Church members fought off an adult-only hotel a few years ago, but a development in Forsyth County is now moving forward with a plan.

A 27-room hotel is slated to be built off Antioch Road in Cumming, according to Channel 2 Action News. Local resident Paula Duncan told the television station she and neighbors don’t think a hotel designed for “romantic getaways” belongs in the area.

“It’s not the proper place for it,” Duncan said.

The site sits across the street from a Baptist church, and Pastor Travis Bridgeman told Channel 2 he’s concerned about the message the new business will send.

“When people come to this location here, we know what’s on their mind,” Bridgeman said.

A loophole in a county ordinance allows the hotel to open without county approval. In Forsyth, only projects larger than five acres need county commission approval, Channel 2 reported.

Attorney Ethan Underwood said the property owners plan to be good neighbors and deliver a “high-end” product.

“This hotel hosts everything from marriage encounters to church groups and they’re hoping to bring that great product to Forsyth County,” Underwood told Channel 2.

But the pastor and 2,000 residents who signed a petition against the project will continue fighting, hoping local leaders will find a way to close the acreage loophole.

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