Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman on Friday issued a notice of intent to veto amendments to the city”s sidewalk ordinance, passed Tuesday by the Starkville Board of Aldermen.
City Attorney Chris Latimer has advised Wiseman Tuesday”s action of the Board of Aldermen isn”t official until the meeting minutes are passed at the board”s regularly scheduled meeting on Feb. 1. Wiseman said he plans to issue the veto after the meeting minutes are passed and Tuesday”s action becomes official.
In Wiseman”s notice, he said he wants the city”s transportation committee and Board of Aldermen to work together to establish “an objective process by which citizens may receive a fair hearing to determine whether variance or exemption from the requirements of the sidewalk ordinance is merited.” The amendments, which were approved with a 4 to 3 vote, exempted Miley Drive, Pollard Road and portions of Airport Road and Industrial Park Road from the sidewalk ordinance”s sidewalk construction requirements.
As it is written, the sidewalk ordinance requires sidewalk construction with all new roads, buildings and residential subdivisions. For all other new, non-single-family residential or non-agricultural zoned development projects or construction projects which cost 50 percent or more of the appraised taxable value of the property, the installation of sidewalks is required prior to final inspection and/or the city”s issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
Because the actions of the board”s Tuesday meeting have not yet been made official, developers cannot initiate a project on one of the four streets named in the amendment and be exempt from the sidewalk construction requirements, Latimer said Friday afternoon.
“The sidewalk ordinance, along with increased investment in sidewalks by the city, is pushing Starkville to become a more pedestrian friendly community,” Wiseman said in his notice. “Nevertheless, the ordinance does need to be more flexible than its current form. There should be a clearly defined, objective process for seeking variance or exemption from the requirements of the ordinance. However, the amendment to the ordinance does not establish such a process. It offers a blanket exemption from the requirements of the law to property located on four streets.”
Wiseman went on to say the exemption is “unfair” to owners and developers of property on all other streets in the city who still must abide by the law.
“Ultimately, the exemption is unfair to the citizens of this community who faithfully rely upon the city to establish the law in a manner that extends the same justice to everyone,” Wiseman said.
The board”s Feb. 1 meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall.
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