Rezoning request for Bethesda Christian Fellowship moved to council for first reading after recusal

Committee members voted Feb. 3 to move a proposed ordinance amending the zoning map for a 5-acre property on Saint Helena Island from T3 Hamlet Neighborhood to T4 Village Center to full council for first reading. The property contains Bethesda Christian Fellowship meeting facilities; staff said the change is intended to allow the church to expand beyond the 15,000-square-foot threshold currently permitted in T3.

Rob Merchant, planning director, explained that the site sits on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, abuts higher-intensity T4 zoning to the north, and already contains existing church buildings. Merchant said the rezoning request is intended to match the zoning to the site’s existing and proposed use so the church would not be a nonconforming use as it expands. Staff recommended approval and noted the planning commission voted unanimously in November 2025 to support the map amendment.

A committee member identified themselves as an officer of the church and recused from the discussion, completing the required form and leaving the room. The transportation planner said a traffic-impact analysis was completed because the project met ordinance thresholds; staff told the committee road volumes were low, sight distance was adequate, and they would provide additional volumes on request.

A motion to move the rezoning request to full council for first reading was made and seconded; staff read the ordinance findings (consistency with the comprehensive plan and development code; compatibility with surrounding uses; ability to be served by public facilities). The committee moved the measure forward; final action and any required readings will occur at full council.