SNOW HILL – A popular Salisbury church could be expanding to Worcester County.
The connections of Oak Ridge Baptist Church are hoping to convert what was once the office building for Chaney Concrete Factory in Bishopville into a church. As the first step in that process, Gary McCabe Jr., a pastor at Oak Ridge, is asking Worcester County officials to approve a text amendment that would allow churches, temples and mosques as special exception uses in the light industrial district.
“I have served as a pastor at Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Salisbury for nearly 10 years,” McCabe wrote to Worcester County Development Review and Permitting. “During that time, I have seen all the good that a healthy church can do for a community. I am so excited to be given the opportunity to bring a new church with the same strategy and purpose to Worcester County.”
According to McCabe, his search for a location for the new church had been unsuccessful until he found the old concrete company office building.
“Amazingly, the layout of the building and location are almost exactly what we are looking for,” he wrote.
Because the property is zoned I-1 light industrial, a church would not be a permitted use. To address that issue, McCabe submitted a text amendment application to the county. He’s proposed allowing churches, temples and mosques in the I-1 district as a special exception use. As such, the Worcester County Board of Zoning Appeals would review each situation individually.
Director of Development Review and Permitting Ed Tudor outlined the proposed amendment to the Worcester County Commissioners last week.
“The planning commission reviewed this application at their last meeting and gave it a favorable recommendation,” Tudor said. “I would point out that staff does have some concerns about the amendment as proposed but we’d be happy to discuss those, if it does get introduced, at the public hearing.”
The commissioners agreed to introduce the amendment and will host a public hearing on it Nov. 19.
