Planner Mike Slaughter, of the Oxford-based Slaughter and Associates, is preparing new subdivision regulations for Oktibbeha County to ensure developers are responsible for any negative impact their projects inflict on area infrastructure in the future.
Slaughter was tasked to draw up the rules Monday by county supervisors in a 4-1 vote. Only District 4 Supervisor Daniel Jackson opposed the motion.
The board approved the resolution after months of issues and complaints emerged about the quality of Blackjack Road, a major thoroughfare linking the outlying county area, new student housing developments and Mississippi State University to Starkville and Highway 12.
Subdivision rules would potentially introduce design standards for new developments and ensure roadways, drainage, water and sewer pipes, lighting, signs and erosion control are kept to minimum requirements. Slaughter previously developed a 61-page comprehensive plan that will guide future growth in the next 20 years, but it only serves as a flexible guidepost in terms of land use and other rules.
“We’re going to lay out a planning process for any type of development within these subdivisions that will ensure proper infrastructure is in place. If it’s not in place at the time of a development, it will be part of the development itself,” Slaughter said. “This is something Starkville already has, and a lot of development going on right outside city limits is similar to what’s going on inside the city. This will benefit the community as a whole since it will shift the burden of substandard infrastructure off the taxpayers.”
Supervisors began receiving more frequent complaints about Blackjack Road after two planned student-housing projects began their respective construction phases. Patching and repair projects also increased in correlation with the projects as the county’s roads suffered under the weight of heavy equipment and increased traffic congestion.
Development is a double-edged sword for the county. Supervisors need major projects to add additional revenues to the tax rolls, but officials have said many county roads were not constructed to handle the traffic load created by high density housing projects.
Although the subdivision rules will not solve Blackjack’s current issues, Slaughter says they will prevent similar situations in the future.
“What we can’t have are these huge, high density developments dumping out traffic on a substandard, two-lane road that’s already overloaded,” he said. “We’re not trying to punish developers or investors — we’re trying to ensure that the everyday resident traveling these roadways have safe roads to do so, and that pedestrians and bicyclists have safe sidewalks and trails to do that, too.
“We don’t want to stop development — we want to make sure quality development occurs, which will then cause even more quality developments,” Slaughter added. “There’s no doubt that these regulations do not curb development. Oktibbeha County has a special market that developers want to be a part of. Oxford and Lafayette County (both have similar rules and) are booming with development, and the same goes for DeSoto County and other areas we’ve worked with. I see example after example where regulations actually ensure the quality developments you want to have.”
The process developing subdivision rules could take 30-60 days, Slaughter said. Any document produced by the firm is still subject to scrutiny from supervisors and must be enacted with a majority vote.
“This is something this and other boards have neglected and run from for so long. I don’t think the board is excited about implementing restrictions, but at the same time I see there’s no way around it because of all the new growth,” said District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer. “Imagine if we had this kind of hindsight 10-15 years ago, then we wouldn’t be having some of these problems and would be better off. It’s a step in the right direction that won’t burden multimillion dollar developers. If we require them to spend $30,000-$40,000 more, that’s a drop in the bucket for most of their developments.”
Trainer and District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams represent the eastern third of Oktibbeha County, and Blackjack Road splits their respective territories.
In addition to solving road quality issues, Williams said he is hopeful the county can find a solution to the growing traffic problem at the roundabout where Blackjack and Oktoc roads connect.
Supervisors approved a $4.78 million-maximum financing package last year that a tax increment financing (TIF) district comprised of three new apartment developments to fund infrastructure improvements from the roundabout to Bardwell Road.
Although the project remains stalled — developments’ impact must still hit the tax rolls — supervisors authorized another study in May that could create a cut-thru road connecting Blackjack and Oktoc behind the gas station at the roundabout.
Developers are also eying Oktoc Road for new apartment developments, and Williams said he fears the additional traffic problem that could follow.
“We have to make sure investors are developing additional roadways and improving existing roadways so that the flow of traffic will be able to move sufficiently without any problems. What’s been happening is that we’re having to move costs (associated with infrastructure upkeep and expansion) along to residents, and they’re having to pay for development,” he said. “It’s time for developers to pay their fair share. This isn’t just about Blackjack and Oktoc, it’s about the entire southern and southeastern portion of the county.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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