Plans for new church in Golden Gate Estates getting pushback

People living in Golden Gate Estates are unhappy about plans for a new church but they say it has nothing to do with the church itself.

Those who live in the estates are fans of the quiet life.

“People really do like to have their land, no one bother them or tell them what to do, and to just be able to walk in your neighborhood,” said one neighbor who wished to go unnamed.

But the Estates resident fears that might change if the proposed church is built on her street, at the corner of 22nd Avenue and 8th Avenue NE.

She started a petition against the plans but says it has nothing to do with the building being a church.

“No one is mad at anyone. We just, you know, we just want to keep our neighborhood, our neighborhood, it’s nothing. No ill will to anyone. And that’s pretty much it,” she said.

“We just want residentially zoned things happening and that’s not residentially zoned,” said a neighbor.

She’s afraid that if the church is approved, more non-residential projects will also get approved. This means more hustle and bustle and more traffic.

Another neighbor said off-camera he feels the same way.

“I know also that the churches don’t pay taxes so they won’t be contributing to anything that we have here in our community or things that we need,” he said.

A representative from RDA is consulting, and it created the plans for the church. They say the church will be one-story and only have 60 to 80 members, put on two services a week, and only have one special event quarterly.

Still, the petition will head to the planning commission.

“You just get as many as you can so you have that kind of voice behind you but on paper,” said the neighbor.

County leaders will have to make the final decision.

An official for Collier County told WINK News that the application for the church is under review by county staff. It is not yet scheduled to go in front of the planning committee.