Forsyth County Approves StonePoint Church Permit, Project Advances on Matt Highway
Forsyth County commissioners on December 1 approved a conditional use permit allowing StonePoint Church to build its first permanent church facility on Matt Highway, clearing a major regulatory step for the congregation. The decision, made after a county planning review and public hearing, matters to residents because it sets conditions for site design, traffic mitigation, and stormwater controls that will shape neighborhood impacts and future permitting.
Forsyth County commissioners approved a conditional use permit for StonePoint Church on December 1, authorizing the congregation to pursue construction of its first permanent building on a parcel along Matt Highway. County planning staff reviewed the request and recommended conditions, and the board attached requirements intended to address site layout, buffers, stormwater management, and traffic access before construction may begin.
The county supplied a location map showing the property on Matt Highway, and the planning file describes the approvals the congregation sought, including use of the site for religious assembly and related site improvements. Commissioners discussed the application during a public meeting and voted to grant the permit subject to the conditions set by planning staff and refined by the commission.
Several members of the public spoke during the hearing, raising concerns about traffic generation, existing road capacity, and potential runoff affecting neighboring properties. Commissioners and staff emphasized that the conditional use permit does not authorize immediate construction, but rather governs permitted use and establishes standards the applicant must meet in subsequent permitting reviews.
Next steps for the applicant include submitting a site plan that conforms to the conditions on buffers, landscaping, and stormwater controls, obtaining required grading and building permits, and completing any necessary traffic improvements or access permits from county transportation staff. The county will review engineered plans and inspect initial site work before issuing building permits, and the church must demonstrate compliance with county ordinances and any state environmental regulations that apply.
The approval highlights how conditional use permits function in Forsyth County as a tool to balance new development with neighborhood concerns, by allowing uses that require additional oversight while imposing site specific conditions. For residents, the decision clarifies the regulatory path ahead, signals forthcoming construction activity on Matt Highway, and confirms that county review and public input will continue to shape the project as it moves through permitting and site work.
