Concord Township Council voted to approve a settlement agreement with Valley Pointe Church that resolves a zoning appeal and imposes conditions on the church’s planned recreational facilities.

The settlement reduces the proposed playground size, adds landscaping and fencing, and places operational limits on the church’s outdoor courts and wellness center, the township solicitor told the council.

Township Solicitor (counsel) summarized the key terms, saying the proposed playground would shrink from 12,867 square feet to 5,900 square feet and that the church would install an ADA‑accessible porta‑potty in a screened enclosure and an outdoor water fountain. The agreement calls for a split‑rail fence and a berm along the southern property line, with planting subject to review by the township’s landscape consultant.

Additional conditions restrict public use and hours. Under the settlement the council approved, “The recreation and athletic equipment shall not be rented out to the public but used solely for promoting the existing religious institutional use,” the solicitor said. The wellness center will be limited to spiritual and counseling uses and “shall exclude any medical or medical related clinical use.” The agreement also prohibits external sound amplification related to the recreational equipment. The volleyball and basketball courts are limited to 8 a.m. to dusk, will not be illuminated, and must be locked when not in use. The church will install security cameras, comply with township noise and lighting ordinances, obtain land development approval for stormwater and landscaping review, and erect a sign with emergency contact information.

Deborah Schulzky, attorney for Valley Pointe Church, confirmed the applicant accepts the terms. “Those terms are acceptable to the applicant,” she told the council.

Residents who addressed the council said the conditions reduce some concerns but do not eliminate them. Jane Hunt of Cobbler Lane said she appreciated the negotiation but remained worried about noise and proximity to nearby homes. “I personally still have some concerns,” Hunt said, describing worry about courts located near residential property and past problems with amplified sound from the church.

Council members moved and seconded the resolution to settle the litigation; the motion passed on an aye vote.

Ending: The settlement requires the church to obtain land development approval before site work proceeds; the township solicitor said that upon approval Valley Pointe will discontinue the appeal that led to the litigation.