by Hunter Dawkins
At the First Judicial County Courthouse last Monday, two zoning concerns controlled the monthly meetings of the Harrison County Board of Supervisors beginning in Gulfport last Monday. The first issue came on the Harrison County Planning Commission’s decision to approve an appeal on denying a request for a conditional use permit on a proposed dirt pit. The Board of Supervisors accepted the commission’s choice 3-2 to deny the dirt pit.
Next, the Board upheld an appeal denying the Planning Commission’s decision for a zoning map amendment. Attorney Malcolm Jones; representing a company, that requested a change in the zoning classification delivered a presentation to the Board of Supervisors discussing a hydraulic plan for the development of residential subdivision with 108 lots. The property is located off Canal Road in Gulfport and adjacent to Inman Knoll Drive.
After a lengthy discussion, the Supervisors voted 3-2 again approving the appeal to deny the change.
Finally, the board tabled the commission’s recommendation to approve an amendment for Harrison County under the Mississippi Unified Development. This amendment was specifically for special use and overlay districts on the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport and the Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. The federal Department of Defense has been going through these items when looking into its Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) plans, according to military officials present.
In other actions, the board unanimously approved extending the asphalt paving within the existing right of way of Bernice Road in Pass Christian and accepting maintenance, adjudicating the use of county reserve engines by the city of Pass Christian fire department until the truck is repaired, authorizing payment of $1509.90 to the Pass Christian Public School District for lease of storage site in 16th Section land at an annual rent cost.
Three resolutions were presented at the end of the meeting for Harrison County Tax Assessor Tal Flurry, County Manager of Building & Grounds Mike Wilson, and County Engineer Danny Boudreaux for their retirements.
