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Monterey Church seeks special exception to relocate and expand worship space near James Madison Highway
Summary
Monterey Church requested a Category 6 special exception to move into an 8.2-acre commercial site near James Madison Highway and Opel Road with a two‑phase plan (phase 1: renovate existing building for up to 80 attendees; phase 2: build an ~8,400 sq ft structure for up to 300); commissioners asked for more detail on phase 2, traffic, septic and parking and discussed whether to require the church to return with detailed plans for phase 2.
The applicant, Monterey Church, asked the commission for a Category 6 special exception to establish a major place of worship on an 8.2‑acre commercial‑highway parcel about 600 feet west of the James Madison Highway/Opel Road intersection. Staff described a two‑phase proposal: phase 1 would renovate the existing commercial building and use the existing 47‑space lot for one Sunday service (up to 80 attendees), weekday office hours for up to eight staff, and a Wednesday evening fellowship; phase 2 would construct an architecturally compatible one‑story building of roughly 8,400 square feet providing a worship space for up to 300 people and additional programming.
Staff noted the Fauquier County Water and Sanitation Authority anticipates public water availability to the property in about two years and that an eventual sewer connection is planned but with an unknown timeline; staff said the on‑site well would be properly abandoned prior to phase 2. The applicant’s file included floor plans, septic calculations and site‑plan materials; staff said those materials were sufficient for both phases as submitted.
Commissioners raised concerns about the lack of detail for phase 2 and whether the commission should approve both phases now or approve phase 1 and require the applicant to return with fuller plans for phase 2. One commissioner asked if the commission could “split” approval and only move forward on phase 1; staff said a future change would typically require a separate special exception. Several commissioners questioned traffic and parking assumptions: they asked whether the traffic study (dated 2023) adequately reflects current conditions at the Opel intersection and whether assumed vehicle occupancy (roughly four people per car) is realistic for peak services. Zoning staff said the application provided more parking than the zoning minimum and that zoning had not flagged parking problems in past church applications. No final decision was made: staff indicated the applicant was expected to be present at the evening hearing to answer further questions and that the commission could vote on the special exception that night if the applicant declined postponement.
