Starkville has a new access point management policy after aldermen unanimously approved one on Tuesday.

The policy lays out guidelines for how the city allows access to lots off its roadways. Mayor Lynn Spruill said it fills a policy gap for the city as it continues working on an updated development code.

“The reason this is coming forward is to see if we can’t land somewhere before we get to our unified development code, so we can address this in a holistic way and have something we can rely on before we adopt the code,” she said.

The policy is based on the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s guidelines. It reduces access point spacing to one per 200 feet along a frontage, with the exception of lots that are used for single-family or agricultural purposes.

The policy also allows for two one-way driveways to serve a commercial property within the 200-foot limit, so long as they are at least 25 feet apart.

The policy allows for variance requests, for cases where a developer can’t meet the requirements for some reasons.

The new policy also includes a 16-foot maximum width for one-way entrances and a 30-foot maximum entrance for two-way entrances. William Parker, owner of PowerStroke Equipment on Lynn Lane, spoke to the board concerns for his business with that provision.

Parker said his business is relocating to Industrial Park Road and is in the process of getting its new site approved by the city. The access point policy takes effect immediately, since it is a policy rather than an ordinance, and Parker said he was concerned that a 16-foot entrance would be too narrow for trucks to turn into his business.

“What’s the remedy if we have a truck that drives off a 16-foot embankment or a 16-foot wide entrance if it drives off in the ditch and turns over?” Parker asked. “Am I supposed to be responsible? Because my engineer says its supposed to be 20 feet.”

Ward 3 Alderman David Little, who moved to approve the policy, included a provision in the motion to grandfather developments that are already in progress so they do not have to worry about the new requirements. The policy will, instead, only affect developments that begin after Tuesday’s approval.

City Engineer Edward Kemp, during a discussion with Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker at the meeting, said he’d also like city staff to have some flexibility in cases, especially if there are issues constrained by a business’ function or the properties around them. For example, he said meeting a requirement to keep entrances at least 125 feet away from intersections could prove difficult in some cases.

“I would take the approach, if the board’s OK with it, is understanding that your staff is going to do the best they can to do it in a way that’s going to encourage development and do it in a way that follows the code,” Kemp said. “I would say the only reason for a project to go to an appeal is (if) there is a viable, reasonable way to do a project and provide access and the applicant chooses not to do it for whatever reason.”

Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver said he’d like city staff to keep aldermen informed of cases that may require variances as the policy is applied to new developments.

“I never want to have a perception of being a community that’s closed to business,” Carver said.

Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.

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