For the second time in a month, a Columbia County church wants to build new worship space
A second Columbia County church is proposing to build a new worship space at its current snug suburban location.
Family Bible Church currently consists of two buildings, constructed about 1986, with the larger of the two resembling a two-story home and both comprising almost 3,000 square feet.
The buildings have been renovated in the project's Phase 1. The church now wants its zoning status revised to legally allow what it wants to build next.
"Phase 2 will include the construction of a new facility with a 15,092-square-foot main floor which will include a sanctuary, classrooms, fellowship room and a 12-foot wide porch along the length of the front of the building, and a 6,385-square-foot basement floor initially used for storage," the church wrote in its project narrative submitted to Columbia County.
Phase 3 involves either demolishing or moving offsite the church's original two-story building when the new facility can be occupied, according to the narrative. The smaller, 1,000-square-foot building will stay.
Greener pastures: Columbia County church wants to rebuild its sanctuary at this unusual suburban location
The expanded campus would bring it closer to the Anneswood Road cul-de-sac, which concerned county planning staff.
"The main concern with the expansion regards adverse impact to neighboring residents which the applicant has worked to mitigate through the inclusion of updated stormwater and sewer utilities and buffering along all its lot lines," the county said in its staff report on the proposal.
County planners also recommended that the project comply with all applicable fire codes, expressing concerns over the difficulty with which emergency vehicles could access the site in the event of an accident or disaster.
The Columbia County Planning Commission is expected to consider the proposal at its meeting on Thursday.
In May, the 123-year-old Clark Grove Baptist Church, 3592 Evans to Locks Rd., asked the county for zoning changes to allow the construction of its new church. The church campus is wedged between the No. 7 and 13 greens at West Lake Country Club.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Columbia County church propose expanding its campus in Martinez area
