LIBERTY TWP., Ohio -- The board of zoning appeals gave Lakota Christian Church approval to begin construction on a 27,000-square-foot addition, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The 3-2 decision came despite opposition from neighbors in Woodmoor Terrace subdivision.
"Obviously, Woodmoor Terrace is very disappointed by the decision of the board of zoning appeals," Margy Conditt, president of the Woodmoor Terrace Homeowners Association told the newspaper. "It clearly affects our property values, and I think they set a bad precedent in allowing churches to expand that close to a residential area."
In a previous story, association treasurer Steve Hall said the church had refused to guarantee the expanded facility would not be used as a school or daycare center. Neither was mentioned in the recent story reporting on the decision.
Lakota's 40,000-square-foot, two-level church was built in 1993 and expanded in 1997. It is on a 15-acre tract and will expand north, closer to the subdivision, instead of east into part of the church parking lot and an open area.
The church has a combined attendance of about 900 at two Sunday services, representing a 48 percent increase since 1998, according to the newspaper.
