Tuesday’s Jackson City Council meeting lasted about 70 minutes, and more than half of it was spent on one discussion regarding about three acres of land in northwest Jackson.
The public comments portion of the meeting had 12 people signed up, and every one of them signed up to speak about the proposed rezoning of land at the intersection of Pleasant Plains Road and McClellan Road from single-family housing to commercial.
All 12 were against the rezoning.
Some were against it because of traffic and infrastructure issues. Others were against it for allowing businesses into a residential area. Others were opposed to clearing more land and pouring more concrete when there are a plethora of empty buildings where possible businesses could go.
But they all were against it.
The land in question is owned by Joel McAlexander and a couple of ownership partners. McAlexander approached the City’s planning commission asking for the zoning to be changed because he’d like to put a small shopping center there that would include a bank and two or three other higher-end establishments like a coffee or donut shop and something else that would serve the people who live in the immediate area.
When the issue was discussed the previous Thursday, May 2, during the Council’s agenda review, Council member Julie Holt said she’d heard from an overwhelming majority of people who were in favor of the rezoning while all other members of the Council who’d heard feedback heard more against the rezoning than for.
Holt is a realtor who represents other areas of North Jackson.
The parcel of land is near the border between Candace Busby’s district and Marda Wallace’s district. Both of whom had said in prior public meetings that the majority of feedback they’d heard on the matter was that more people were against the development than for.
When the issue came up for discussion among the Council a few minutes later, J.P. Stovall announced that he would vote against the rezoning based on the fact that he’d heard more against the rezoning than for it.
Russ McKelvey, Richard Donnell and Larry Lowrance had questions for City Planner Stan Pilant about the planning process and the planning commission’s approval for the rezoning.
After about nine minutes of discussion, Stovall called for the question, which ended the discussion and forced a vote on the matter. The tally was 8-1 against the rezoning with Holt being the lone dissenter.
“I’m nearly always going to be pro-development,” Holt said after the meeting when asked about her vote. “Some of the concerns were about property values dropping, but I can tell you that property values are based on sizes of similar sizes and not necessarily if there’s a bank or gas station within a certain radius of it.”
Both Wallace and Busby said their constituents weren’t unanimous but were overwhelmingly against the rezoning.
The vote on the rezoning and the vote on whether or not to call the question were the only non-unanimous votes the Council took on Tuesday.
Here’s a look at the highlights of other things the Council did – all with unanimous votes:
- Approved the project development agreement for a hotel on the vacant lot on Main Street across from Hub City Brewing
- Approved the revised development plan for house elevations at Bancroft Place subdivision (formerly Jade Estates)
- Approved a resolution saying the City would work toward a grant from the state next year to improve trails in its parks including making repairs to boardwalks at Cypress Grove Park
- Approved the resolution approving of Gary Taylor’s proposal of a TIF district for Columns III development on Vann Drive near Country Club Lane
- Approved a guaranteed maximum price for the men’s homeless shelter set to begin construction later this year at $3.4 million.
Attendance report: All members of Jackson City Council were present this month.
Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news
