Representatives of Azad Temple No. 140 told Greenville County they want the county to rezone a 1.5-acre property on Chapel Road from I-1 Industrial to C-2 Commercial so the organization can develop a facility for meetings and special events, the applicants said at a public hearing.

The request matters to the temple because its former meeting site was lost to fire years ago and the organization expects to be displaced during a nearby redevelopment project; trustees said they want a site to host monthly meetings and fundraisers while their Bernie Street facility undergoes a multimillion-dollar redevelopment.

Sheldon Mickens, speaking for Azad Temple No. 140, said the organization has a long history of local charitable work and asked councilors to "please" consider rezoning the Chapel Road parcel so the temple can build a meeting facility. Anthony Smith, a trustee, said the group was told by a county official that they could not hold meetings under the current zoning and therefore sought rezoning: "We just simply want it rezoned so we can continue our work because with the temple... the Bernie Street, Veil Lodge, it's basically about a 24 month project, up to 36 months. So we basically without a home for possibly 3 years."

A county zoning planner explained that private recreation space is allowed under I-1 zoning, but special-event facilities rented to the public are not: "the current I-1 zoning does not allow for special event facilities," staff said, adding that if the temple wanted to rent space for events that would require rezoning. The planner identified himself as George Zlotsky.

The applicants said they would provide a list of intended uses and past activities to county staff to avoid future code enforcement issues. No members of the public spoke in opposition at the hearing.

Because the hearing was informational only, no final decision or vote was taken; the planning and development committee will address the docket in its subsequent review.