Johnson City

Johnson City Planners Hear Watauga Avenue Church Rezoning to MS-1

Johnson City’s Planning Commission heard a request on Oct. 13 to rezone 0.42 acres at 201 E. Watauga Avenue from RO-1 to MS-1 so Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church can add onto its building. Staff recommended approval; the recorded outcome is pending.

Tracy King

16 Oct 2026 • 6 min read

Johnson City Planning took up a Watauga Avenue church rezoning to MS-1 on Oct. 13, 2026. Illustrative photo.

Update (Oct. 16, 2026): The Johnson City Regional Planning Commission heard this request at its Oct. 13 meeting (item 7.1 on the agenda). A recorded outcome has not been published yet; the vote will appear in the approved minutes, and a rezoning recommended by the Planning Commission still needs City Commission ordinance readings before it is final. The details below come from the Oct. 13 staff packet.

Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church of JC Inc. asked Johnson City planners to rezone 0.42 acres at 201 E. Watauga Avenue from RO-1 (High Density Residential District) to MS-1 (Medical Services District) so a building addition can push lot coverage above the 35% RO-1 cap. The request was item 7.1 on the Oct. 13, 2026, Planning Commission agenda, with a public hearing noted on the agenda summary.

City staff recommended approval. The agenda summary says MS-1 is compatible with surrounding zoning and land uses, matches the Horizon 2045 Downtown Transition placetype, and that the addition would be used for a nursery and fellowship hall without increasing the intensity of the development on the site.

201 E. Watauga Avenue at a glance

Item	Detail	Source
Address	201 E. Watauga Avenue	Agenda summary / staff report
Acreage	0.42 acres	Agenda summary
Applicant	Mike Stone	Staff report cover
Owner	Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church of JC Inc.	Staff report
Application	PLRZ202600068	Staff report
Current zoning	RO-1	Staff report
Requested	MS-1	Staff report
Lot coverage	RO-1 max 35%; MS-1 max 50%	Agenda summary; staff report
Addition size	Agenda summary cites 1,729 sq ft; concept analysis cites 1,974 sq ft	Staff packet (both figures printed)
Hearing	Planning Commission, Oct. 13, 2026, 6:00 p.m., 601 E. Main Street	Agenda
Status	Heard Oct. 13, 2026; outcome pending in minutes	Agenda

Two square-footage figures in the same packet

The agenda summary describes an addition to the existing church building and, on the staff-report cover sheet, lists a request to accommodate an addition of 1,729 sq ft to the principal structure. Later in the same packet, the concept-plan analysis says the applicant is proposing a 1,974 sq ft addition off the northeast side of the principal building. Both numbers appear in the city packet; neither should be dropped without noting the other.

Why MS-1, not a variance

Staff said the addition would push total lot coverage over the 35% allowed under RO-1. MS-1 allows coverage of not more than 50% and already applies to parcels directly adjacent to the northeast of the church parcel, according to the concept-plan analysis.

A concept plan is required for the MS-1 request. Staff noted water and sewer already serve the site, and that stormwater detention will need improvements because of more impervious surface on a proposed parking lot next to the site.

Parking shift next door

The proposed addition would displace seven on-site parking spaces, with two accessible spaces retained on site, staff wrote. Most church parking already sits on two adjacent parcels the church owns. One lot is gravel today; the church proposes to improve that gravel lot, relocate the displaced spaces there, pave and landscape it, and add a buffer fence next to an adjacent single-family home.

Horizon 2045 labels conflict inside the packet

The agenda summary says the request is consistent with the Horizon 2045 Growth Management Plan Downtown Transition placetype. Deeper in the staff report, a Horizon 2045 section says the plan assigns this property the Downtown Core placetype. Print both labels as the packet printed them. Staff argued either way that MS-1 uses fit a downtown mix of residential, retail and office investment.

What else was on the Oct. 13 agenda

The same night included larger subdivision plats that have separate coverage: Keebler Meadows Phase 2 and Saxon Heights. See Johnson City Planning Commission Weighs Keebler Meadows Phase 2 and 48-Lot Saxon Heights Tonight. Other items listed were a four-lot Newton Street preliminary plat, a Davis Replat on Lake Drive Extension, and Hayes Estates Phase II, a seven-lot final plat at 512 Claude Simmons Road.

Across the state line in Kingsport, planners also had a busy mid-October calendar, including the Brickyard Village amended preliminary. See Kingsport RPC Sets Sept. 17 on Valley Drive R-1 to A-5.

Where the church sits in the zoning map

Staff’s surrounding-land-use table lists medical services zoned MS-1 to the north, office uses in RO-1 to the south, a mix of residences and medical services in RO-1 to the east, and single-family plus office uses in RO-1 to the west. That pattern is why staff called MS-1 a compatible extension rather than a leap into a new district family.

The existing land use on the subject parcel is listed as public / semi-public, and the physical-features note says the site is currently occupied by a church and is relatively flat. Those lines matter for neighbors who hear “medical services district” and picture a clinic campus; the packet is still about a church addition and related parking work.

Utilities and stormwater

Water and sewer already serve the location, staff wrote. Stormwater detention will require improvements based on the increase of impervious surfaces on the proposed parking lot adjacent to the site. Anyone disclosing the project to a buyer on the next block should mention the detention work as part of the same plan, not as a separate mystery project.

How this fits the rest of Johnson City’s October calendar

Oct. 13 was a heavy night for plats. Keebler Meadows Phase 2 and Saxon Heights dominated the housing conversation; the Watauga case is the smaller, downtown-facing item that still changes a zoning line next to homes and offices. For the Culver’s / Optimist Park land sale that closed out another Johnson City thread this month, see Johnson City Takes Up $1.1 Million Optimist Park Lot Sale for a Culver’s on Thursday.

What nearby owners should take from the Watauga case

MS-1 next door is not automatic apartments. Staff described a nursery and fellowship hall addition, not a hospital tower.
Watch the parking lot work. The packet ties the rezoning to paving, landscaping and a buffer fence on an adjacent church-owned lot beside a single-family home.
Cite both square-footage figures if you disclose the plan. The packet has 1,729 and 1,974.
Price from comps, not from a hearing. A church addition case is not a reason to reprice an entire block overnight.

If you live on Watauga Avenue or the side streets that share the church parking edge, keep the Oct. 13 case number PLRZ202600068 in your notes when a buyer asks what is changing next door.

Own a home near downtown Johnson City or the medical corridor? Start with a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if timing matters more than waiting out another planning cycle.

What rezoning was proposed at 201 E. Watauga Avenue?

Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church asked to rezone 0.42 acres from RO-1 to MS-1 so a building addition can exceed the 35% RO-1 lot-coverage limit, according to the Oct. 13 Planning Commission agenda summary.

Staff recommended approval, saying MS-1 is compatible with surrounding zoning and land uses and that the addition would be used for a nursery and fellowship hall.

How large is the proposed addition?

The city packet lists two figures: the cover sheet cites 1,729 square feet, while the concept-plan analysis cites 1,974 square feet.

When was the hearing?

The Johnson City Regional Planning Commission agenda lists the meeting for Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in Commission Chambers at 601 E. Main Street.

What parking changes are proposed?

Staff said the addition would displace seven on-site spaces, keep two accessible spaces, and shift parking to an improved gravel lot on an adjacent church-owned parcel with paving, landscaping and a buffer fence.