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Board approves rezoning to allow Rochester DCCM ministry and retreat center on Tanners Mill Road
Summary
The Hall County Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning request from Rochester DCCM to establish a ministry and retreat center on a nearly 498-acre tract west of Tanners Mill Road; commissioners and staff discussed likely tax-exempt status and long, multi-year buildout.
The Hall County Board of Commissioners on March 27 approved a rezoning to Planned Commercial Development (PCD) for Rochester DCCM’s proposed ministry and retreat center on a combined 497.93-acre tract near Tanners Mill Road.
Project and land-use description: Applicant representatives said the retreat would include chapels, counseling and wellness facilities, staff housing, cabins and lodges and supporting amenities designed for programmatic retreats rather than a public church campus. Bradley Dunkel, representing Rochester DCCM, said the plan preserves more than 80% of the site as open space and that the development is intentionally low-impact and oriented toward pastoral wellness and staff support.
Design intent and timeline: Architect Jeff Crocker of BCA Studios described an intent to keep the site’s rural and wooded character, limit light pollution and stage development over multiple years. Crocker said the plan is intended to be low-density and to retain natural buffers around the site. The applicants said they have already begun some aesthetic and landscape improvements on the property and that buildout could occur over an extended period – “it could be a year. It could be 2 years. It could be 10 years,” Crocker said.
Tax-exempt status: County legal staff reviewed state code and described the circumstances in which religiously affiliated property may qualify for ad valorem tax exemption. Staff cited Georgia Code Section 48-5-41 and the requirements tied to Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) status and indicated such property would likely be exempt if the organization obtains and operates under the applicable nonprofit religious exemptions. Staff said final assessments and exemptions would be determined by the tax assessor if and when the organization seeks exemption.
Board action: A commissioner moved to approve the PCD with the Planning Commission’s recommended nine conditions; the motion passed after a second and a voice vote. Supporters in the meeting said the project would serve pastors and families from within and beyond the community. One nearby resident expressed concern about future traffic and the change in rural character; the applicant said primary access would be off Tanners Mill (State Route 211) and that most event traffic would be off-peak and arrival/departure-focused.
Next steps: With the rezoning approved, future individual facilities will require permits and approvals (site-specific engineering, building permits, fire marshal review, land-disturbance permits). County staff said no specific construction timeline is set.
