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Truth Baptist Church asks to amend site landscaping, reduce building and parking as previously approved
Summary
Truth Baptist Church requested an amendment to a previously approved special permit to reduce landscaping, add a small shed, and slightly reduce building size and parking. Staff said the revised planting layout meets zoning canopy requirements and that VDOT has approved a nearby intersection improvement for completion by 2028.
Planning staff described a special permanent amendment requested by Truth Baptist Church for property at 6528 Covington's Corner Road in Bealton. The amendment would alter landscaping requirements approved under a November 2020 special permit and a March 2022 site plan, add a 12-by-20-foot shed, and slightly reduce the church building size and parking capacity.
Staff said the property is about 6 acres, zoned agriculture, and that surrounding properties are a mix of agricultural and village zoning. The church would continue to operate as a minor place of worship with worship services on Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon and Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., occasional youth rallies, revival services, and fellowship events. Staff said there is one church employee and the facility currently includes a 192-seat, 4,320-square-foot church building and associated parking and stormwater management facilities.
The proposed landscape plan would use a more natural planting layout along the two road frontages with clusters of deciduous and ornamental trees and evergreen shrubs instead of a continuous planted buffer. Staff said the proposal “continues to meet the zoning ordinance canopy requirements, but adds flexibility in the location, the placement of the plantings.” Conditions recommended by staff would update the special permit to reflect the smaller building and parking, allow the two sheds along the west side of the parking lot, limit use to church and incidental uses only, prohibit school, daycare or athletic facilities, cap attendance at 192 at any one time, restrict parking to the areas shown on the special permit plat and require screening of parking and loading areas. Other conditions would limit activities to cease by 10 p.m. and require a site plan.
Staff also noted a VDOT SmartScale project to install a new R-cut intersection at Covington's Corner Road and Marsh Road has been approved for completion by 2028; staff said that should substantially improve safety of access to and from the property. A staff member offered to answer questions; a commissioner asked whether the church property abuts a utility substation and staff clarified the layout and ownership of intervening strips of land. No formal vote or final action is recorded in the provided transcript excerpts.
