A new development in the works could see new public housing built in Starkville and open up space for more commercial development on Highway 12.
Johnny Moore, a local attorney working with Tuscaloosa, Alabama-based developer Christopher Dobbs, spoke to aldermen about the project during Tuesday’s board meeting. He said the project, if it comes to fruition, would see a replica of Pecan Acres, a public housing neighborhood, built in a new location in Starkville, and the current location on Highway 12 made available for commercial development.
Moore said confidentiality agreements have prevented him from coming to the board up until this point, and also limited how much he can currently say, including where the new location for Pecan Acres would be. However, he said he’s also worked with aldermen Roy A. Perkins and Henry Vaughn of wards 6 and 7, respectively, and the Starkville Housing Authority that unanimously approved the project. He said the group is also working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on the project.
Moore noted the new public housing, which will offer about 70,000 square feet of residential space, will remain within Ward 7, so as to quell concerns about inter-ward shifts in voting dynamics.
Moore said Pecan Acre’s residents will soon be notified of the project and will have an opportunity to decide if they want to move or seek housing elsewhere. He said the plan is to completely build the new public housing units and allow current residents to move into them before doing anything to the current Pecan Acres.
“The way this is going to take place, the units will be built, and then they will move into the new units,” Moore said. “Nobody’s going to be displaced for any period of time.”
The project received generally warm receptions from aldermen. Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver suggested local volunteer groups could help residents move to the new public housing units once they’re completed.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime (opportunity),” Carver said. “So if Volunteer Starkville wants to get involved or anyone wants to help, there’s tons of outreach programs out there that could help.”
Vaughn said he likes the project and believes it can be good for Starkville, not only through improving the housing available for the residents of Pecan Acres but in presenting new opportunities for commercial development on Highway 12.
“We always talk about the quality of life, and this will change the whole quality of life for that neighborhood over there and the people in Starkville,” Vaughn said. “We keep on talking about the quality of life, but we keep dragging the quality of life to one side of town.”
Moore said he is currently working with a motel, several restaurants and two entertainment venue companies to possibly build up to 25,000 square feet for an entertainment venue that could go on the 14 acres Pecan Acres currently occupies.
“We’re going to take the Pecan Acres property and put about $150 million in infrastructure improvements in it,” Moore said. “It’s going to increase the funds that our schools will receive by about half a million dollars a year. We’re going to receive sales tax. We’re going to receive property tax. We’re going to get people who are living in public housing that’s over 70 years old in new housing.”
Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker said he was interested to learn more about the project, though he questioned if it was “too good to be true.” He said more questions remain about the project, and aldermen need more information that was not available Tuesday because the matter was brought forward during public comments, rather than as an agenda item.
“One of the things you’re talking about is we’re not displacing, but we’re moving people inside the same ward for voters. That’s great, but is it going to require any sort of rezoning?” he said. “Where are people going to be inside the ward? There’s a lot of other details that, as of right now, we just don’t know the answer to that because we’re not familiar with the project.”
Moore will return to the board at a future meeting to present full details.
EMS District
In other business, aldermen decided to allow any emergency medical service provider with an interest in a planned EMS district present before the board at the May 1 meeting.
Starkville Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough presented the idea to the board during Tuesday’s meeting. The district would allow Starkville Fire Department to house ambulances at Fire Station 1 on Lampkin Street, Fire Station 4 on Academy Road and Fire Station 5 on Garrard Road. Housing ambulances at the stations would allow SFD to respond to medical calls and take patients to OCH Regional Medical Center.
Yarbrough’s presentation for the district includes partnering with Ruston, Louisiana-based Pafford EMS, which offers a similar service in several cities and counties in Mississippi, including Brandon, Pearl, and Madison and Rankin counties
Mayor Lynn Spruill said she spoke to OCH Regional Medical Center CEO Richard Hilton on Tuesday. She said the hospital did not seem inclined at the time to want to offer the same sort of service that Pafford would, but it would be something for the hospital board to consider.
She noted that ambulance services are costly for OCH.
“It is a loss for them,” she said. “Ambulance service has always been a loss, which is why it has to be subsidized, from OCH’s standpoint. Which is why the county is giving them $220,000 a year in order to make the service work.”
Ward 5 Alderman Patrick Miller, who said he supported Yarbrough’s suggestion for the EMS district, said he would just like to see what other companies might offer.
Aldermen will consider the matter further at their next meeting.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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