For the consecrated women in this Gwinnett County subdivision, the day starts early and follows a familiar schedule of prayers and volunteer work. Whether that routine continues will be decided Tuesday night when the county commission votes on a permit that would let a Roman Catholic order continue using the house as a dormitory.<\/p>\n
The Legionnaires of Christ needs the special-use permit because the group home is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood.<\/p>\n
It’s been there for two years, but not until March did the county or surrounding homeowners know about it. They found out when the Legionnaires began drafting plans to triple the size of the house so up to 25 women could reside there.<\/p>\n
That angered homeowners, who feared the expansion would overwhelm their neighborhood and hurt their property values.<\/p>\n
The religious women were perplexed at the resistance, saying you couldn’t ask for quieter neighbors.<\/p>\n