At a resource consent hearing this week, the Dunedin City Baptist Church faced the opposition of 26 locals to its application to build a facility beside the Southern Motorway on 7.4ha of rural land.
The residents raised concerns in their submissions about the size of the development, the stability of the site and the lack of air-conditioning, which meant ventilation would have to be provided by open windows or skylights, exacerbating noise problems.
Three submitters claimed churches attracted sex offenders or paedophiles, though that argument was not raised during the hearing itself.
Others were concerned the church may oppose relicensing of the nearby liquor outlets because it was anti-alcohol.
On Wednesday, the church had its say in front of a hearings committee of Dunedin City Councillors Colin Weatherall, Richard Walls and Andrew Noone, who sat to hear the application for a 3900sq m facility, which would include a main church building with an auditorium, a chapel, classrooms, offices, kitchen, multipurpose gym and child care facility.
About 5ha of the land is zoned an urban landscape conservation area, and nearly 300 car parks were planned for the development.
The proposal attracted 29 submissions, with 26 opposed, one in support and two neutral.
Council planner Peter Webb recommended the application be declined because of effects on the environment, but appeared to temper that recommendation when he said a "mock-up" of the building provided had been helpful in showing what the development would look like.
While his recommendation remained the same, "in principle" he had no issues with the development, as long as appropriate conditions were put in place.
The church's counsel, Trevor Shiels, told the committee it should allow the "significant community group" to carry out its role on its chosen site.
The council's district plan did not give neighbours the right to preserve the status quo, he said.
"However much neighbours might like the present pastoral appearance of the site, the district plan gives the landowner a right to use the land for various other purposes which the neighbours would probably find less than satisfactory," Mr Shiels said.
Pastor Bruce Elder, the senior minister of the church, said between 500 and 600 people attended services regularly.
The church served the community, had an increasing number of programmes to serve people's needs, and worked with people who had deep emotional issues, people who served and visited the sick, and those in need.
"While I can appreciate that there may be some concerns about the building of this new facility, I do not believe the new premises will impact the residents of Concord in a negative way," he said.
Responding to concerns it may oppose liquor licenses, Mr Elder said there was no intention to do so.
Evidence was also provided on architecture, geo-technical issues, earthworks, noise and traffic.
Earlier this week, resident Don Bain told the committee he had lived in Concord for more than 40 years, and had stayed because of the openness and the tranquil rural outlook.
The "monolithic structure" of the church and its car park was, in his opinion, major and unpleasant.
He asked for landscaping rules to be rigidly monitored if the consent was given.
Tony Begg had lived in Concord for 34 years and watched the area develop and the nearby motorway built.
In a higher noise area it was changes to noise that were noticed, and "we don't need another noise to be introduced into the area".
The hearings committee will visit the site and some of the opponents' homes before making a decision.
