other roads around?
I don't know if you're scenerio will sit well with the people trying to get to CC. Do they want to sit in traffic, in and out of RT? You know how long it would take to widen the road which would only add to the traffic until it's done in a few years. I think this whole traffic issue could blow up in his face. I know I wouldn't put up with the gridlock getting off RT 80, through the light and then up GPR. Then back down to the lights to get back on Rt 80. After all church is good, but not to make a whole day of it. Which, if CC grows like we expect, sitting on GPR will become an all day affair for EVERYONE. Without members who would pay for the theme park? Certainly not Ireland himself.
His growth is not going to take place overnight. It will take place over a 5 year period of time. There are alternate routes which he will demand to be improved. One is Meriden Road which could be widened. Another is Farber Hill Road which could also be widened. Another is a dirt road which runs behind the church and goes out to Denville Technical park. All of these could be "improved" (widened or paved in the case of the dirt road) to satisfy Irelands desire to grow. I am positive that Ireland and his crowd know of all of these cause I personally heard them (Ireland and his buddies) chatting about these alternative routes while I was in the mens room at one of the Planning Board meetings while I was in the stall during a break period. He knows what he is doing.
