Neighbors say a church's parking lot lights are causing problems for their daily routine.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va (WVEC) — People who live on the outskirts of a church parking lot are fed up with having to deal with an unwelcome glare shining into their windows.

Donna Willey has lived in the Holland Pines neighborhood for 22 years. She said she’s seen the historic Piney Grove Baptist off Holland Road grow into a bustling church, but just started having problems in the past three years.

"There's a total of ten or eleven lights behind our properties," said Willey. "The lights are very strong. They shine right into the back of our homes, mostly where our bedrooms are."

Willey said she and neighbors started to get concerned when the newly expanded parking lot at the church was being constructed higher than originally planned.

"Everyone presumed the parking lot would remain the same elevation as our elevation,” she said.

Willey said since construction wrapped up in 2017, permit conditions with the amount of time the lights stayed on, to maintenance and drainage have not been followed.

"Our level of comfort, our sense of enjoyment, all of that has been taken away," she said.

Piney Grove Baptist Pastor D.L. Williams told 13News Now everything was done in compliance with conditions.

He said the parking lot was elevated, not by his choice, after city drainage requirements. It cost his church approximately $700,000 to make the changes.

Pastor Williams said lights were turned on at night for security reasons, but since hearing complaints from neighbors, lights have been redirected and filters were put on, among other modifications. Members have now decided to turn off the lights near the neighbors' homes after 10 p.m.

“Though our membership at large thinks this is extremely unfair to our church congregation, and that this is something that has exclusively been required of us alone, the administrative staff compromised to turn our lights off for the greater good,” Pastor Williams wrote in a statement to 13News Now.

Motion sensors were even an option for light operation, but Williams said he has decided to go to city council to request that be taken out of the conditions. He said it’s in the interest of the community.

Willey said she wants the church to comply with what was originally agreed upon.

"Every project has attached conditions and they must be compiled, and they also must be enforced by the city," said Willey.

City Councilmember Barbara Henley told 13News Now that she did not know the parking lot needed to be elevated when approving the land use permit. Since this dispute has broken out, she said there is a requirement for drainage designs to be approved before construction begins.

The issue is expected to go before city council next month, Williams said.

Follow 13News Now on Facebook and Twitter