Alpharetta planning commission defers church proposal at Windward after neighbors raise parking and security concerns

Alpharetta — The Planning Commission on Feb. 6 voted to defer consideration of Spirit of God Church’s request to add a church as a conditional use at 145 Noble Court, giving the applicant and nearby property owners time to resolve late notice, parking and adjacency concerns.

Staff presented the application as a master-plan amendment and conditional-use request to allow a congregation to operate in a 1.62-acre parcel in Windward Pod 16. Planning staff said the applicant proposes to occupy about 2,000 square feet of an existing 18,207-square-foot office/industrial building, with a 128-seat assembly area and on-site parking of 64 spaces — the city’s Unified Development Code requires one parking space per two seats for churches, which equals 64 spaces for the requested capacity. Staff recommended approval subject to eight conditions including a 128-seat cap, limiting the conditional-use approval to Spirit of God Church, hours restrictions, landscaping, possible off-duty police for traffic control, and a prohibition on audible outdoor speakers.

Randall Knighton, pastor of Spirit of God Christian Church, told commissioners the congregation has met in Alpharetta for 21 years and intends to purchase the building. "We've been good neighbors," Knighton said, adding the church often relies on virtual attendance and plans multiple services if in-person growth requires it.

Two speakers in opposition asked for more time to review materials. Jessica Cantrell, an attorney with Underwood Scoggins representing nearby property owner Sierra Cedar and Alderman Drive Holdings, told the commission many Windward properties are corporate entities that may not have received mailed notice in a timely manner and urged deferral, citing parking and a provision in association covenants that the association believes would bar the use. "This is an office and industrial park — it was never meant for a large amount of people to congregate," Cantrell said.

Business owner Brian Fees, who said he employs nearly 500 people at a nearby site, cited past physical data breaches and argued that after-hours or weekend activity adjacent to data-sensitive tenants could raise security concerns. Fees asked the commission to give stakeholders time to evaluate possible impacts and covenant processes.

In rebuttal, Knighton said data breaches predated the property and should not be equated with the church’s proposed use, and he said the applicant followed city notification procedures. He told the board he would meet with neighbors "under the condition that they're genuinely open to receiving us."

Commissioners and staff discussed notification practices for commercial properties and whether inclusion of homeowners’ associations or business associations on mailing lists would improve notice. Several commissioners said the late letters and the mix of unresolved issues warranted more time for neighbor-to-applicant discussions. Commissioner (speaker 2) moved to defer the matter to March 5; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

The deferral allows the applicant and the Windward Business Center and adjacent landowners to pursue discussions; the commission noted staff had recommended approval but that late opposition and questions about notice and covenants merited a pause before forwarding a recommendation to council.

What's next: MP-26-01/CU Spirit of God Church will return to the Planning Commission on March 5; any formal recommendation of the commission would then be forwarded to the Alpharetta City Council for final action.