Greater Works Deliverance seeks permit to build

Greater Works Deliverance Ministries pastor Joseph Mckinney and construction supervisor Kelvin Hall and a host of church members gathered in the boardroom at the March 16 meeting of county supervisors to seek a permit to build.

Time was running out on obtaining their loan, they said, and they needed a building permit.

The church purchased five acres of land on Goodman Road in 2020 and was given until 2021 to start building a structure, according to Zoning Administrator David Johnson.

Our loan expires in two months and the church can’t build.

The church asked for a special exception and paid off the land purchase but could not move on a construction loan because a building permit was required to draw on the loan.

“We need this board to help us to keep us from losing our property,” said Kelvin Hall.

The church had just learned their permit had not been approved by the planning commission.

A special exception was needed because the property was zoned residential use, the zoning administrator said.

“I see a church is non-profit, God’s house,” said Ronnie O’Neil Bennett, District 1 supervisor.

David Johnson said the planning commission has to approve the permit to build. He said the group applied for a permit in 2020 and had to get started construction of a structure in 2021.

Johnson said the group had to first get a building permit approved and there would be no meeting of the planning commission for a few weeks.

The group asked the board of supervisors to approve the permit or at least send a text message to their bank before the loan agreement lapsed.

Johnson said the board of supervisors could not approve the permit, the planning commission has to act first.

“The planning commission has to go back because it starts with the planning commission, unless somebody appeals,” said Board Attorney Amanda Whaley Smith.

Kelvin Hall said the church wants to get the bank notified so the church does not lose its loan.

“Can we get it approved today?” he asked.

“You’ll have to go back to the planning commission,” said Terry Rodgers, District 3 supervisor.

“May 8 is the planning commission meeting,” said the zoning administrator.

Smith said the date for the group to go before the planning commission would have to be published.

“We need to get started now. It’s been approved already,” construction supervisor Hall said.

Smith said it has been five years since the church went before the planning commission seeking a permit.

The permit required construction on the structure to begin in 2021. The time had run out.

“My concern is them losing their money,” said Goston Glover, District 1 supervisor.

“Is there some document we could give to the bank saying we are going to approve it?” Johnny Walker, District 2 supervisor asked.

Smith said the reason it was complicated is because a public hearing has to be held.

David Johnson said four members of the original board of supervisors who approved the permit are no longer on the board.

Kelvin Hall, construction supervisor, said the church has $230,000 equity in the property.

“We had a plan to just pay for it,” he said.

“This was approved by the planning commission,” said District 4 Supervisor George Zinn III.

A church member said the land was not bought until the building permit was approved.

Zinn said to get hung up on a technicality was not good and he thought the board of supervisors would approve the permit.

“They just need something to go to the bank,” Bennett said.

Smith said the planning commission could draft a letter to let the bank know the permit hearing is coming up.

Mckinney said the church has prayed about it, that this is the time to protect their children. The church is meeting in a store front and members and children have to walk right by marijuana smoke and stuff to get in the church.

Bennett suggested the banker call Zinn, who would let the banker know the permitting process is a formality.

Kelvin Hall asked if a special called meeting could be held to get permit approval quickly. He said a balloon note is due on the loan with two months left to get the loan approved.

“Can it be sent out today?” he asked. “Church members have pledged a lot of money on it.” “We have to serve all the landowners around notices,” the zoning administrator said.

Walker asked why that would be needed again since it has already been done in 2020.

“Whatever it takes to get this started,” Glover said.

The construction manager Hall said that sounded like a rule. The church had already spent $11,000 to clear the land and they thought the land should be cleared before building on it, he said.

“Give us what we need today to move forward,” pastor Mckinney said. “We are here and we’re got the power to do it.”

Zinn said the matter could be discussed for hours, but it falls on the planning commission to approve the special exception.

A special called meeting of the planning commission was held at 3 p.m. Where the commission unanimously approved issuing a permit to build.

Zoning administrator David Johnson said the church was given until 2027 to start construction and there was a stipulation that no cemetery could be placed on the property.