By Tom Embrey

Senior Writer

Christ Community Church in Pinehurst is growing again.

The church, located off U.S 15-501 on Campground Road, is planning another expansion to accommodate its growing ministry needs.

The Pinehurst Village Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a major site plan for 18,900 square feet of additional building space at the church's current location, 220 Campground Road.

The church, which met in a small storefront as recently as early 2009, moved to its current location back in the second half of that year.

"The day we opened here, we couldn't fit," said Fred Berkheimer, the church's director of adult ministries.

The church is currently holding one worship service Saturday night and two more Sunday.

The proposed addition is the second phase of the church's expansion plan. It includes a children's wing with a long-term youth center. The addition will eventually allow the current sanctuary to become a central hub to the campus, Berkheimer said.

The land for the expansion was purchased in December 2010.

Berkheimer hopes to have bids back for the project by October with an eye toward a winter groundbreaking. The expansion will bring the current size of the campus to 29,326 square feet.

The expansion also adds additional parking, storm water controls and extensive landscaping to conform to required buffering.

The new parking will increase the number of spaces to 211.

The site will be heavily wooded and include 670 various plantings to conform with required buffering.

A dry temporary retention pond will be used as a sediment trap during construction but will be removed after construction.

The church started in 1986 as a home Bible study in Southern Pines. It moved to several storefronts before finding its current location. As recently as 2007, the church had about 70 members, Berkheimer said.

Now, it has more than 250 members and ministers to an even larger group.

Also during meeting the Village Council:

n Authorized the village manager to execute a letter of agreement between Tarheel Communications Solutions LLC and the village for event coordination, sponsorship and public relations leading up to and during the 2014 U.S. Open and Women's Open.

n Discussed the Municipal Service District (MSD). Council members discussed doing away with the district but ultimately took no action. The council did indicate it would like to discuss the topic again at a meeting in the near future after inviting members of the MSD to attend.

n Gave consent for staff to begin two brick sidewalk installations - one along Chinquapin Road and one down Barrett Road.

n Adopted a resolution authorizing village officials to sign contract documents and requisitions for funds from the CDBG Small Business Entrepreneurial Assistance Grant.

n Conducted a public hearing regarding an amendment to the Pinehurst Development Ordinance to revise the temporary use application deadline. The council approved this change.

n Conducted a public hearing regarding an amendment to the Pinehurst Development Ordinance to allow fences five feet tall in front yards in the R-210 Zoning District. The change was approved.

Contact Tom Embrey at (910) 693-2484 or tembrey@thepilot.com.