'It won't be the cute little community'; Pierce Co. megachurch expected to cause 'mega-traffic'

Megachurch project in Milton met with concern from neighbors

There?s a new megachurch under construction in Pierce County, and some neighbors are not happy.

MILTON, Wash. - There’s a new megachurch under construction in Pierce County, and some neighbors are not happy.

Nearby homeowners said they have no problem with a church being built nearby, it's the size of it that's concerning, as they're worried about increased traffic in the neighborhood.

"I was sitting in my backyard hearing these monster trees cracking and breaking and falling hard on the ground," said Chris Phillips, a nearby homeowner. "I could hear that. And, it's painful to hear these really old trees coming down."

The sound of trees being slashed to nothing and a view of a now-open field on 23rd and Taylor Street in Milton is a symbol of a new era for Phillips and several other neighbors.

"There's a bunch of new people in the City of Milton, and they're now seeing what is happening and are appalled," Phillips said.

She and her family have been Milton locals for more than 20 years. They've stayed for so long because they simply love the area and the people.

"Our kids walked to school each day because it's that sort of community," Phillips said. "We know all our neighbors."

Phillips said this new construction happening yards away from her home will change the dynamic of the neighborhood.

In 2019, the Salvation Slavic Baptist Church applied to build a church. But not just any church—this project will take up 92,000 square feet and can hold up to 2,000 people. It'll also include 7,500 square-foot gym, a school and a 500-car parking lot.

The application for a permit came with appeals and arguments from neighbors, mainly regarding traffic.

Phillips told FOX 13 News that Taylor Street is too small for the expected traffic, and it's already clogged with cut-through drivers between Edgewood, Fife and Tacoma.

"This is something we reiterated to the city over and over and over again," Phillips said. "And we didn't get anywhere."

FOX 13 News reached out to the Salvation Slavic Baptist Church earlier Monday. The church responded and said they have no further comment to give at this time.

In an email, the church said:

"Since we have built our church in Edgewood, most of the members moved closer to the church. At one point, the church realized that we are getting close to exceeding our capacity in Edgewood. We spent several years looking for a piece of land around the region and finally found it here in Milton. The Milton site is less than 1.5 miles away from the current site and would allow us to continue to attend to spiritual needs of our members and neighboring communities."

While this is zoned as a residential area, the city says the church has a right to be there, as religious institutions are allowed. But there’s a slight loophole.

"There wasn't anything that defined the size of a church, or what type/size of a school, for that matter," said Angelie Stahlnecker, planning manager for the City of Milton.

Thanks to homeowner testimonies like Phillips, that has since changed.

"Basically, if they were over a certain size, they'd be in more business districts," Stahlnecker said. "If they were of smaller size, then they'd continue to be allowed in residential districts."

Traffic also now plays a part in larger facilities applying to build in residential zones.

While the church starts clearing its site on Taylor Street and 23rd, neighbors are accepting that the area they call home will start to look and sound differently than they're used to.

"It won't be the cute little community that it has been for years," Phillips said.

There are small adjustments residents said the city could make to create a safer traffic environment near the church, like speed bumps to slow drivers. Phillips said that may be something they approach the city with down the line.

There are also environmental aspects to applying for a construction site in Milton. For example, trees—the church requires more than 100 trees to be cut down to make space. Under city rules, they will have to replant a portion of them. How many trees just depends on the size of the trees they cut down. If it's a larger tree, they may have to plant two to three smaller trees in its replacement.

Milton News