Louisville Street Changes

by Jogee Lenarduzzi
StarkvilleNow correspondent

The most heated debate at Tuesday night’s Planning and Zoning Commission was whether it would be a good idea to have a meeting for the commission to hear about a zoning change before it formally came before the same commission.

For at least ten minutes, Commissioner Jerry Emison and City Attorney Rodney Faver argued back and forth while the rest of the commission and those present sat silently, awaiting the end of the meeting.

Faver was concerned that all parties be able to receive due process, while Emison thought it would help the commission make more informed decisions if they were presented with more information prior to a formal meeting. Both agreed that a meeting was acceptable if all parties could be heard.

At the meeting, the commission also approved two zoning changes to be recommended to the Board of Aldermen. The first is a change from a commercial zone (C1) into a zero lot line/cluster development (R4) on the western side of Louisville Street. Paul Roberts, president of Greenway Inc., hopes to build single family homes in the changed zone that are highly energy efficient. The homes will be warmed and brightened by the sun.

The second approved change allowed Harold Gordon to change the home at 505 Louisville Street into a duplex. Gordon had a permit to separate the utilities so he could rent the house to multiple parties, and the work was about 95 percent complete when he was told he was in violation of zoning.

He asked to be rezoned from a single family/duplex to a mutli-family high density zone. Commissioner Ben Bounds expressed concern over the possibility of the historic home being ripped down if it was rezoned to allow new apartments. Gordon assured Bounds that demolition was not in the interest of the owners. After questions and discussion, the request was approved.

Both projects were approved because of changing conditions in the area near the requested rezoning. The commission stated that the rezoning would match the surrounding area.