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Commissioners approve Prince Avenue Baptist Church expansion; traffic‑study timing adjusted
Summary
The board approved special use P24-0216 to expand Prince Avenue Baptist Church’s campus and allow a 60,000-square-foot event facility with 531 parking spaces, adopting four conditions and modifying the timing of a traffic-impact study requirement.
The Oconee County Board of Commissioners approved special use P24-0216 on Jan. 7 permitting an expansion of Prince Avenue Baptist Church’s campus that includes a proposed 60,000-square-foot event facility and 531 parking spaces, subject to four conditions and a revision to the traffic-study timing.
Applicant presentation and staff recommendation
Agent Jeff Carter of Carter Engineering Consultants presented the site plan and noted the church’s request for a campus expansion and added parking and building area on a property along Highway 78 (Ruth Jackson Road). Staff recommended conditional approval with three standard conditions plus a traffic-impact study requirement; the planning commission recommended approval but adjusted condition number 4 to require the traffic-impact study prior to submission of the preliminary or site-development plan for the proposed building (rather than prior to preliminary submittal only).
Board action
During discussion the applicant said there is a strong likelihood the church may construct additional parking before the building and that delaying a traffic study until before the preliminary/site plan submittal for the proposed building would avoid unnecessary study costs if the immediate need is parking for the existing congregation. Staff confirmed the revised timing is acceptable. The board approved the special use with the planning commission’s amended language for condition 4 (traffic-impact study to be submitted for review according to UDC standards prior to submission of preliminary or site development plan for the proposed building).
Project details and community context
The proposal as presented calls for a 60,000-square-foot event building and 531 parking spaces on approximately 74.41 acres at 2201 Ruth Jackson Road. The property is in the community-village character area and is mostly undeveloped beyond the existing worship center and parking. The applicant indicated that increased parking could be phased in to meet current needs and that the larger building might occur later.
Ending: The approval allows the church to proceed to engineering and site-development review; the timing change for the traffic-impact study means staff will receive the study before any building-level preliminary site plan is accepted for the new event facility.
