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Commissioner seeks zoning review, not a moratorium, after public outcry over rural church development
Summary
Commissioner Kelly Simrad told the Board of County Commissioners she is not seeking a moratorium on new churches but wants staff to review a potentially outdated 1957 code that lets churches build by‑right on A‑2 (agricultural) land; dozens of residents and clergy spoke for and against the proposal during a lengthy public comment period.
Commissioner Kelly Simrad (District 5) asked the Orange County Board of County Commissioners Dec. 3 to direct staff to analyze a potential gap between the county code and voter‑approved protections for rural areas after widespread public comment about a planned church in east Orange County.
Simrad told the board she was not seeking a moratorium on church development. Instead she sought a policy solution because the county’s 1957 code allows churches as a by‑right use on A‑2 (agricultural) property, while rural settlements within the new voter‑approved rural boundary must follow a more public review process that includes the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).
The public comment period that followed the ceremonial items became focused on one site: a proposed CrossLife Church campus on Lake Pickett Road. Dozens of residents, pastors and attorneys spoke. Speakers who opposed…
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