Grace Resurrection Methodist Church

Opposition mounts to church plans in East Cobb neighborhood

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Opposition grows to church plans in East Cobb neighborhood

Nearly 600 people have signed a petition opposing plans by a church to build a new worship facility in an East Cobb neighborhood.

In December Grace Resurrection Methodist Church will be asking for a variance from the Cobb Board of Zoning Appeals to build a 15,000-square-foot building and a 286-space parking lot on Oak Lane, near the intersections of Casteel Road and Bill Murdock Road.

Oak Lane is a minor or local road, and the Cobb County Code requires churches located in residential areas to have direct access to a major or collector road.

The online petition (you can read it here) names Cobb commissioners as “decision makers.”

But the hearing will be before the BZA, a five-member appointed body that hears requests for zoning variances and appeals for waivers to county zoning ordinances.

The church also is requesting a variance to reduce a required 50-foot setback to eight feet for an accessory structure, a 6,200-square-foot playground (case filing here).

The hearing is scheduled for Dec. 10 (our previous coverage here).

Grace Resurrection doesn’t need rezoning, since churches are zoned for residential use. The 6.49 acres at 3650 Oak Lane is owned by the Barkis Family Revocable Trust and contains a home. It is otherwise undeveloped and is zoned R-30, a mid- to low-density residential category.

But nearby residents have said that traffic is already a problem in an area with narrow, curvy roads, and they’re concerned about noise, light and environmental issues.

An online petition said that 22 proposed LED light poles for the potential church property “will cause excessive light pollution affecting the tranquility of our area. Coupled with the anticipated noise from regular playground activities and numerous events, the peace and quiet we currently enjoy will likely be shattered.”

Grace Resurrection was formed in 2022 by former members of Mt. Bethel Church, and currently leases a former Lutheran church building on Indian Hills Parkway at Roswell Road.

Church officials told East Cobb News in a statement last month that the congregation is growing and needs more space, and that the Oak Lane property is one of several options under consideration. The proposed building on Oak Lane would seat 750 people.

The church has hired Kevin Moore, a prominent Cobb zoning attorney to handle the request before the BZA.

After the Oct. 30 East Cobb News story was published, some readers expressed vocal opposition to the Oak Lane property for the church.

Rev. James Williams, the Grace Resurrection senior pastor, also commented on an East Cobb News Facebook page thread, expressing thanks for the feedback and said that “you need to know we’re exploring many avenues for the future. We also understand the concerns expressed here.

“Please pray with us about what’s next for our fast growing congregation. We have no solid plans at this point. The East Cobb story is about a first step that must taken in any property we’re considering. God bless you!”

Another reader replied that “I live there and I’ve been fighting to make that road safer for years. We will fight to the last breath to not let you have the release from the requirement to be on a major road. Oak Lane is dangerous. The two blind curves at that driveway are dangerous. That intersection is dangerous.

“You are attempting to further in danger our lives and the lives of our children. Look elsewhere and walk away from this idea.”

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