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Planning commission approves 16,300‑sq‑ft expansion for Church at South Lake, raising auditorium seating to 700
Summary
The City of Clermont Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-0 on Aug. 5 to approve Resolution 2025‑019R, allowing a 16,300‑square‑foot addition at Church at South Lake (2500 Hook Street) that will expand the auditorium capacity to about 700 seats.
The City of Clermont Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved Resolution 2025‑019R on Aug. 5, granting an amendment to the existing conditional use permit for the Church at South Lake to allow a 16,300‑square‑foot building addition at the church campus at 2500 Hook Street. The expansion will create a new worship auditorium and staff offices and increase the church’s total auditorium seating capacity to approximately 700 seats (a net increase of about 200 seats).
Development Services staff said the proposed expansion is consistent with the city’s land development code and comprehensive plan and cited Section 101‑212 of the code in the staff report. Pastor Brian Hammond, the church’s senior pastor and a longtime Lake County resident, told commissioners the church has used existing paved and grass parking areas for years and recently built a “Cares Building” to serve food‑ministry and disaster‑relief functions; he said the church owns additional adjacent acreage that can be used for overflow parking during large events.
Commissioners asked about traffic and parking. Staff and the applicant said there is no new public entrance proposed; the campus will continue to use existing access points on Hook Street and Hancock Road. Pastor Hammond and church staff described existing volunteer traffic control and said the church routinely directs vehicles to paved and grass parking and uses volunteers during large services. During commission discussion staff confirmed that ADA and paved accessibility requirements will be reviewed at the site plan stage and that required accessible spaces will be provided. The applicant—who indicated the grass parking area has been used for a number of years—reported that the grass/overflow area can accommodate additional vehicles and that the church currently parks there as needed.
Commissioner questions also covered parking calculations and event management. The church and staff described parking practices for busy Sundays, holiday services and Wednesday evening youth ministry activities. Staff recommended approval, and the motion to approve Resolution 2025‑019R was made by Commissioner Niemach and seconded by Commissioner Colby. The commission voted 6‑0 (Commissioners Hoisington, Kramer, Behn, Niemach, Colby and May voted yes).
As a resolution rather than an ordinance, staff said the item will be placed on a City Council agenda and the council may take action at the meeting where it appears unless it requests further review. Final site plan review will follow to resolve details including landscaping (staff noted a requirement for plantings along frontage), ADA parking designations, and building elevations.
