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Council approves rezoning for Montessori at World Life Ministries with conditions including fence and shed removals
Summary
The Lawrenceville City Council voted 5-0 to rezone 495 South Perry Street to Office/Neighborhood Institutional (ONI) for a Montessori school, approving conditions that require removal of visible metal sheds, a wooden sign and a trailer and require an opaque six-foot fence to screen remaining structures within 90 days.
The Lawrenceville City Council on Feb. 24 voted 5-0 to approve rezoning case RZC2024-000061 to permit a Montessori school at 495 South Perry Street, subject to conditions that staff and the applicant revised at the meeting.
The rezoning changes the property from RS-150 (single-family residential) to Office/Neighborhood Institutional (ONI). Todd Hargrave, director of planning and development, told the council the application was for a Montessori school and that staff and the planning commission had discussed parking, signage and removal of nonconforming structures.
The council’s motion, made on the record by Mayor Pro Tem Victoria Jones and seconded by Council Member Taylor Crawford, added specific conditions after discussion at the podium. Conditions adopted require: removal of two visible metal sheds and a rear wooden sign; removal of a pull-behind trailer; and, within 90 days, installation of an opaque, stained wooden fence up to six feet high at the rear of the property to screen the remaining areas from view. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.
Applicant Erica Gwynn, who identified herself by name and address at the hearing, described the proposal as “a high quality early learning program” and said the school would follow the Gwinnett County school calendar and serve young children with a Montessori curriculum. Brian Tompkins, the property representative and an attendee who said he represents World Life Church and the applicant, described practical site needs, including occasional canopies for outdoor shade and storage limitations because the church building is on a historic registry.
Staff and the applicant clarified operational details on the record: the proposed Montessori program will follow the county school calendar; the applicant agreed to remove a freestanding wooden sign and the two metal sheds or bring the site into compliance; and staff noted that the reduced parking count requested relied in part on nearby public parking. Hargrave said the property contains legal nonconforming elements and that the rezoning application offered an opportunity to bring visible features closer to current city standards.
The council emphasized this decision as a site-specific, transitional rezoning—not a policy change to expand ONI across the city. The record shows council comment that staff should not interpret this item as a template to rezone similar parcels without separate review.
Votes and motion text are reflected in the official meeting minutes and the city’s record of conditions on file with planning and development. The applicant and planning staff will proceed with permitting under the approved zoning and the specific conditions adopted by the council.
The council closed the public hearing on the item before taking the vote and recorded the final motion as approved, 5-0.
