The Starkville Board of Aldermen held its second public hearing to amend the city’s subdivision ordinance to allow single-phase street construction. As with the first public hearing, no board members spoke against it.
Ward 7 resident Alvin Turner offered mild criticism about the effect that large equipment trucks used by city services will have on subdivision roads but was the only resident to offer an opinion for or against modifying the regulations.
After legal opinion from City Attorney Chris Latimer, the city will hold a third public hearing at the next board meeting on Dec. 6.
Numerous developers and engineers have asked the city to allow a one-phase pavement installation at the outset of construction, which would provide a more stable street to haul materials and ensure residents have complete streets while other houses are being built.
Currently, the city allows only a two-stage construction; the final layer of asphalt is installed after 85 percent of housing construction is complete. The two-stage regulation ensures the city will inherit a street that hasn’t been heavily patched or repaired.
In other business, the board:
- Unanimously approved the calling for a public hearing to amend the city code of ordinances to allow vendors to sell goods within designated commercial areas. The ordinance change would also allow street vendors, such as food carts and food trucks, to sell on Sunday. A date for the hearing was not set.
- Rescinded its motion to install a traffic light at North Montgomery and Garrard Road after findings in a traffic study suggested the current stop signs are sufficient.
- Voted to receive qualifications from consultants that could help redevelop the city’s districts and ultimately establish a redevelopment authority. City funds are budgeted for the consultant, who will work with board members to establish a consensus of areas prime for redevelopment.
- Unanimously approved the lowest construction bid from Columbus-based Gregory Construction for the Louisville Street widening project. The total project cost is $1.8 million, but with an 80-20 match from a federal grant the city will pay $106,610.85. Funding for the project will come from other projects that finished under budget and from the fund balance from 2010-11.
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