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Rezoning to replace church with Walgreens opposed

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@thecitizennews.com

A possible commercial rezoning that would allow a Walgreens drug store to be built on the current location of Christ our Shepherd Lutheran Church still has opponents riled up, as evidenced in Monday night’s workshop meeting of Peachtree City’s Planning Commission about the issue.

Although one person served as spokesmen for the group of residents opposing the rezoning, it was clear they strongly oppose the plan to build a Walgreens on the corner of Ga. Highway 54 and Peachtree Parkway, the church’s home since its founding more than two decades ago.

“Our opposition is not to the church at all,” Ray Helton said of the church’s wish to relocate to a larger tract of land. “The opposition is to the rezoning.”

The church could still relocate without its current parcel being rezoned for commercial use, Helton argued.

The church and developer Commercial Net Lease Realty Services Inc. of Orlando are seeking a limited use commercial rezoning for a 14,820 sq. ft. one-story Walgreens and a second out-parcel building that may house a bank, said company representative Lane Ramsfield.

The 2.98-acre property is currently zoned for office-institutional use, but when the church bought the property in the mid-1970s, it was intended for commercial use, noted Pastor John Weber.

Church spokesman Ted Thomas said the church wanted the limited use commercial rezoning to protect its neighbors who live in the bordering Highlands subdivision since the LUC can allow for more strict buffers and other features not required by city ordinances.

Ramsfield said the building was being designed with more architectural features so it will look less like a cookie-cutter typical Walgreens.

Ramsfield said that Walgreens will own the property outright. He also noted that the developer has agreed to a 20-year deed restriction that forbids the site from being used for a gas station, liquor store, bar, club, restaurant or convenience store.

Helton, a resident of the Highlands subdivision, said traffic is a “major issue” for opponents of the rezoning petition.

Helton also argued that with six major churches on Hwy. 54, rezoning the Lutheran Church could open the door for “multiple churches” to rezone and increase the city’s commercial density.

Helton indicated the property could be marketable for office-institutional use. He also said other entities such as Christian City, which is leasing temporary space in Peachtree City, might be interested in the current Lutheran Church building.

Marcie Curry Williams, who has lived in Peachtree City for 35 years, said she too opposed the rezoning but the church needs the community’s help in finding a suitable tenant to purchase the property.

“I don’t believe Walgreens is it,” she said.

Thomas said other churches were approached to purchase the current Lutheran Church building but none were interested because either they couldn’t afford it, or they wanted more acreage than the Lutheran site offers.

Thomas also noted that the current office-institutional zoning would “just eliminate any buffering we had” for the homes in the Highlands subdivision.

The Lutheran Church wants to move because it needs more room to grow. On Sundays at 11 a.m., the church has two separate services on either side of the building, Thomas said. There is also a wish for more land to expand the church’s ministry in the future, representatives said.

“The decision to relocate was not an easy one, but this is the best way to go,” Thomas said.

Neighbors’ concerns about buffering, lighting, dumpster location and location of the store’s shipping and receiving areas are being worked on between the church and the developer, Thomas added.

The church has investigated the possibility of expanding on its current site, but there’s little room on which to do so, Thomas said.

“We would like for them to find a property more suitable to them,” Helton said. “We just don’t want them to leave us a mess behind.”

“We don’t want to leave a mess, either,” Thomas said. “We want to grow.”

The commission didn’t formally vote on the plan but is anticipated to do so at its next meeting on Monday, Nov. 22.