NORRIS, Tenn. — A legal battle between Covenant Life Church and the Norris has been put to rest after around 5 years.
It started in 2019 after Covenant Life Church built Solid Rock Retreat, an RV park in the back of the church's property. It included 16 stalls for RVs and hook-ups for those RVs. It also included picnic tables and recreational areas for visitors. People could reserve these spaces for days, weeks or even months.
According to court records the church did not apply for the permits it needed to start building the park.
"Cities have zoning laws on the books that set uses for particular pieces of property, and where this property was did not provide for that type of use", said Adam Ledford, the city manager of Norris.
In May 2024, the court filed a permanent injunction against the church which required it to stop operating the park. The RV park officially shut down on May 31, but the church filed for a rezoning permit in July. That permit was denied by the Norris City Council.
Ledford said the city council decided that the property the church was zoned for did not allow for a campground or RV park. He said the church was zoned in a P1 area,
"The improper usage of the property is related to a campground, an RV park, being used in what is identified as a P-1 zone area. P-1 zone area in the standpoint of the city doesn't allow for RV parks," said Ledford. "The direct issue has to do with property usage within the zones of city limits. We've had zoning rules in this country for a long time and a lot of that is to provide safety and to protect the use of your neighbors as well."
The Permanent Injunction ordered by the court is still in place, which means the church cannot operate the park on their property even though the dispute is settled.
We reached out to the church and their legal team, they declined to comment.