A Kernersville church wants to expand its presence by taking over a former manufacturing plant once operated by Dudley Products Inc.
A rezoning request has been filed with the town of Kernersville regarding a 14-acre site at 1080 Old Greensboro Road and 1200 Dudley Products Blvd. The site includes a vacant 68,086-square-foot plant valued at $6 million, according to Forsyth County tax records.
The request is to allow the site -- now zoned as general industrial, special use -- to be used by a church or religious institution. The request is set to be heard by the town council March 2. The planning board has already approved the request.
The report from the planning board does not include the name of the church. Curtis Swisher, the town manager, identified the church as Calvary Chapel of the Triad.
The church, founded locally in October 2002, has services and other activities in a 37,000-square-foot building at 365 W. Bodenhamer St. that also once served as a factory.
According to the church's Web site, Calvary Chapel has been at Bodenhamer Street since November 2003. It said it has a weekly attendance of about 1,700 worshippers.
David McGee, the pastor of the church, could not be reached for comment.
The petitioner for the rezoning is Chas Scott, an agent for Sepia Inc., which owns the property.
Sepia is connected to Joe Dudley Sr. and Eunice Dudley, two local entrepreneurs known for making and selling cosmetic and hair-care products aimed at ethnic consumers.
Ursula Dudley Oglesby, a daughter of the Dudleys, said that the 14-acre site has been for sale for about two years.
Sepia is negotiating with a buyer that she wouldn't identify.
The rezoning request is just the latest developments involving the Dudley Products campus.
According to the Greensboro News & Record, the Dudleys have defaulted on nearly $5 million in loans involving 34 acres on the campus. The company's Dudley Beauty Corp. LLC operations are based at 4035 Premier Drive in High Point.
In January, Lehman Brothers Small Balance Commercial Mortgage bought 20 undeveloped acres on the campus for $1.25 million through a foreclosure sale, according to the county Register of Deeds Office. The group took ownership Feb. 10.
The News & Record reported that Sepia has not made a payment on any of the debt since December 2008.
Sepia took out loans from Lehman in 2006 and owed more than $2 million on the 20 acres and more than $3 million on the remainder, considering accrued interest and other fees.
There are 171 parking spaces at the plant site. According to the planning board report, a church would need one parking space for every four seats in its sanctuary. Based on 1,700 worshippers, Calvary would require about 425 parking spaces to meet zoning regulations.
rcraver@wsjournal.com
727-7376
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