About three months after he moved in, Conrad Olsen says he received a letter from Seven Rivers Christian Church asking if it could buy his property.
The church offered about what he paid for the property in December 2003, Olsen said. At the time, he didn't know why it wanted the land. Now he does. Seven Rivers plans to build a sports complex directly behind his house.
"It makes sense," said Olsen, who learned of the project from a Times reporter. "We wouldn't give up our land for exactly what we paid for it, so they did the end-around."
On Wednesday, Blair Commons, director of business operations for Seven Rivers, sent a letter to the four homeowners whose land borders the field. But Olsen wants to know why he wasn't told earlier.
"I'm a little shell-shocked," Olsen said. "I don't know what can I do? It's a little funny they didn't notify the neighborhood."
Once the project reaches the county Planning and Development Review Board, property owners may share their concerns and the planning commission can issue restrictions on field use.
Allison Wanger, a 20-year neighborhood resident, is worried about students cutting through her yard and about the disruption lights may cause.
"If I get sports complex lights, the police are going to get calls every night," Wanger said. "This is a quiet area. I like kids, but I don't prefer that kind of screaming and noise at night."
Neighbor Charlie Gidden - who moved in 19 years ago, the same time the church purchased its first 11 acres - says he doesn't expect to stop the church.
"What are we going to complain about?" he said. "We're living in America. They own it. The damage has been done. Now it's just a question of whether they can buy us out."
Church officials say they don't want to cause harm.
"I'd be glad to meet with them," Commons said. "We want to be as little of a disruption as possible."
One neighbor, church member Suzanne Stephenson, said she's excited about the complex. "I can't wait. I keep asking them when they're going to build it."
