Planning commission OKs rezoning for Walter Hill Church expansion
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Summary
Rutherford County planning commissioners recommended rezoning a 10.4-acre parcel at 7277 Lebanon Pike to allow the Walter Hill Church of Christ to expand its auditorium to 550 seats and add a 4,000-square-foot fellowship hall; site-plan and landscaping permitting follow.
Rutherford County planning commissioners on April 2025 recommended approval of a rezoning request that will allow Walter Hill Church of Christ to expand its sanctuary and fellowship hall at 7277 Lebanon Pike.
The vote moves a roughly 10.4-acre parcel, in Commissioner District 2 (tax map 36, partial 25.05), closer to approval. The church told commissioners it intends to reorient the auditorium and expand seating from about 400 to 550 people and to add a 4,000-square-foot fellowship hall.
The request matters because county land-use rules classify community assembly uses with more than 500 occupants as “large” assembly uses; those are not allowed in the parcel’s current zoning. Staff told the commission that the church’s proposal pushes the facility above the 499-seat threshold and that a rezoning to an institutional designation is appropriate to allow the planned interior reconfiguration and the fellowship-hall addition.
Church elder Brian Bird told the commission, “we're just doing a, just changing our auditorium. We're actually flipping it around ... so we can get, 550 seats in there. We're also adding a 4,000 square foot fellowship hall.” Staff confirmed the property meets the county’s parking requirement of one space per five seats for the proposed occupancy and said the applicant must submit an engineered site plan and meet landscaping and performance standards for the addition.
Commissioners asked about parking and whether the proposed layout would create a need for additional spaces; staff responded that the existing lot meets the county formula for required parking. The commission recorded no public opposition during the item’s public comment period.
The planning commission’s recommendation included staff conditions requiring a detailed site plan for the fellowship-hall addition, compliance with landscaping and performance standards, and submission of engineered plans for review. The commission’s recommendation will go to the Rutherford County Board of Commissioners on May 15, 2025, for final action.
The discussion and approval were handled as a rezoning request (REZ25005) rather than as an administrative variance; the project will proceed to site-plan review before any construction permit is issued.
Votes at a glance: A roll-call vote at the meeting recorded unanimous support from commissioners present; the commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the county commission for final action on May 15, 2025.
