FISHERS, Ind. -- More than 1,200 people living in Fishers have signed a petition asking the city council to vote against expansion plans for itown Church’s new campus.
The church has requested to build a new worship space on 126th Street near Brooks School Road because they have outgrown their current location.
People living nearby are worried about traffic congestion, the impact on their property values and the elimination of green space near their homes.
Randy Forbes is one of those residents and is the person who started the petition to keep the church from moving to the new location.
Forbes said that building the new church would impact his and his neighbors’ quality of life.
“I’m a regular traveler on 126th Street,” said Forbes. “As I got through I see kids on soccer fields; I see kids on the golf course, I see a lot of the people in this area using these types of green spaces. Having something like this takes away from what we currently have in Fishers.”
Leaders at itown church say they've requested to build at the new location because they say they have grown from 300 members to more than 3,000 over the past seven years.
Mason McDonald, a spokesperson for the church, released a statement on Wednesday saying they chose the spot because it was the perfect location in the center of the city.
“The New property will be the perfect location for itown’s new home for the Fisher’s campus, allowing us to reach even more of the Fishers community with the gospel due to its central location and easy access.”
The church’s request recently cleared the Fishers Advisory Plan Commission with unanimous support. The full council could vote on the request as early as next week.
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