We are have undergone a transition here at Cascade and your church leadership wishes to speak to the Cascade congregation on the status of our development plans. The retirement of our previous Senior Pastor, Reverend Walter Kimbrough, mandated that we – Church Council, Board of Trustees and the Development Committee – step back and re-assess the creation of our new worship center, as well as the new community housing development we have been so diligently planning for the past three years.  It is our responsibility to be good stewards of property and other assets that belong to Cascade United Methodist Church; therefore, we thought Reverend Marvin A. Moss, our current Senior Pastor, needed some time to understand the project and embrace the vision.

In reviewing the details of the project, let us point out that Cascade purchased 141 acres in South Fulton (Welcome All Road / Ben Hill Road). This was a sound investment; and, in fact, might be considered An Endowment for Cascade. The property has already escalated in value; and it is well documented that this area in South Fulton County will experience at least 12% growth, during coming years, assuring us that the property will continue to rise in value and lend credence to our decision to make this purchase.  

The site is located approximately ¼ mile from the Camp Creek Marketplace. The new community will be anchored by the Cascade Worship Center, and is also planned to include a charter school, a recreation facility, single family housing, town homes, condos, senior independent and assisted living facilities, parks, green space, etc.
 
In order to undertake the development, Cascade United Methodist Church created Cascade Acres, LLC, with Hattie B. Dorsey and Renee Glover serving in leadership positions. Cascade Acres, LLC selected The Integral Group to serve as its Master Developer and has since engaged a number of outstanding consultants and sub-consultants to conduct necessary research and to move the project forward. Paramount in the process was the gathering of facts and compiling presentations and reports in order to secure the proper zoning requirement from the city of East Point.

It is important to understand that the land we purchased was in the East Point Tax Allocation District (TAD).  While the inclusion of a housing development project was always part of Cascade’s vision, the East Point housing in our current plans provides an incremental increase in the City’s tax base, which satisfies the intentions of the City of East Point in creating the TAD. Cascade made a commitment to East Point to include housing in the first phase of the development.

The master plan has been created and presented to the congregation on many different occasions. Remember that this master plan includes three separate phases of development – the worship center (sanctuary), the witness phase (academy, fitness center, assisted living facilities), and the East Point Mandate (single family, for-sale housing development).  

We are pleased to report that our East Point re-zoning process is complete.

Pastor Moss has taken his time to understand the history of this project; he is in the spirit, understands our goals and objectives, and has incorporated his vision in the future of Cascade.
 
We are ready for the next phases which will include selecting an architect, securing a lending institution and proper loans, initiating a fundraising campaign, and breaking ground for the new church. At the same time, we will be identifying a developer to move forward with the development of the single family, for-sale housing community. It is critical to understand that the single family, for-sale housing phase will have no negative impact on the church. In fact, just the opposite will occur as funds coming from the single family development partner will provide the project with early income. This is an opportunity for us to generate some revenue towards retirement of the land debt, pay the initial planning and design costs required to commence the development of the remainder of the community, and build an endowment for our worship center facilities.

The Cascade LLC will insure that pricing for the single family, for-sale housing development will provide for a mix of household incomes. We will also insure that a binding covenant, with the new home owners in the housing phase, guarantees the vision and intent of the Cascade United Methodist Church.

The remaining acres, minus those acres set aside for housing development, will more than meet the requirements necessary to construct the Cascade worship center including the wish-list from the design sub-committee and the facilities planned in the witness phase. The assisted living and independent living, included in the witness phase, will provide rental housing for seniors.

As we move to the next phases of our development project, Cascade will become engaged in a fundraising campaign. Successful fundraising, from the Cascade congregation and other friends of Cascade, is required in order to implement the full extent of our project.

Cascade LLC, Pastor Moss and the entire Cascade leadership team wants your input. We will have more “Church Chats,” for your convenience. Please ask questions of those individuals who can provide accurate information. Listen out for church meetings and participate in the dialogue; use the “information box” in grand hall to leave messages, go to the website for information, and call members of the Development Committee.

“Less of me, God; more of you. None of me, God; all of you,” says our Senior Pastor Marvin Moss. Let us remember this message as we more foreword to build the future church of Cascade. “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” - Philippians 4:13