MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Monday, September 22, 2008 11:15 am

Even though Bible Park USA is going to Lebanon, the Shelton family’s challenge to the Rutherford County Zoning Resolution will continue.

“As we said early on, this is not about the Bible Park. There are issues of law, due process, and transparency that remain before the Court,” said Steve Shelton, spokesman for the family.

Last week, California-based Entertainment Development Group announced plans to make Lebanon the future site of Bible Park USA. The company has optioned 113 acres north of Interstate 40, between the Murfreesboro and Watertown exits for the park. The property’s sale is contingent on project approval by the Lebanon and Wilson County governments.

The Shelton family, which owns the 240 acres previously optioned by BPU, filed suit against Rutherford County in June challenging the county’s use of a landowner petition and the subsequent denial of the park’s rezoning request.

In May, the landowner petition forced a two-thirds majority vote by the county commission for rezoning and conditional-use permit request by BPU Holding, LLC, the developer behind Bible Park USA. The vote fell in two short of the 14 needed to approve the park’s plans.

The lawsuit requests the landowner petition be corrected, the zoning application approved and attorney’s fees be paid by the county. No specific damages were requested.

“This is a landowner rights case,” Shelton family attorney Taylor Harris said in a previous hearing for the case. “It’s our position that landowner rights have been violated.”

The case is scheduled to go to trial Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.