Oktibbeha County will soon have its first development guidelines and a permitting process for new construction this summer unless supervisors have a drastic change of heart in the next month.
Supervisors moved forward with noticing the upcoming changes Monday after a public hearing on the new rules in which no opposition emerged.
The changes go into effect July 25.
County Administrator Emily Garrard said new construction efforts that have broken ground before that date are not bound by the new rules.
Under the new rules, site development permits are required for new single-family dwellings, multi-family apartment complexes, commercial facilities, churches, schools and industrial developments. The permit and the process for its obtainment are “to ensure safe development, while minimizing the potential for harmful impacts,” documents state.
Application reviews would be conducted by County Engineer Clyde Pritchard, Road Manager Victor Collins, a representative designated by the board of supervisors or an independent engineer. Site inspections and traffic studies are also required for larger proposals.
The process will study, among other topics, a development’s safe and legal access points, impact in flood plains, availability of potable water, sewage disposal capacity and storm water control.
Most small developments — single-family homes, for example — will require minimal inspection from the county. Larger developments, however, could face conditions set by Pritchard, and approval of the construction would ultimately fall to the board’s discretion.
The new rule also institutes a tiered fee system for permit applications. Those wishing to develop single-family homes, commercial properties and schools must pay $21 for the permit, while permits for multi-family complexes and industrial sites will cost $261.
Each fee includes the cost for the permit, a $10 Oktibbeha County Chancery court filing fee and a $1 for the court’s archives.
Supervisors previously paid the Oxford-based planning firm Slaughter and Associates $4,000 to develop a working subdivision ordinance, but the board ditched the 65-page proposal in favor of Pritchard writing a smaller, more concise document with fewer restrictions.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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