Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): 5 & 7
Application of Sarah Powell for a Major Modification to zoning conditions pursuant to CZ-96024 to allow a Place of Worship on property within the O-I (Office-Institutional) District, at 1630 S. Indian Creek Drive.
Body
PETITION NO: N6. CZ-21-1244672 2021-2429
PROPOSED USE: Modification of zoning conditions to allow a Place of Worship.
LOCATION: 1630 S. Indian Creek Drive.
PARCEL NO. : 15-195-08-035
INFO. CONTACT: Melora Furman
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of Sarah Powell for a Major Modification to zoning conditions pursuant to CZ-96024 to allow a Place of Worship on property within the O-I (Office-Institutional) District. The property is located on the southeast side of South Indian Creek Drive, approximately 550 feet north of Covington Highway, at 1630 South Indian Creek Drive in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The property has approximately 150 feet of frontage along South Indian Creek Drive and contains 1.11 acres.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Approval.
PLANNING COMMISSION: Approval with Conditions.
PLANNING STAFF: Approval with Conditions.
STAFF ANALYSIS: The proposal is consistent with the policies of the 2035 Comprehensive Plan. It would allow a place of worship to add to the civic and spiritual life of the surrounding community. The church building is located towards the south side of the site, where adjoining non-residential properties (with the exception of one vacant, residentially zoned property that is likely to be rezoned for non-residential use) would not be negatively impacted by any noise that would result from church activities. The screening fence that is required along the transitional buffer on the north side of the property, as well as the transitional buffer itself, is expected to adequately screen the adjoining residential property from the proposed church and parking lot. Comments by the County Division of Transportation and the County Division of Traffic Engineering indicate that South Indian Creek Drive and other access routes have sufficient traffic carrying capacity for the proposed use. Public services, public facilities, and utilities appear to be adequate to serve the existing place of worship, and there has been no other indication from reviewing departments and agencies that the new sanctuary will generate increased demands on the public infrastructure to the extent that the infrastructure would become inadequate. The proposed use would be consistent with the needs of the neighborhood and of the community as a whole. Therefore, the Department of Planning and Sustainability recommends “Approval with modifications to the conditions approved pursuant to CZ-96024”.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: Approval with Conditions 6-2-0. Jana Jonson moved, Jon West seconded for Approval with Staff’s recommended two (2) conditions. Gwendolyn McCoy and Edward Patton opposed; Vivian Moore was not present for this vote.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: Approval 7-3-1.