To expedite condominium development in Starkville, Mayor Parker Wiseman proposed having a public hearing for a condominium ordinance during Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting.
The hearing request was placed on the consent agenda and approved.
The city doesn’t have a set of zoning guidelines for condominium construction, which can slow development. In absence of a condominium ordinance, the Planning and Zoning Commission typically takes longer to approve a condo zoning variance because of density, square footage and setback requirements.
With clear-cut regulations for square footage and setback, the Planning and Zoning Commission would review a basic subdivision plat instead of a condominium plat.
The proposed ordinance would ensure new condominiums comply with the city’s land development and building codes.
“Basically, it would be less oversight,” Wiseman said. “We are seeing a burgeoning condo market in this community. It has the potential to be positive. It is a market for growth and development for the future. As of right now, there’s no process that stands apart from the subdivision process.”
Larry Tabor of Tabor Management has developed condos and apartment complexes in Starkville since 1991. Tabor’s most recent work includes Antebellum and Pitot House on Jackson Street and University Club Condos on Spring Street.
Tabor said the current process doesn’t help new construction and an ordinance would be beneficial to developers and the city.
“When we first started developing condos here, as in most towns, condos were a new entity of construction,” Tabor said. “There really weren’t many rules and regulations. So each one was kind of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of project where the city kind of adapted to it. Of course, there could be problems and headaches there without zoning guidelines.”
Condominiums are individual units that can be bought and sold and rented by the owner. Each unit has its own deed. Additionally, a management group or condominium association handles accounting, pest control and exterior maintenance of the property.
Apartment complexes have a single deed for the entire complex, and the thickness of walls between each apartment is different from a condominium.
Despite price tags from $80,000 to $150,000, the market is growing, mainly for alumni of Mississippi State University, Tabor said.
Baby boomers are retiring and looking for a second home in Starkville where they can come for weekends, sporting events and MSU functions, Tabor said. “It really allows people who love Mississippi State to have a second home without yard maintenance and let their condo association handle everything.”
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