A new worship center planned for Springfield Township means members of Divine Mercy Catholic Parish can finally stop going to school every Sunday.
Since 2003, members of the church’which does not yet have a home of its own’have attended Mass at Davisburg Elementary.
But the Springfield Township board granted special land use approval Thursday for construction of the worship center.
The worship center is the first phase of a proposed 144-acre campus, located about 1,000 feet west of the Davisburg-Ormond Road intersection.
‘We’re very excited to have our own place to gather,? said Fr. John Budde, pastor of Divine Mercy Parish. ‘It will look more like a worship space and we’ll be able to set the environment better than we can over at the school.?
Construction on the actual church, however, won’t begin until phase two or three’some eight years down the road, at least.
Still, Budde said he anticipates significant growth to occur quickly.
‘We know by word of mouth that some people who live in the Davisburg area don’t come to Mass at our place because it’s in a school,? he said, noting about 180 families currently belong to the parish. ‘So they elect to go to other surrounding churches. But once we open up the center, we’re pretty certain we’ll double our size in about a year.?
In addition to the church, future phases also include a meeting room and administrative office building, and chapel.
A home already on the land currently serves as the rectory.
The archdiocese also wants parish leaders to consider a future school, Budde said.
‘We have to have all the other facilities built first,? he explained. ‘Twenty years down the road, we’ll have to see if there’s need for a school. Obviously, we would not want to compete with Our Lady of the Lakes to the point where both schools would be threatened.?
At Thursday’s meeting, Mike Donnellon, a landscape architecht, told township officials the project was two years in planning and design, and included meetings with the parish community and neighboring property owners.
A presentation was also made to the township planning commission, as well as Springfield Township Fire Department Chief Charlie Oaks.
‘We’ve gone through quite a lengthy process to make sure we’re being good stewards of the land and also good neighbors,? Donnellon said.
Noting the townships longstanding commitment to environmental protection, developers said they had plans to ‘become part of the land rather than becoming a hazard to the land.?
Three wetland areas are located either entirely or partly on the property.
‘We’re trying to utilize as many green features as possible,? said Gus Pappas,architect.
That includes ensuring the building is oriented to take advantage of seasonal weather conditions, using bioretention for storm water and making use of environmentally sensitive building materials, he said.
But Michael Younger, who attended Thursday’s meeting with his wife Amanda, is not pleased about ‘sprawling? plans for the new complex.
‘Yes, the building may be green,? he told the board. ‘But in no way is that site green. It’s going to turn some of the last remaining farmland into another large, winding blacktop area.?
Younger said he feared the development would decrease his property value, degrade the environmental quality of the area and destroy the solitude his family enjoys.
‘Our house faces where the church will be,? he said. ‘We’re talking about lamp lights, activity, parking; it will all basically be in our back yard.?
Younger also said traffic was a ‘huge, huge? concern, noting the speed limit jumps up very close to where the entrance drive will be located.
‘It’s a shame everything is going to change,? he said. ‘The nature, the amount of deer, the cranes; everything is going to change. I hope everyone understands what’s going to happen’maybe you don’t live next to the property, but everything is linked together.?
Granting unanimous approval, township officials said they were satisfied conditions had been met.
According to plans submitted by the parish, the developed area of the complex, not including the entrance road, encompasses approximately 15 acres’about 10 percent’of the entire site, leaving much of the property in an undeveloped state.