Planning Board Recommends Church Rezoning to Town Board
By Dave Vieser — Zoning changes that would allow Bethel Presbyterian Church to proceed with an expansion plan received unanimous approval from the Cornelius Planning Board Monday evening. The proposal will now go to the town board for a public hearing and decision at a future date.
The church seeks to rezone approximately 13 acres of its property on the east side of Bethel Church Road, just north of West Catawba Avenue, to accommodate a 6,500-square-foot building addition and other site improvements.
Under the proposal, the existing fellowship hall would be demolished and replaced with a new building. The playground would be relocated from the side of the building to the rear of the site. Parking spaces would be added around the new building to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Some buildings on the property were constructed before the town established its land development code. To bring the site into greater compliance, the church proposes dedicating easements along the Bethel Church Road frontage for future bicycle and pedestrian improvements, installing bicycle racks, adding an internal sidewalk connecting the main building entrance to the existing crosswalk on Bethel Church Road and screening dumpsters.
The church also plans to plant additional trees along Bethel Church Road and within the site.
The town used an abbreviated review process for the proposal, eliminating the requirement for a community meeting. The process is used infrequently.
“The town’s Land Development Code permits the use of an abbreviated conditional rezoning process when warranted, which still complies with state law,” said Planning Director Rox Burhans.
In addition to the Bethel Church proposal, the abbreviated process was used in 2022 to review the zoning changes needed for the Cornelius History Museum on School Street.
