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Neighbors press commissioners to deny Abundant Life Church expansion; board continues rezoning to Jan. 12, 2026
Summary
The board continued rezoning application 2025816 from R‑20 to RI‑CD for Abundant Life Church after neighbors raised stormwater, lighting, tree loss and traffic concerns. Commissioners directed staff, the applicant and outside agencies to pursue further study and neighbor negotiations; the hearing was continued to Jan. 12, 2026.
The Matthews Board of Commissioners on Oct. 13 continued consideration of rezoning application 2025816 for Abundant Life Church at 3321 Matthews‑Mint Hill Road after extensive public comment and requests for additional technical review.
The applicant seeks to rezone approximately 4.94 acres from R‑20 to Residential‑Institutional Conditional District (RI‑CD) to allow phased expansion of church facilities. Pastor Brent Watts and civil engineer Jeff McCluskey presented a plan proposing a 15,250‑square‑foot addition in phase 1 and future smaller additions totaling about 4,350 square feet; the full build‑out would increase seating capacity from the currently reported 327 seats to 530 and raise on‑site parking from 97 to 194 spaces.
Neighbors and several commissioners objected to the proposal’s scale and potential impacts. Residents living…
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