Bowie church, community still at odds over new building — Gazette.Net

Some homeowners living near Maranatha Adventist Fellowship church off MD 564 in Bowie are concerned that a new church renovation project will clog roadways, endanger pedestrians and harm the local ecosystem.

While the Prince Georges County planning board unanimously approved the churchs new 29,000 square foot building Nov. 6, many neighbors are still uneasy about the sudden growth and what they call a lack of transparency. The new building will be nearly six times the churchs current structure, according to Maranatha pastor Uzooma Erondu.

The Bowie City Council heard community concerns about the church expansion on Oct. 20 and recommended several conditions to the planning board, including the request of a public construction design plan. While planning board members attached several conditions to their decision including the addition of a sidewalk and path alongside the property the public site plan was not approved.

Robert Koelsch of Bowie, who lives in a neighborhood adjacent to the church, said a site plan would have enhanced communication between the church and its neighbors by fully informing residents of the churchs plans.

I would like to see more of the details, he said. They keep saying the [plans] are all preliminary, but my concern is once its all approved, details may not matter too much.

Rebecca Sunday of Bowie testified at the planning board meeting on Nov. 6 and said that, without a site plan, it would be difficult to tell how the church expansion would affect her property.

We are very concerned about the size of the church in its proposed location as well as many aspects of the proposed design, she said. Weve invested a lot of money in our property, basically renovating the entire house and the yard. The placement of the church so close to our property line looming over us just doesnt seem like the best design.

William Mayah, a county planner, said that planning board staff did not deem it necessary for the church to present a public detailed site plan, but that the church could produce such a plan on its own.

Kenneth Burruss, project manager for the church expansion, said the church is unlikely to do so.

It would not be cost effective to the client to do all these things, he said. Its not an issue of trying to satisfy the whims of everybody because thats unreasonable.

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Bowie church, community still at odds over new building -- Gazette.Net