After dangling the threat of a lawsuit over the heads of Plymouth city officials, Eagle Brook Church has won approval to build a new location in the Minneapolis suburb. Despite earlier resistance, the Plymouth City Council made a U-turn, voting 4-2 in favor of the church's plans during the Jan. 9 meeting. The proposal includes a 64,000-square-foot building and a 685-space parking lot at 17910 Chankahda Trail, according to a report by FOX 9.
The city's about-face follows a stern letter from the church's legal representative, CrossCastle PLLC, suggesting the city could find itself in a legal battle for denying Eagle Brook's rezoning and conditional use request. As reported by FOX 9, the church made clear they were not seeking confrontation, stating, "To be clear, Eagle Brook does not desire litigation." Yet, as it turned out, it was evidently enough to sway the council's decision—which had previously, on Dec. 12, leaned towards denying the church's request due to concerns over increased traffic and the potential impact on future affordable housing projects.
The approved resolution came with strings attached, necessitating a "softer look" for the building's back, right-in, right-out access on Chankahda Trail, and revised landscaping to lessen the impact on the neighborhood. Details as reported by KARE 11 also mention additional architectural tweaks and the creation of more road access points as part of the agreed amendments.
Residents have been split on the arrival of the church, which has held services at Wayzata High School since 2018 and sought a permanent home for its growing congregation. Reflecting on the development, Zack Neren, a neighbor to the future church site, expressed his dismay to FOX 9, saying, "It’s going to kind of ruin the view." Meanwhile, resident Madhu Biswal offered a differing stance, "I prefer a church over the house." Before this reversal by the city council, over 3,500 signatures were gathered opposing the project, citing concerns primarily over traffic congestion. Eagle Brook Church responded to the decision through a statement that conveyed their enthusiasm to continue serving and reaching people in the community.
Eagle Brook's search for a permanent base in the west metro area had run into roadblocks before, with prior proposals to build in Corcoran and Minnetonka being shot down due to similar community pushback.
