Minnesota city reverses course, approves new megachurch campus following legal threat
A Minnesota city has reversed an earlier decision to reject the construction of a satellite campus for one of the largest multi-site megachurches in the state following the threat of legal action.
Plymouth City Council voted an even 3-3 on Tuesday to reject a resolution finalizing the denial of an application by Eagle Brook Church to develop a property for their Wayzata campus, which currently meets at a high school.
From there, the city council voted 4-2 to approve the application, provided that Eagle Brook add a second vehicle entrance to address traffic concerns, modify the appearance of the church building and minimize the landscape impact on neighbors, reported The Star-Tribune.
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During the lengthy meeting, many residents spoke against the application approval, with some wearing nametag stickers that read "Deny" on them. A few spoke in favor of the approval.
A factor in the decision was a letter that the Minneapolis-based law firm CrossCastle PLLC sent to city officials, threatening legal action if they rejected the church's application.
"There is no lawful basis to deny such permission," stated attorney Samuel Diehl in the letter to the city, as quoted by the newspaper. "If the Council chooses this regrettable course, Eagle Brook will pursue litigation."
Eagle Brook released a statement expressing gratitude to the city council for reconsidering their satellite campus plan.
"We have been a part of this community for more than five years, hosting services two miles away at Wayzata High School. We look forward to continuing to serve the community and reaching people for Christ," stated the church, according to Fox 9.
An Evangelical congregation with 12 physical locations statewide, Eagle Brook applied last September for a rezoning and conditional use permit to build a new location in Plymouth.
The plan involved developing a property off of Chankahda Trail, including a 64,000-square-foot building with seating for 1,500 people and a parking lot with 685 spaces.
Last month, the Plymouth City Council voted 6-1 to approve a "findings of fact" motion for denying the permit application, with officials and local residents citing concerns over traffic issues.
During the December meeting, Councilman Jim Wallis read a statement in which he argued that the property should be used for building more affordable housing, in keeping with the goals of a comprehensive plan from 2020.
"The Eagle Brook Church proposal does not address nor meet the comprehensive plan objectives, nor does it satisfy the requirements of the conditional use permit for which it seeks," Wallis stated at the time.
"The potential for higher residential density represents an opportunity to address our affordable housing goals in Northwest Plymouth."
One resident, also a member of Eagle Brook, spoke in favor of the church permit, saying that the alternative plan of "high-density housing" would also negatively impact traffic.
Some local critics of the application took issue with the church's theologically conservative teachings on marriage and sexuality, claiming that they were harmful to the LGBT community.
Eagle Brook has been gathering at Wayzata High School since 2018, and it began looking for a permanent location in 2020. The church was previously denied permission to use property in Corcoran City.
The church's legal letter contends that officials in Plymouth City urged church staff not to pursue some suitable properties because "they would prefer commercial [use], rather than religious," according to Fox 9.
"The result has been that, for years, Eagle Brook has been prevented from finding a long-term location where it can meet, preach, and worship," the letter states. "Because Eagle Brook hoped to avoid adversarial legal action, it has tried very hard to be patient in its search. However, its patience cannot continue forever."
