Despite neighborhood opposition, the Starkville Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend the rezoning of a 20-acre lot on South Montgomery Street Tuesday night.
The lot is located between Lynn Lane and Academy Road, with access to South Montgomery Street and Lynn Lane.
The rezoning of the lot from R-1 and C-2 to R-3A is in preparation for a 79-lot development by Kimely-Horn Associates Inc. and AS Fornea Construction. The development plans include three entrances into the neighborhood: one on Lynn Lane and two on South Montgomery Street.
The recommendation passed with three conditions to the potential residential development.
Ward 7 Commissioner Tommy Verdell, Jr. was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.
Approximately 50 Starkville citizens were present during the meeting, the majority of whom were opposed to the rezoning.
As previously reported by the Starkville Daily News, opposition to the rezoning Tuesday night focused on the traffic congestion on South Montgomery Street and on a change in character the development could cause the surrounding neighborhoods.
“Neighborhoods matter,” South Montgomery resident Bobby Crosland said. “We wish to keep this area as residential as possible.”
Crosland said he believed the 79 homes planned for the lot were too many homes to put on the property.
“Especially if you consider the additional traffic load in one of the most congested areas in the entire community,” Crosland said of the area surrounding South Montgomery Street.
A large part of the opposition to the rezoning comes from the Sherwood Forest neighborhood— which lies opposite the lot on South Montgomery— and the neighborhood sent a petition of the rezoning to Starkville on Oct. 4 with 196 signatures.
Sherwood resident Pickett Wilson spoke on behalf of the neighborhood Tuesday night.
“Character is defined as the distinctive nature of someone or something,” Wilson said. “Character is what makes something special or unique. We believe our neighborhood would no longer have that if a higher-density development is allowed to be built right across the street from us.”
Wilson also said the additional intersections on South Montgomery Street were a safety concern.
“We are concerned about the development with two streets creating two unsafe intersections opening up onto Montgomery,” Wilson said.
Despite the overwhelming opposition, the rezoning ultimately passed due to the change of character in the lot’s surrounding 1.5 miles over the last five years.
Ward 3 Commissioner Tom Walker made the motion to pass the recommendation to the Board of Aldermen with three conditions, which was seconded by Ward 6 Commissioner Jeremiah Dumas.
The recommendation passed 3-2, with Ward 1 Commissioner Jason Camp and Ward 5 Commissioner Alexis Gregory opposed and Verdell absent.
The commission’s approval to the rezoning held three conditions of the development plans by Kimley-Horn:
• The residential development is limited to 79 lots.
• The two entry points to the development on South Montgomery Street are solely right-turn entry and right-turn exit.
• The linear park along South Montgomery Street stays within 40 to 55 feet wide, keeping any existing trees in that area.
Gregory said she opposed the recommendation due to the density of the area surrounding the 20-acre lot.
“Too many houses and too much traffic based on the character of Sherwood Forest— plus acres in the other neighborhoods,” Gregory said. “I know a lot of people moved to South Montgomery because of the character of those neighborhoods, and as some of the neighbors attested, people come into Sherwood Forest because of the character of that neighborhood.”
“The density of this neighborhood is going to change that (character), and I don’t think it’s a positive change,” Gregory concluded.
Ward 2 Commissioner Carl Smith voted in favor of the recommendation.
“I hear their concerns about traffic, I hear their concerns about the character of the neighborhood changing because of the development,” Smith said. “But their neighborhood has, to this point, changed because of the rezonings around them.”
“That area is changing,” Smith added.
Henry Minor of Kimley-Horn & Associates came to give the presentation for the development.
“Obviously, it’s a very sensitive case— a passionate case— and that’s why we live in a democracy and everybody gets a voice,” Minor said. “I hope and I really do feel strongly that at the end of the day, once this development is complete, it will really be a community asset to this area and strengthen it.”
Minor was willing to accept changes to the development’s South Montgomery Street entry points due to the traffic concerns.
“Traffic is as a result of progress, and it’s something that has to be designed for and mitigated,” Minor said. “It’s somewhat inevitable.”
Although the neighborhood residents did not receive the vote they wanted, their fight is not over.
“I want you to understand this,” Dumas said to the Sherwood neighborhood. “Your efforts didn’t go in vain. This goes from a recommendation from this committee to the Board of Aldermen.”
“That board of Aldermen, now— because of your efforts— has to vote a supermajority to support this rezoning, so your efforts were not in vain,” Dumas added. “I can promise you that.”
After Tuesday’s meeting, Crosland said he was disappointed with the outcome but the process isn’t over.
“It was kind of expected from what I’ve been hearing,” Crosland said. “Disappointed, but we still get to go in front of the board of Aldermen, and they’ve got to vote 5-2 to approve it.”
“We’re not giving up,” Crosland added.
With a public hearing request, the rezoning will come before the Board of Aldermen during its first meeting in November.