MDEQ To Study Wagner Street Property
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WATER VALLEY – Plans to sell city-owned property on Wagner Street for new residential development are moving forward, with state officials now involved in evaluating the site.
Yalobusha County Economic Development Executive Director Kagan Coughlin reported Monday that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has agreed to fund a Phase I Environmental Study for the property. The study will ensure there are no environmental issues that could create a problem with selling the land for housing construction.
Coughlin said the review was prompted by discussion during the October 15 Water Valley Planning Commission meeting about electrical equipment that may have been stored on the property following the 1984 tornado.
The property on Wagner Street, where the former elementary school once stood, includes frontage acreage the city hopes to sell through a competitive open-bid process. The proposal is now under review by the Planning Commission, with options ranging from selling four larger lots for single-family homes along Wagner to a denser layout that could include multi-family housing. The commission is expected to make a recommendation in the coming weeks, with the Board of Aldermen making the final decision.
The October 15 meeting marked the second session since new members were appointed to the six-member Planning Commission. The new members are Meagan Backes, Hosea Bradford, James McCormick, Lloyd Caulfield, Izzy Thornton, and Ethel Morgan.
Other activity during the October 15 planning commission meeting included:
• Commissioners voted to recommend approval of McGlawn Homes’ rezoning request on Stephens Street from R-4 to R-3. The commission also voted to recommend approval of McGlawn’s rezoning request for the former church property on Calhoun Street, where a new project titled The Sanctuary is planned. Both recommendations will go before the Board of Aldermen for final approval following a public hearing.
• The commission agreed to draft an amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance requiring “Under Consideration for Rezoning” signs to be clearly displayed at any property under review.
• Members proposed creating an online point-of-contact form for the city’s upcoming website, allowing citizens to request agenda time or submit supporting materials for review.
• Commissioners noted that the city’s 20-year-old zoning ordinance needs a comprehensive update, including improved public-notice requirements and a rule that rezoning applicants must submit building plans with their requests.
