City Approves Rezoning Request, Construction Can Begin For New Business
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Leigh Ann Black and Liz Reynolds received approval for work at city hall that will be funded by donations.
WATER VALLEY – A request to rezone a small strip of frontage property on the Highway 7 bypass was unanimously approved by the Water Valley Board of Aldermen during the monthly meeting on July 2.
Property owner Lee Nabors requested the zoning change after purchasing 5.35 acres with plans to build a 30,000 square-foot hardware store and lumber yard on the property. He told city officials at an earlier meeting that his request to change the zoning from single family residential to highway commercial is the final step before construction can begin on a new building that will house Nabors Home Center.
Speaking during the July 2 meeting, Nabors told aldermen that almost all of the property he purchased is already zoned highway commercial with the exception of a 75-feet strip that runs adjacent to the highway that is zoned residential.
“I have prayed over this a lot. If it is God’s will for this project to be done, than that is what it will be. I am humbly asking you to grant my request,” Nabors told city officials before the vote.
Responding to questions during the meeting, Nabors anticipates the new store employing around 15 people. Nabors purchased Valley Lumber on Main Street last month, and will operate that location as Nabors Home Center while the new building is constructed on the bypass. The Water Valley store marks the fifth Nabors Home Center store in north Mississippi. Nabors and his wife, Millette Nabors, also operate stores in Amory, Houston, Ackerman and Eupora.
Other activity in the meeting includes:
• Approved a request from Charles Dyer to rezone property located at 410 Calhoun Street from public to R-2 (single family residential district).
• Approved a request from Grant Thompson to install a steam whistle at the Casey Jones Railroad Museum. Thompson is curator of the museum and shared that his vision is to make it as unique and lovable as possible.
“The Pullen family, an old railroad family in Water Valley, donated a steam whistle that works. It sounds just like one of the old engines that came through Water Valley,” Thompson said.
The steam whistle will be hooked up to an air compressor and Thompson said he plans to have it functional by the watermelon carnival. Initially the whistle will be manually activated, but Thompson’s long term plan is to set it up on a timer to blow at 5 p.m. each day.
“I wanted to honor the city’s lease,” Thompson said about his request to install the whistle on city property.
“It will cost zero dollars for the city,” he added.
“And that is how much we have,” Reynolds quipped.
• Approved a request from Leigh Ann Black and Liz Reynolds for exterior work on city hall. Liz Reynolds explained that several different ideas were considered for the facade work at the building before engaging Black.
“She currently works on large-scale projects,” Liz Reynolds said.
Black presented a rendering of the proposed work on city hall as part of the proposal to put a lime slurry on the bricks, an exterior glaze that will improve the aesthetics of the building while not comprising the breathability of the bricks.
“Of course the aesthetics are absolutely beautiful, it seals the building and protects it from moisture damage,” Black explained.
Liz Reynolds also noted that donations will fund the project.
“We have several people who have offered to contribute to the cause. We are not trying to be an expense to the city, we are trying to beautify the city,” Liz Reynolds added.
“I told them I didn’t want city hall to look like a Russian prison on the outside any longer,” Mayor Reynolds said. “Finances have always been tight… but city hall is where people that come to Water Valley interact to begin with. Outward appearance is important.”
