Published Saturday, September 04, 2010

Trinity Christian School requests heard by zoning appeals board

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Newnan Times-Herald

The Coweta Board of Zoning Appeals recommended approval of one request from Trinity Christian School and denial another at its September meeting Thursday night.

The recommendations will go to the Coweta County Board of Commissioners for final approval or denial.

The first request was for the high school, which meets on Ga. Hwy. 154 near Thomas Crossroads at the former home of Crossroads Church.

When a conditional use permit was granted for the school at that location, it was only for the use of certain buildings. The request Thursday was to expand into one floor of the main building and to some existing modular buildings.

"It gives more classroom space and gives us greater ability to offer more choices," said headmaster Dean Demos.

The vote was unanimous to recommend approval.

The other request was for the main campus, located at 8817 Ga. Hwy. 54. This is also the location of Trinity Fellowship Church.

In 1999, the school received approval for the use of a temporary modular classroom unit.

In 2008, the school received a two-year extension on the use of the unit. The intention was to build a new building, but the poor economy has prevented that. The extension expired in July.

The request was for permission to continue using the unit, which is being used by the athletic department. The modular unit does not meet the requirements of Coweta's Quality Development Corridor overlay district, which was put in place long after the school began operation.

The intent of the QDC is to "encourage high quality development," said Demos.

"Building quality children is our primary mission," he said. "We prefer to use our precious resources for teacher salaries and such."

Replacing the modular unit with something that meets the QDC guidelines would cost more than $200,000, Demos said. The unit is used for weight training, equipment storage, meeting rooms, and coach's offices, he said.

The school has painted the unit and done landscaping.

"You knew and we knew that it was in violation -- and so there has been a history of just keeping it longer than you were granted permission to use it there," said zoning appeals board member Sandie Hester. Hester asked how long the school would need to continue using the unit if the request were denied.

"We don't know yet... because we have been growing at such a rate," Demos said. The school just added middle school football this year.

"I was painfully aware, in the back of my mind, that that date was coming up and the county wanted it moved, he said. "I'll take personal responsibility."

Coweta Zoning Administrator Angela White said she'd received a letter from the owners of Collector's Corner, a neighboring commercial entity. The owners expressed their support for the school and said the modular unit is discretely placed and "does not pose any issues."

The planning department had recommended granting a two-year extension, with the condition that no further extensions be requested.

"Our goal has always been to provide as excellent an educational program as we can," said Norm Tapley, chairman of the school's board.

"Many private schools are not affordable to the average family," he said. And to keep tuition affordable, they have to maximize space.

"Every weekend, we go through the total transformation of making the school a church" and back again, Tapley said.

"By that utilization of our facilities, we have been able to keep the cost down. To build space to store athletic equipment that will meet the requirements of the ordinance is relatively financially prohibited for that type of space," Tapley said.

"What you guys are doing out there is good," said board chairman Jimmy McGuffey.

McGuffey said he would recommend the unit stay until the end of football season. "Dec. 31 would be plenty of time, I'm assuming," he said.

Board member James Weldon said he would like to see that date extended to the end of the school year.

Hester made a motion to recommend denial of the extension but to allow the unit to stay until June 1, 2011. The vote was 3-0.