Rural Megachurches: Assets Or Environmental Threats?

"...large-scale churches have emerged as another threat to rural set-asides in the Washington suburbs. As worship centers grow ever bigger and real estate prices ever higher, churches are increasingly looking to locate in areas designated for low-density development, where land is available and price tags are affordable...As churches have changed from corner parishes to mega structures with theater-size sanctuaries, sprawling parking lots and busy schools, so, too, have attitudes about them. Once considered unquestioned assets to communities, churches seeking rural acreage are now the subjects of hot debate. Do they provide a neighborhood with good deeds and practical services such as day care, or do they do more harm than good by paving over green space and increasing traffic, like any other sizable development?"

Thanks to Adam Ploetz