Commission recommends conditional approval for community‑scale church campus in Bishop area

The Oconee County Planning Commission recommended approval Sept. 15 of special‑use application P250154 for a community‑scale church campus submitted by an entity identified in staff materials as Saint Alread Catholic Church (applicant/owner). Planning Department staff described the parcel (A 07034) as zoned A‑1 in the Town of Bishop/countryside character area and presented a concept master plan and architectural images. Staff recommended conditional approval with several site and access conditions.

Staff’s recommended conditions included that the owner make required right‑of‑way improvements and dedicate rights‑of‑way at the owner’s expense as required by GDOT (Georgia Department of Transportation) or the Town of Bishop after review of development plans; that a study identified in the record as “section 17 o 7 dot 3” be completed and submitted for review to planning and public works prior to application for a site development plan; and that road improvements be made to bring adjacent roads and access drives to a level‑of‑service C prior to application for a site development plan. Staff also noted that, unless a concurrent variance is granted, the site shall not have access to Cemetery Road; if the variance is approved the owner must record an amended administrative plat to remove the nonaccess easement.

Consultant Justin Greer, working with the applicant, described a long‑range master plan showing a phased campus that could include a hall for services and fellowship, a church building, a small academy (initially 5–10 students as a cooperative), catechesis/sunday‑school spaces, rectory housing, gardens and a maintenance building. Greer said the applicant intends to phase work and likely build a fellowship/hall building first, with the church and other elements later. He said soils testing and septic planning have been part of the master plan exercise, that primary access is expected at an existing road near a Dollar General and that a future access onto Highway 186 is a later‑stage possibility pending approvals.

Commissioners asked about parking, traffic counts and timing. Staff and the consultant said a traffic study would be required but had been deferred to site development plans because summer school attendance would have affected traffic counts. Greer estimated congregation size in prior meeting locations as “between 1 and 200” attendees and said campus build‑out and peak uses likely would not overlap with peak school traffic. After discussion the commission voted to recommend approval with the staff conditions and to forward the matter to the Board of Commissioners; the vote was recorded by voice/hand and no roll‑call tally appears in the transcript.