The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved the withdrawing the application of 143 Ministries to rezone 5821 Rockford Drive.
Commissioners approved withdrawing with prejudice the application during the meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 20. 143 Ministries had submitted plans to build a new church building that would seat up to 250 people, as well as campground cabins for participants and counselors in its sober living ministries.
143 Ministries issues statement
In a Facebook video posted on Monday, Aug. 19, Clifton Nobles, the founder of 143 Ministries said the decision to withdraw the application was made because there was “too much going on with it.”
“I don’t want to fight the whole neighborhood and be somewhere that we’re not wanted,” Nobles said. “I’ve got friends involved with this who are being talked about. The lady, this is the thing, if there was a person that we could trust in this county to put away criminals, we should be able to trust her to tell us things. But people are talking about my friends, people who support us, slandering them, lying about them and I just don’t want to go forward any more with that.”
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Community members speak out against rezoning
Even though the application was withdrawn, multiple residents against the rezoning spoke up during the commission meeting. Judy Horn, who lives across the street from the property, said her biggest concern is safety, and she’s unsure about the people who would’ve been at the property.
“My thing is, it’s not about the church. It’s about what the church is doing, and it’s about the people that they’re saying they’re ministering to help,” Horn said. “These are strangers that’s going to be living tighter. These are drug addicts and alcoholics and they’re going to be living together. I can’t see them sitting around in those woods sitting around a campfire singing kumbaya every night together. It’s going to be some fighting, it’s going to be some them getting mad, it’s going to be them getting ready to walk off that property whenever they get ready. When they walk off that property, my house might be the first one they walk to because I’m the closest.”
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Dylan and Haley Farmer, who also property west next to the property in question, spoke about their concerns with what 143 Ministries wanted to do with the property. Haley asked commisisoners if they are trying to make sure the residents are safe and if they are making sure the law is followed and their privacy is also safe. Commissioners answered yes.
“Through this whole process these past few weeks, it’s been terrible. Being right next door to it and having no idea other than a sign in the driveway…,” Haley said. “That’s a scary feeling. The fear of the unknown and if you haven’t experienced that, I hope you don’t. Because it’s scary, especially when you’re trying to start a family for the first time. It’s scary. I hope and I pray that ya’ll are up to bat for us. You’re batting for our name and our area. We want growth too, but we want it the right way. We want what’s best for the neighborhood. We want what’s best for Grovetown, Columbia County, Harlem.”
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Several citizens voiced complaints about communication and said they were not informed about the hearing at the Planning Commission on Aug. 1. District 1 Commissioner Connie Melear asked about if the county failed to communicate and Deputy County Manager Matt Schlachter said that state law was followed.
“The state law dictates how we advertise that,” Schlachter said. “It was advertised in the paper before this and obviously the sign that was mentioned and obviously our website. Our packet is listed on our website for any and all to read…the application comes in, staff uploads it to the website almost immediately and it’s there for the public to start looking at it then. As we develop the staff report, the website gets updated with all the information to be seen. Again, you have to go to it to get it, we don’t have a way to push it to every individual property (owner).”
As for any future plans for the property, in his Facebook video, Nobles said they will have to see what happens. But they do have six months before they can apply again for any rezoning.
“We own the property and we’re going to carry on and see what God wants,” Nobles said. “Whatever we do on the property will be allowed by law and we’ll continue to help people, which is what we’ve been doing.
