Church asks supes to keep road commitment

Representatives of New Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Yandell Road are asking Madison's Board of Supervisors to revive a project abandoned two years ago to move Smith-Carr Road off it its property.

Marvin Hart, a Deacon at Mt. Zion, appeared before the board Monday evening and said the road, which splits the church's property in half, was preventing it from expanding and causing a dangerous situation.

"We have 82 active members of our church and some of them are here with me today," Hart said. "The road is less than 16 feet from our building, and it's only by the grace and protection of the Almighty God that the church hasn't been run into and nobody has been injured."



The church property, which is located at 432 Yandell Road and is slightly smaller than an acre, is situated just east of Kemper Creek subdivision.

The left-hand turn onto Smith-Carr Road splits part of the church's property. Mt. Zion is asking for the county to move that entrance closer to the subdivision, which would free up space on their land for further expansion.

The project to move the road was originally approved in March of 2016 but cancelled just a month later in April.

"The members of our church have practiced one virtue - patience," Hart said, referencing several related bible verses. "But the time to act is now. Our community is progressing, hundreds of homes are being built in the area and we need to stay ahead of it."

Hart added that the church has future plans to build a fellowship hall, a walking trail and - "God willing" - eventually a daycare center.

District 5 Supervisor Paul Griffin said he remembered the project, but as he recalled, it was scrapped when District 4 Supervisor David Bishop, who represents the area, replaced former Supervisor Karl Banks.

"Sometimes priorities change when there's a new supervisor," Griffin said. "I'm afraid this project might have been a victim of that."

With Bishop absent from the meeting, Griffin asked County Engineer Tim Bryan to see if the county still owns the right-of-way necessary to re-start the project.