Peachtree Road United Methodist has deferred, for 30 days, a scheduled hearing before the NPU-B zoning committee regarding planned construction of a youth center.
Since January of this year, the church has been at odds with residents of Buckhead Forest, who are unsettled by the idea of the Church expanding into the neighborhood. Last week, a letter circulated amongst PRUMC congregation members and Buckhead Forest residents, urging parishioners to show their support for the Church at the April 30th meeting and saying that the church would move forward with plans for the youth center without the neighborhood’s cooperation.
Douglas Dillard, the attorney representing the church, said neither he nor church leadership had received a response to their latest proposal when plans to go to the NPU without an agreement were made. Last week, Buckhead Forest residents expressed a willingness to negotiate around one of the options presented by the church.
“In early April we had not heard back from [Buckhead Forest], and having not heard back from them, we made plans to go before the zoning board tonight,” Dillard told the Reporter by phone April 30. “That was last week when we had received no response from the neighborhood.”
Dillard says meetings already have been set up between neighborhood and church representatives and will occur within the week.
“We are having discussions with the neighborhood. Hopefully we will be able to reach some sort of agreement in the next 30 days.”