Planning and zoning commission in Braselton recommends approval of 12Stone Church in Barrow office park

The Braselton Planning Commission in a 4-0 vote on Monday has recommended the conditional use permitting of a new church in a Barrow County office park on Hwy. 124.

Norwood Davis, chief financial officer for 12Stone Church, headquartered out of Lawrenceville, spoke on behalf of the applicant.

Church leaders intend to renovate approximately 11,230 square feet of office space in the Madden Building at 935 Hwy. 124, Braselton, to include an auditorium and a space for childrens ministries. The zoning classification on the property is M-D (Manufacturing-Distribution).

The church has also entered into a letter of intent agreement to lease an additional 1800 square foot space in the Mayhew building for church offices. That space shares a parking lot with the Madden Building.

The Braselton campus, which will take approximately 4-6 months to build, is one of five new campuses 12Stone is planning to launch in 2015. Services will temporarily be held at Duncan Creek Elementary School during the construction period.

Davis explained that 12Stone Church has been operating in Gwinnett County for 26 years with four campuses. In 2009, a Hall County church was launched in Flowery Branch. Were excited about this opportunity, said Davis. We have a long record of working with the communities at which we have church campuses and we look forward to working with the city of Braselton as we open this campus.

Planning commission member Chris Meadows said the residents he has spoken with are really excited. He asked if the church had any plans for accommodating the traffic.

Davis said he anticipated that there would be about 300 seats in the auditorium for adults for one service and the church plans to accommodate its members with two Sunday services, at 9 a.m. and at 11 a.m. He said the church employs off-duty police officers and plans to work with the City and the Braselton Police Department to ensure that traffic is not impeded on Hwy. 124.

There will be parking to the front and at the back of the Madden Building and an agreement has been entered with the Mayhew building, said Davis, in order to accommodate overflow parking. I think its pretty incredible that you already have 240 families involved, said planning commission member Edd Price.

Davis said the Hamilton Mill branch, opened in 2007, is the most active campus, which hosts five services, and it is in the process of moving to a larger campus that was opened in April of this year. The church still owns the other building and it is used as offices and youth ministry space.

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Planning and zoning commission in Braselton recommends approval of 12Stone Church in Barrow office park