No official paperwork has been submitted to government officials, but a plan by a religious group to build a large multi-use community in Flowery Branch has been stirring concern among residents for more than a week.
La Luz Del Mundo has purchased a 272-acre piece of property at 5701 Hog Mountain Road with the apparent intent of building a development anchored by a large house of prayer. The community would also include residences, parks, hospitals, hotels and other amenities, according to a social media post about the project.
A petition generated on the website change.org by a "concerned citizen" had received nearly 3,800 online signatures opposing the development by Wednesday afternoon.
The developer had planned a meeting with neighboring Sterling on the Lake residents for Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Mulberry Creek Community Center, but Hall County rescinded the meeting permit, saying the facility was too small to accommodate the expected crowd.
Joshua Scoggins of Cumming, the attorney for LDM Central Evangelical Ministries, confirmed in an email he had received a letter from Hall County attorney Bill Blalock, canceling the meeting. Scoggins said the developer still wants to meet with concerned citizens.
"Thursday’s meeting was intended to be the first of several meetings with various adjacent property owners to discuss the project and work through any legitimate concerns the neighboring property owners may have about the project," Scoggins wrote. "We will continue to try and meet with the various stakeholder groups in the community to address any legitimate concerns, however given the amount of public interest in this project it is simply not possible to accommodate everyone at a single meeting because most facilities within a reasonable distance of the property have limited seating capacity."
Scoggins did not outline specific plans by LDM Central, but he said his client wants to be a good neighbor to others in the area.
"LDM Central wants to build a project the community can be proud of and we will continue working to achieve that goal by building positive relationships with local residents, business owners and government officials," Scoggins wrote.
Despite that assurance, many in the community are worried and have labeled the group in social media posts as a "cult."
Rich Atkinson, the Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Flowery Branch, said the city knows about LDM Central's plans, but so far, nothing formal has been filed with the city.
"At this time there is no formal application, so in reality there is nothing for the City to discuss," Atkinson said in an email last week to AccessWDUN. "If and when an application is submitted, it is everyone’s right to attend the meeting and voice their opinion." Atkinson said the city would also accept any written statements in support or opposition to the project when the time is right.
