The Starkville Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday recommended approval for a project that - if completed - will see a new subdivision on the southwest corner of the intersection of Old West Point Road and Rose Perkins Drive.
The final plat request was made by Jason Pepper at Tuesday’s meeting, on behalf of Pepper Surveying and Mapping, LLC.
The development project calls for subdividing a 1.5-acre tract into seven lots on the southwest corner of the intersection of Old West Point Road and Rose Perkins Drive.
Pepper told SDN if the Board of Aldermen approves, he will begin construction.
Pepper then went on to say they wanted to address the Board in next Tuesday’s meeting, but because of paperwork that needs to be taken care of, the presentation date could be later than expected.
“We'd hoped to do it next Tuesday, but it may get pushed to June 6,” Pepper said.
City Planner Daniel Havelin told SDN until the final plat gets an approval from the Board of Aldermen, they can't sell individual lots because by law the lot does not exist at the moment.
"Before you can actually sell a lot, because a lot wouldn't technically, legally exist until the final plat is approved by the Board of Aldermen,” Havelin said.
OTHER BUSINESS
City Engineer Edward Kemp addressed the Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday to go over the results of the 2011 South Montgomery Street’s traffic study.
Kemp explained how the study focused on the 2.7 mile stretch between the Academy and Poor House roads intersections on South Montgomery Street. One of the main points of the study was to examine traffic on nine intersecting streets on South Montgomery.
Kemp said a capacity analysis was used in the study to determine the level of service on the street. The capacity analysis uses a grading system much like the one used in schools, with D and above being acceptable and F and below being unacceptable.
Kemp said the only signalized intersection used in the study was on Academy Road and South Montgomery and it received a D, which means that it has a 35 to a 55 second wait time. Sherwood Road and Shadowood Lane were two of the eight unsignalized roads used in the study and they were given a D as well.
Kemp also expressed concern for the unsignalized roads turning left going north on South Montgomery because of the heavy traffic flow.
Kemp said the study used data from a 2006 and 2010 North Mississippi Travel Model by MDOT that showed a 3 percent increase in traffic.
Kemp said the study showed a possible solution could be including a center turn lane that could also be used as a merge lane.
Commissioners mentioned the new road being built off Poor House Road that will lead to Mississippi State and how it will direct the flow of traffic to some extent. Kemp then went on to explain that it is difficult to determine exactly how much traffic will pass through the new road.
Mississippi State estimates the new road will be completed by August before football season starts.
The Commissioners unanimously agreed for Kemp to wait until the new road gets completed, update the data and present a new presentation.
Ward 2 Commissioner Tom Walker said until this issue is resolved, the Planning and Zoning Commissioners shouldn't accept any more zoning changes on South Montgomery Street.