Public hearing held on TKHC Ministries rezoning at Lions Club Drive; council to vote July 16

The Mableton City Council opened a public hearing June 25 on rezoning case RZ2025-001, a request by TKHC Ministries to rezone a parcel at 5500 Lions Club Drive from General Commercial to R‑20 for construction of a proposed 4,800-square-foot church and associated site improvements.

Planning staff described the proposal as a roughly 5‑acre site with a proposed 4,800-square-foot building and 71 parking spaces, a 35‑foot landscape buffer on the north and east boundaries and site access limited to Lions Club Drive. The project is located inside the Mableton Parkway/Veterans Memorial design overlay; staff and the planning commission recommended approval subject to conditions. Planning staff and the applicant both noted the site lacks connection to Cobb County sanitary sewer; the applicant proposes septic and must obtain approvals from Cobb County Water and Sewer and Douglas County Public Health before building permits can issue.

“Again, they have to get approval from Cobb County and Douglas Public Health for the septic tank,” Planning and Zoning Manager Chris Wheeler said during the hearing.

Representatives of TKHC Ministries (presented in the record as Thy Kingdom Escom International Ministries / “TKHC”) described the congregation’s community work and said the new facility would include worship space plus rooms for youth programs, job readiness and counseling. Pastor Goggins said the church has owned the land since 2021 and has removed tents and encampments from the site repeatedly. “We have removed them from the property several times over the last three years and they just come back,” Pastor Goggins said, describing recurring encampment activity on the parcel.

Supporters, including a representative of the Mableton Improvement Coalition, said the project would bring investment and “tender loving care” to the Lions Club Drive area. Speakers who raised concerns asked for clarity on septic and environmental compliance, compliance with the Veterans Memorial Highway design standards (particularly the overlay’s architectural standards calling for brick), and for more time to review applicant-supplied materials that had been handed to council shortly before the meeting.

Staff and the planning commission recommended approval with technical conditions. The planning commission added conditions for a total of 13 stipulations including: no expansion of the proposed building or additional buildings because sewer capacity is not available; architectural design to be substantially similar to the elevation presented to planning commission and modified to meet Veterans Memorial design standards; and requirements related to curb, sidewalk and gutter that the council discussed should not be met by a fee-in-lieu when construction constraints exist.

Council and staff agreed the second reading/ordinance vote should be postponed to the council’s July 16 meeting so staff can finalize the stipulations, ensure any required technical documents are in the packet and place the ordinance on the consent agenda for second reading. Mayor and staff said that if the council subsequently approves the ordinance it will include the finalized conditions and that engineering/architectural plans provided in the permitting phase will be reviewed by staff for compliance with overlay requirements.

No final rezoning decision was recorded on June 25; council members asked staff to refine proposed stipulations (including clarifying the Veterans Memorial design standard and sidewalk/gutter requirements) and to make those stipulations available to council and the public prior to the July 16 vote.