Starkville could see a rapid slowdown of apartment construction efforts in the future.
Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver is proposing a one-year construction moratorium on multi-family housing developments. A Carver-authorized item on Tuesday’s agenda calls for two future public hearings on the matter.
If approved, the ordinance change would prevent planning staff from accepting or reviewing “new applications for site plans, building permits or certificates of occupancy for any multi-family use” unless those applications are “currently pending before the city” or for projects “that have already been rezoned or received zoning exceptions in order to facilitate the application process.”
Language in his proposal allows the moratorium to be lifted if the city’s comprehensive plan is completed and adopted before the year-long ban is complete, and alderman can amend it via board action if it is determined “to be in the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the city.”
Carver said he is pushing for public discourse on the proposal because many residents have complained about the number of apartments under construction in Starkville and their potential effect on the city’s infrastructure.
“Everywhere I go, the common thread is people are saying there are just too many apartments here. People see the developments along Russel Street and are shocked. We should let the pot simmer since we have a comprehensive plan coming out soon. I’m not sure this is the way the town wants growth,” he said.
Carver also pointed to the infrastructure problems plaguing the Blackjack and Oktoc communities, saying county supervisors are handicapped because of the way apartments quickly developed in the areas.
There are no zoning ordinances, building codes or subdivision regulations on the county’s books.
“You see what it has done there from a traffic standpoint, and that can happen inside the city. People looking to buy second homes are coming back to Starkville. You have a lot of alumni that want to invest, but they don’t want to invest in apartments or condos. They want homes and properties because of their higher values, and they’re not going to invest if we have those kinds of problems,” he said. “This isn’t about what Ben Carver wants. This is about letting the people have the chance to talk about how we’re growing. These conversations are happening, and it’s time we start talking about them as a city.”
Both Mayor Parker Wiseman and Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard said they would oppose Carver’s proposal.
If the board wishes to kill Starkville’s current housing boom, Wiseman said, then a moratorium on multi-family construction “would be the single best way to do it.”
“I do not intend to get in the way of the free market. The university has an aggressive campaign to attract many more students. The individuals investing millions of dollars in these apartment complexes have completed the market research and obviously feel comfortable in investing in our city,” Maynard said. “We are experiencing record construction levels because the city and university are growing.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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