Local News
Thursday, 01 August 2019 10:16

Hindu worship center proposed on Kelly Mill Road

The owners of 6.85 acres on Kelly Mill Road want to build a place of worship for the Hindu community.

Documents with the Forsyth County Department of Planning & Community Development, Hindu Center of Atlanta Inc., applied for a conditional-use permit on July 3 to operate a place of worship at 2010 Kelly Mill Road.

The applicants plan to build a 9,355-square-foot building with priest’s residence along with 80 parking spaces, according to documents.

A preliminary zoning review meeting is scheduled for Aug. 7. The application would enter the work time period until Feb. 4, 2020.

It is indication of the relatively recent shift in Forsyth County’s demographics.

According to statistics released in June by the U.S. Census Bureau, Forsyth County had the largest growth of residents who identify as Asian in the country between 2017 and 2018 among counties with a total population of 20,000 or more, with an increase of 11.5% (3,408).

Forsyth County now has approximately 34,308 residents who identify as Asian, or 14.5% of its total population, making it the largest minority group in the county.

Naturally, the county has seen an influx of businesses and community spaces marketed for the Indo-Pakistani community. Forsyth County has as many as six Hindu places of worship.

According to county records The Hindu Center of Atlanta has owned the property on Kelly Mill Road since May 23, 2018.  They have been holding regular events since this past December, according to its Facebook page.

Preliminary zoning review: Aug. 7, 2019

Work time period: Aug. 8, 2019 to Feb. 4, 2020

Local representative(s): Todd Levent, Board of Commissioners, District 3; Jessica Thornson, Planning CommissionDistrict 3