Walton County approves conditional use for Ethiopian Orthodox congregation with conditions on buffers and design

Walton County commissioners approved a conditional‑use permit to allow a 15.90‑acre place of worship on Youth Monroe Road, granting the Ethiopian Orthodox congregation permission to use part of the site temporarily while requiring specific conditions intended to protect adjacent homes.

Father Manchelo Gaudy, who identified himself as the priest of the congregation and said he is also an attorney by profession, described the congregation’s desire for additional space for children and community programs and said the church has worshipped in Lilburn and seeks to relocate to Walton County. The planning commission recommended approval with five conditions: (1) prohibit direct access from the subject property to Joanne Drive; (2) require a 25‑ft planted evergreen buffer adjacent to specified lots in the Caswell Plantation subdivision; (3) limit approval to a place of worship, with phased construction and specific temporary‑barn limits (temporary barn use limited to six years with board‑approved extensions); (4) prohibit senior housing or educational facilities under this approval; and (5) require inward/down‑directed lighting that meets county standards.

Neighbors who opposed the conditional use raised concerns about scale, traffic, drainage and proximity to a private airstrip. Susan Cant and John Carr described effects on adjacent properties and expressed worries about a large building and parking lots near long‑term residences. Robert Mitchell, a nearby property owner, said he preferred a church to yet another subdivision and offered suggestions for building aesthetics; Father Gaudy said the congregation would work to fit into the community.

Commissioners added a condition asking that the design “fit within the community” — a request characterized in the meeting as a desire for architecture more in line with nearby structures — and then voted to approve the conditional use with the planning commission’s five stipulations and the additional design condition.

Next steps: Conditions will be incorporated into the permit; if the congregation proceeds with construction beyond temporary use of an existing barn, additional permits and inspections will be required and the board’s six‑year temporary limit on barn use will apply unless the board grants an extension.