Planning commission backs Clinton Methodist Church addition after historic review

The Jones County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of a conditional use request from Clinton Methodist Church to demolish a small existing Sunday‑school building and replace it with a larger structure at 110 Old Highway 18 in the Clinton Historic District.

Donald Curry, a church member, said the original room was built decades ago and that the congregation has begun to experience structural problems; the church seeks to demolish the current building and construct a larger space that “will try to look like the existing sanctuary.” The transcript includes a statement from a member of the Historic Preservation Commission confirming that the preservation commission has granted a certificate of appropriateness for the building design.

A neighbor, Mark Ross of 112 Old Highway 18, spoke in support of the church and said he believes the new design will match the historic qualities of the area. County staff told commissioners the conditional use is separate from the historic‑review certificate and that the planning board must consider the conditional use to allow demolition and construction of the larger structure.

Staff provided measurements in response to a public question: the existing building is roughly 700 square feet (approximately 32 by 20 feet) and the proposed building is roughly 1,200 square feet (approximately 32 by 40 feet); the project will extend further to the rear but not increase width toward the roadway, staff said. After a motion to approve and a second, the commission voted in favor and the recommendation will be forwarded to the county commissioners for final action on April 1.

Because the property is zoned rural residential with a historic overlay and lies inside the Clinton Historic District, the church obtained the preservation commission certificate; the planning commission’s recommendation addresses the land‑use/conditional‑use aspect and does not substitute for necessary building permits.