Union Township approves church expansion

Union Township Trustees approved a zoning amendment for First Baptist Church of Glen Este May 24 that will allow the church to move forward with their plans to expand.

Cory Wright, zoning director for Union Township, presented the zoning case to trustees during their May 24 meeting, and said the 27,000 square foot addition is part of the church’s next phase of expansion.

“Several have been completed,” Wright said. “This is the next evolution.”

Gary Ross, with Santoro Engineering Company, was present at the meeting to answer questions about the expansion.

“We’re excited about doing another project with Glen Este Baptist,” Ross said during the meeting. “We feel this expansion will enhance the property.”

Brent Snook, pastor of the church, said they have been thinking about expanding since the first part of the year.

“We’ve been at two services for a long time,” Snook said. “We either needed to go to three services or expand. The expansion was in the horizon with the master plan.”

Snook said they made the announcement about the expansion to members in March.

“The number of people we have and the growth has pushed us to do this,” he said. “We want to reach our community and we want to provide to Clermont County.”

Snook said the expansion will include a separate worship center with 1,500 additional seats as well as an office wing and several classrooms.

He said the current office space will be used to expand the nursery, and the new worship center will be connected to the wing that was added to the church several years ago.

Snook said additional parking will be added, and the church will most likely return to one service once the addition is built.

“It is a great fulfilling feeling to know there has been that kind of growth in the church,” Snook said about the expansion.

He said they are hoping to begin construction on the addition by the end of August.

Trustees approved the zoning amendment and were happy to hear the church is growing in membership in the township.

“That is quite a huge addition,” Trustee Robert McGee said.

Trustee Tim Donnellon agreed and said the expansion is a sign that the church is both growing and prospering.

“It’s encouraging,” Trustee Matthew Beamer said.