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Hendersonville board approves first reading to rezone Cornerstone Church property amid resident concerns
Summary
On April 28 the Hendersonville Board approved first reading of ordinance 2026-06 to rezone 22.38 acres owned by Cornerstone Church from county residential to city office zoning as part of a linked annexation process; the vote was 9–2 after lengthy public comment and alderman debate.
The Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 9–2 on April 28 to approve first reading of ordinance 2026-06, a rezoning request that would apply if the city later annexes roughly 22.38 acres at 1402 and 1410 Kingdom Way (formerly Stop 30 Road).
The vote followed a public hearing and more than an hour of discussion among aldermen, residents and church representatives over buffers, future uses and municipal control. Mayor Jamie Clary opened the hearing and said the plan of services required by state law had been provided to the board.
Opponents from the Wincrest neighborhood told the board they feared office zoning would erode a green buffer and permit future development perceived as incompatible with existing homes. "We're not looking for anything different, but just to maintain what we currently have," David Krieger said, urging the board to preserve the residential character behind Wincrest. Deralyn Ferris said she opposed extending city limits for a tax-exempt institution that would receive city services paid for by other taxpayers.
Cornerstone leaders said the church purchased the property about a year and a half ago and characterized the request as a pragmatic step to allow church growth while avoiding residential development. "We do not have any intentions of developing the property beyond what we would do for church purposes," Pastor Jeremy Austill said. Pastor Gunnar Franks added the church saw the office designation as a lower-density match to the city’s future land use plan and said some acreage might eventually be sold to support ministry needs.
City planning director Keith Free told the board that the office designation aligns with Hendersonville’s future land use map for the area and noted conditional allowances — for example, a place of worship would be a conditional use within the requested office zoning. Free also explained setbacks and height limits that apply where office adjoins residential property and confirmed a measured distance of roughly 250 feet from portions of the Wincrest neighborhood.
Alderman Goodwin said he supported rezoning so the city could exercise control over future development rather than leave decisions to county authorities. Aldermen Evans and Collins voted against the rezoning; the mayor said the ordinance will return for subsequent readings alongside the annexation ordinance at upcoming meetings.
Next steps: because the rezoning is tied to annexation, the mayor and staff said the annexation ordinance and second reading of the rezoning will appear on the board’s next regularly scheduled agenda for final action and public comment.
