Planning and Zoning Meeting - Regular Meeting

Thank you God for this day that you have given us. as we come to do the county business, we ask that you will be with us. In your name we pray. Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Motion to approve January's minutes. So move. Second. It's been moved and properly second. All in favor? Eyes have it. So is motion to open public hearing motion.

Moved and properly second. All in favor? I Tower LLC.

Good morning. My name is David McGee. I'm I'm here to represent the the Towers LLC doing business as Vertical Bridge and been here before y'all uh a couple other times past few months. So may remember me. Um the I'm here today to to uh request a conditional use permit in a in a pud. I call it a pud or pud zoned property at the uh Deerfield uh golf course for a new monopole wireless communications uh tower. Um, and uh, this is located um, kind of behind the the golf pro shop. I guess it'd be the northeast corner of the subdivision, but on the golf course property. Behind the golf course property is a little maintenance shop, and it's it's off to the side there, uh, where this site is proposed. Um so um the uh purpose of this uh proposal is to uh is of course primarily to increase coverage in that area, wireless coverage and this is a bill to suit for Verizon Wireless and their um um wireless engineers have provided some some uh coverage maps that that show the existing coverage and and uh what the proposed site would would do to increase that that coverage gap that exists there. Um the map um that they provided shows a kind of has a red circle around the a little over a threemile area kind of centered on the Deerfield area along

Yandelle Road. And uh that map should be I think we submitted it. Uh but I have some kind of like blown up versions of it if if uh if that's helpful. Um and uh so um also I have uh created a a a map with the neighborhoods overlaid on that that that kind of shows how many residences are in each of those uh neighborhoods which I' I'd like to uh pass out if I could but but uh I added it up and it's like about 1,800 homes I think in just inside that circle that they're proposing this site addresses uh with several neighborhoods being expanded and and uh you know created. I see just south of of Yandelle here, I think they're proposing 570 lots um on the Woodgate subdivision. So big demand there that they are trying to to fill. Um this uh site is uh off of um the the access is not off the golf course. It's it's off of uh let's see, let me get my map here. It's using in a kind of a maintenance road that's there existing that that uh we are proposing to uh to use and it's it's off Beaver Bend and goes back uh about 400 ft kind of through some woods to the site and and uh proposing clearing just a little bit of that wooded area just enough for the site. We've got a um 80 100 foot by 100 foot lease area, but the site I believe

is proposed within a 50 foot by 50 foot fence compound. So, um there will be about uh 300 ft of tree line, you know, between the the last northernmost house there and this this area where this site is. So you'll see the the top of the site of course at sometimes some places in that neighborhood but the uh the base of it should be shielded by the existing trees which will remain. So the uh the search area that that Verizon gave us is what we are required to find a site in toh fill this coverage gap. And uh the center of that was a little bit north of this neighborhood about a half mile radius and um talked to uh the agent talked to several people in there. First of all, there were not any existing tall structures on which we could colllocate like a water tank. U so the nearest site is a little over a mile away. So one to the northwest and one to the southeast, but but they are both over a mile away. Um, and if you come down Yandel Road, that I guess east west stretch is about four and a half miles and there's a large tower on either end, but uh this gap kind of halfway in between that they just can't cover. So, so um anyway, this uh so this is proposed at at 195 ft as a monopole design. They originally wanted a little taller, but this uh this height is a little better and will not require a light. So on top uh per the FAA. So so um anyway, let's see. So

as you know this this site will be in innocuous use will not increase traffic be a little bit you know during construction but after that it's not regular traffic except just a small uh maintenance pickup about once a month will not uh have any lights create any noise dust odor or fumes. Um and uh so the uh as I said the propagation maps show um and if uh we can go into those if you want. If you're looking at them uh the green is the they've got a before and after. And the the before uh has this little three little three mile kidney shaped area that they're focusing in on. The gray area is like very poor just outdoor coverage. Kind of like standing on a park bench as the old joke used to go. Green is good coverage and yellow is is uh you know maybe still decent but uh a little better. green is good in building coverage like in your home or in your car. And then the after picture that has the dot in the middle for the site shows the whole area mostly covered in in dark green which is good in building um coverage. And um so uh the data shows I think these days the the average wireless devices in homes uh I looked at it yesterday is 15 to 21. It's hard to believe but I counted mine and I think I had 16 or something. So but but the demand is is there. Um the

demand is there now is represented by these maps. And I will say that that demand is ever increasing as as these developments come in and and uh so so that will uh continue to address the demand today and and as those homes keep getting built out there uh in more traffic, it will uh cover that. Um let's see. So anyway, so that uh this site will uh you know meet meets all the other ordinance criteria, meets that of the FAA and FCC and uh so glad to discuss it further.

You say it doesn't require any lighting, but will you put light on it? No sir, not if it's not required by the the FAA. So typically under 200 feet they don't require it. Um there are certain instances near airports and hight traffic areas where they they do you know even under that that uh but this this does not require it. So may have questions.

I just have one. We mentioned no dust, no noise, all the things and You mentioned construction. Do we have any sort of idea how long it will take to build?

Um, typically uh this one I I would think the total time of about a month. Um the power uh is is proposed underground from transformers that are you know right there nearby and and uh be a minimal tree clearing and uh the road is mostly there um already. So so there's not a lot of um you know it's not like building a factory or something. You know they've just got a foundation. uh they'll have to bring a rig in to to bore the foundation and pour the concrete and then stack the tower, but other than that.

Okay. David, for the commission's uh edification, as you guys have been here before, and I ask this question every time, um I think previously you guys have agreed to allow space uh if available for uh Madison County's first responders, sheriff's department, fire department, uh communications equipment on your towers. Is that the same here?

Yes, absolutely. So, so, uh, I I let them know that in advance and they sent me a letter and and, uh, they sent me the wrong letter, but, but I'll get that straight. And yes, as long as there's space on there, uh, you know, to do it and and typically the the, uh, county, you know, whip antennas are pretty easy to to locate. So, sure, for the record, yes. So, any other questions? Any opposition? I'll entertain a motion. Second. It's been moved properly. Second. All in favor? Eyes have it. So it is. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Benford Richardson.

Morning. Uh, I wasn't prepared. Scott called me yesterday at the last moment. I don't have no paperwork and everything. I gave everything turn everything over to Scott. So, I don't know uh what uh he just told me be here to a board meeting. So, I don't know what y'all should have everything in front of you. What's your name? Benford Richardson. Okay. What are you asking? Uh we having a event trying to start event and uh he told me we had to get approved for the board. What what kind of event? Uh bomb 54 will arrive.

Is it one time or is it going to be It's probably twice a year. Uh the last one was trying to be in February the 28th of this year. Yeah, this month. How many I'm sorry if I'm taking over y'all's questions here. How many uh how many people do we expect to have? Uh anywhere over 100 people. Is there a fee charged for this event? Yes. Yes. I don't know at the time how much it going to be. Okay. Um in the in your paperwork, you said you would have security.

Yeah, we got plenty of security. We just stepped up some more. I had a meeting on uh Tuesday night with some more security. Okay. And you are the uh promoter or the organizer for this event? No, no, no. I just own the property. Who's the promoter or the organizer? Uh Latoya Palmer, I'm sorry. Latoya Palmer. Latoya Palmer. Is she present? No. No, she that's my daughter.

Okay. 4 hour time frame 4 to 9. Is that correct? 5 to 9. Uh I think 5 to 12 I think 12 the cut off time. I think he had 9:00 as the cut off time. Okay. And then you'll have a band until midnight. Yeah.

What's the 10:00? 10:00. And your parking is off? Yes, we got plenty parking. I'm sorry. Yes, we got plenty parking. We got 16 acre on one spot and uh we got uh like about eight eight acre on another spot. So, it's a You're saying a DJ four-wheel ride rides and we got security and a bonfire and bonfire and there's a fee charged to for attendance. How are you advertising that? How do you

uh he uh I think they do Facebook uh Tik Tok and another site. I don't know. Are we selling alcohol on the premises? No. No. So it would be like bring your own situation. So lighting and we got plenty of lighting security. We got party and it's open to the public. Yeah. Yes. At what point do you do do you have a cut off or or or you just whoever comes? Yes. Whoever comes. I got you. I'm sorry guys. Dr. Rouseer, you said something about 10 o'clock. I didn't I that's all I heard was 10 o'clock.

Oh I I saw an ordinance to talk about uh 10:00 no noise and stuff like that. How many um uh people will be in charge or far how total number of security people? We got three sets. We got one set going to be on 16. We got another set going to be on the corner of Brown Road. Another set coming in the gate. We like probably about 10 or 12 security on each spot. Are these going to be employed security or No, we just hired.

Yeah, some of them is ex police officer and still working. How are the qualifications to be a security officer? Yes. Ex police you said? Yes. So when you say a set, how many people is that? Probably about 16. at least 15 security. Do you think it's uh out in the opening like that there? Bring your own Bible. Uh they may bring some other stuff as well. Well, they they search

and everybody being searched once they come through the gate. They have everybody being searched once they come through the gate for as a weapon or anything like that. Can't take no weapon inside the facility. All right. But they can bring their own alcohol if they want to. Yes, they can bring their own alcohol. Any other questions? Is there a max number like a limit that you might need to cut off talking about time? No. people. No, we we can hold we can hold many people. We can go up to 200 some people.

So that's where you would cut it off. 200. We have to if if 16 and 55 get crowded, that's when we're going to cut it off. We not going we're not going to block the highway. So they would have to be searching them and doing a head count at the same time. Yes. Are there any uh food vendors there or? Yes, they they going to uh get some food. There will be food vendors. Yes. Do you know how many? About two. Two. Two food vendors.

Okay. You have questions? Opposition? Good morning everyone. I have one more question for the gentlemen. Okay. And I'm sorry. Have we had any communication with our law enforcement or our first responders about this?

Okay. So, we haven't we haven't communicated this to them first at all. Well, I I spoke to a sheriff. He told me So, you talked to Randy Tucker and he said you had to come off. Okay. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Good morning.

How y'all doing this morning? My name is John B. Brown. I reside at 235 Brown Road West, Kent, Mississippi. On December the 1st, 2025, I attended the Madison County Board of Supervisors meeting along with other neighbors, homeowners to voice the concerns of the property owners that live on Brown Road West and Davis Road. I address the unlawful paid event that property owner Benfoot Nicholson at 245 Brown Road West and property owner Freddy Carson at 317 Brown Road West had at their property on Thanksgiving weekend 2025. I shared about the loud amplified music, the loud four-wheelers, the bagged up traffic all the way past Davis Road and Highway 16 intersection. I shared the fact that the Mississippi Highway Patrol were called in to assist the Madison County Sheriff's Department with the mass of uncontrollable traffic, the destruction of property by driving across and parking in front yards without permission. Driving down the road the following morning, seeing the aftermath of scattered trash and bills was very disgusting. With Brown Road being a very narrow road with a dead end and Davis Road being a dead end also, I would have it would have been impossible for any type of emergency vehicle to arrive for a medical emergency, a fire or urgent law enforcement. We the concerned we we we we the concerned homeowners are coming before the Madison County Department of Planning and Zoning asking for the same thing each of our appointed

officials will want and that is the continued privilege to enjoy the beauty, peace, and serenity that each of you have vowed to protect as our appointed officials. I am requesting along with each of our neighbors that the property owners that that and property owners that the Madison County Department of Planning and Zoning deny this conditional use petition at said property 249 Brown Road West. Thank you. Are those owners here? Pardon? Yes. Yeah. Miss Hannah.

Okay. Can you tell me a couple of your primary concerns? You said garbage the next day. Yes. Trash, beer balls. You said traffic was It was ridicul I got a video I could show you. It was ridiculous. They had the the traffic. You could not get out my driveway. They were parking in my yard coming across my my lawn. Just unruly. Totally unruly. I met with the supervisors right here, Mr. Wick. I met with them December the 1st. The following Monday after the event, I called the sheriff's department out to our home several times to stop this loud music, this unruly traffic that was going on.

They came they came onto your property. Yes, they came. They parking in my yard, driving across my lawn, cutting across my lawn, getting out. It was terrible. It was a if if you saw the video that I made at 11:30 at night, the mass of traffic still coming in was was such a volume they had to stop him down on Highway 16. They had to block off uh Davis Road at Highway 16 to stop anybody else from coming in there.

It was it was totally it it was it was it was a chance to speak. It was totally ridiculous. The best thing these Benford, the ones that produced it, could have done was to allow us to see the destruction and the traffic prior to them putting applying for this petition. That was the best thing they could have did because we saw firsthand what it was like. The destruction, the traffic, if someone had taken sick, it would have been impossible. They had the road blocked off. Brown Road is very narrow. It would be been impossible for an ambulance to get down through there. Somebody if they had a fire, it been impossible for a fire truck to get down through there.

Urgent police. It would have been impossible. You I have a video in my phone that you all could look at. I videoed it. The traffic, this was at 11:30 at night. The incoming traffic still coming in. It was It was totally destructive. Can we um reconvene on this when they have a better plan like some more security in place, some trash pick up, a lot like things, not just ideas of security, but specifics on that.

Under under the ordinance, under your conditional use, you have certain um things that have to be provided to your satisfaction. One would be ingress and egress to the property. Um this is I'm reading out of section 805. Ingress and eress to the property, all street parking and loading, refu is utilities with reference to locations. I don't know that that's applicable. Screening and buffering, I don't know that that's applicable. Required yards and open spaces. I don't know that that's applicable. General compatibility with adjacent properties and other property in the district. Any other provisions deemed applicable by planning and zoning commission or the board of supervisors.

So, and when we look at the u conditional use, there are a lot of things that doesn't meet the criteria. So, I don't think it qualifies. I I can't find a way to qualify. That That's up to you guys when you compare the application with John, you tell that you sir. Let me finish talking. Sir, you you'll have a chance to reply.

Let me let me share this. There's no way I would have gone next door to Benford's house in Pocahontas and had such an event right next Benford don't live out there. He owns the property. I have adjacent property. These other people are Jason. There's no way. Brown is barely wide enough from that that chair. There's no way I would have gone next door to him cuz I consider Ben as a friend. Ben has come to my house, invited him to Christmas party. He lied and called me and told me, said, "Mr. Brown, I've already okay with the sheriff department. My daughter going to have a photo shoot out here. Going to start at 9 and go to 2 in the morning." I said, "Benford, that's not what you're preparing to do. It's all over the internet. You're having a trail ride, DJ, and music and barnfire. That's what you're doing. You're lying to me. That's not what you're about to do." So it it's ridiculous for him to expect that these neighbors that the noise was so loud it was rallying the furniture in our family room. It it none of you would want to have to put up with this right next door to where you live. Nobody in here would. Ben wouldn't either. Nobody would. And it's unfair. I'm just requesting that you all deny this petition.

Am I reading this right? Sir, sir, you cannot speak until you get the mic. We have Well, wait. My property are join benefit Richards. We adjacent. Our property adjoins each other. We're neighbors. I got 28 acres. He has 15 acres. They are joining each other. Am I reading this right? that um there was an event at 249 Brown Road on the November November the 27th and then a similar event. Yeah. Right. Right. Right down the road.

And Ben Benford had another event before that. That was on Halloween night. He had another event. I said, "Ben, is that you over there keeping up all that noise?" Mr. Brown, that's down the road further. That ain't none of you can sitting there racing up and down the road, up and down the field loud, Ben. and he lied that it was none of him. And then he lied again saying his daughter was going to have a photo shoot that's going to last from 9 to 2. 9 to two for a photo shoot. I said, "Ben, that's not what you're preparing to do. It's all over the internet." We wouldn't have known unless our son told y'all going to have a a big event out there on y'all's problem. And it's a dead end road. You can't you only way you can get out of Brown Road is the way you came in Brown Road. That's the only It's a very narrow road with a dead end. You can't get in and out of there. It was devastating.

Okay. I mean, I can make a motion to deny based on what we have here and I thank you very much. Amanda, let let's hear a response if any. Okay.

Okay. I had an event on Thanksgiving with the cars bagging up to the street with Brown talking about that's another event. That's another guy down the street from my property had event and the event on Halloween night. It's the same gentleman. I had one event and then no cars get bagged up. He referred to down the street. He sat up here and said that I done had two events. I got proof. You can you can pull it. It was on social media showing what event went down, my event and event down the street. He can't prove that I had traffic bagged up because I had enough security at the time keep traffic from bagging up.

Well, it's not a matter of security. The uh qualifications to have those events are not met. So, it doesn't qualify to happen. I understand. So according to our rules and regulations, we have to uh entertain a motion. I'll make a motion to deny. Second is moved and properly second to be denied. So it is. All in favor? I eyes have it. So it is denied. Motion to close public hearing. move. Second. All in favor?

Urban renewal.

Good morning. I'm uh Thad Vner with Butler Snow Law Firm. Um we are I am I guess the um the folk that do the bond financing for Madison County and here to talk about as you probably have heard and and are aware of the location of a new Madison County Conference Center and hotel uh over at the the north side where Top Golf is kind of at the intersection of Sunny Brook Road and Colony Park Drive. We were before the board of supervisors at their prior meeting to begin the process of putting together an urban renewal district for that property in order to provide for the construction of a new hotel and a conference center. the the county is working together with Makita and the city of Ridgeland and a private developer uh Gabriel Praau's company Praau Vista Development I believe is the correct name to provide these uh amenities to the county. The plan is for in this area just like I said just the the other side of the of the net if you will the Top Golf property between there and the St. Catherine property line to prov to build the hotel and conference center. There'll kind of be a joining of facilities with the developer building the building and owning the hotel and the county with the assistance of the city and Makita building and owning the conference center. Now to do that all in total with everybody's cooperation, it was much more advantageous for us to create an urban renewal district so that we can then avail the county of the ability to obtain tax revenues and hotel

revenues pledged by the developer on the hotel to pay debt service on the conference center, which a little bit more detail than we need for the ask of you today. But I'm trying to give you a flavor and a picture of the whole project here and why we have created this urban renewal district for this particular development. Now the like I said the the county considered this at a meeting uh the first meeting of the month and approved moving forward with this plan knowing that there are many steps involved along the way. The second step required by the statute is that this board consider that the plan itself is what's the white I'm going to butcher the wording is in conformity with the county's general plan. So all we're asking for is for this board to determine that the urban renewal plan that is sought by the county is in conformity with the county's comprehensive general plan. After we meet with you guys, if you move to approve forward, we go to the city because the the the real estate is actually within the city limits. The city board also has to approve. They have their own zoning and other items as well, you know, to consider in this regard. And then we come back to the county again and have a public hearing at the county board level to approve the plan. So, we got a lot of steps along the way before we can even entertain issuing debt on behalf of the county to finance the conference center. Okay. Uh the comprehensive plan itself is really general in nature and I don't know I actually read it for the first time I believe over the last week or so although I've had a copy for I think well since it was approved in 2019 but

it it is very general. It provides kind of a an outline of what the county is looking to, you know, achieve over the over a goal of say five to 10 years for, you know, enhanced development, enhanced residential improvements, transportation corridors, you things of that nature with general blocks of, you know, recognizing that, let's say, the northern part of the county is mostly rural and agricultural. the southern parts mostly commercial residential that that kind of thing. So what we did was look through the comprehensive plan to ensure that the location of this facility doesn't otherwise impede what is kind of thought of as the long-term solution for residential and commercial development in that part of the county. Does that make sense? So just a few things in the plan itself. The c the county comprehensive general plan. The guiding principles are to prevent the ine inefficient development of land by using this plan to protect the community's unique and natural assets to provide opportunities for the progress of residents quality of life to minimize the cost of government to make the best possible use of investments of public infrastructure in the future. One of the number one goals is to provide park and recreational opportunities for citizens of the county to support municipal park and recreational facilities to explore the creation of county owned facilities to provide recreation. Another goal is to meet future needs of business and industry by making land available for new commercial and industrial development within the county, to designate additional lands as needed for commercial and industrial uses near transportation corridors and other existing commercial and industrial developments and to produce desirable

land patterns by guiding the location of those developments. Noting that the the proposed conference center hotel are at the intersection of what Ridgeland calls an arterial is that right a ma a major arterial thoroughfare which is Colony Park Road a collector road which is Sunny Brook and of course the interstate right there. the city who is very very excited and and one of the leaders in putting this project together. But of course, of course, for the city's purposes, not only includes the the the taxes it would gain from the hotel development, uh it also enhances the possible taxes the city could get from sales tax at Top Golf, considering they're next door to each other and the other developments that are that are scheduled to be on that kind of east end of that subject property that are not part of this development, but are part of the the overall uh nature of the the PRAO site. So this the city is extremely interested in this and sent me this remark just the other day in support uh of the matter. He said you know THAAD please advise the planning and zoning board that proposed the proposed mix of uses including commercial uses is currently permitted under our overlay district with the Praau Vista development which was approved by the Ridgland Board of Alman in its April of 23 meeting. While the underlying zoning classification remains in place, which I believe is part two there, is effectively superseded by the provisions of the adopted overlay district, the city's long-standing policy direction for this property has been mixed use, consistent with what is permitted under the overlay district. The surrounding properties are also zoned mixeduse, and the city's future use plan has designated this entire

development, the Praau Vista property, as mixed use since January of 23. U like I said today all we're asking is that the board consider that this urban renewal plan which is basically the location of the compreent hotel with the county working with a private developer Makita and the city to to bring these to fruition at that location fits within the county's comprehensive general plan you know located right there where Top Golf RD is across the street from the the the accounting firm term in that commercial development. It all kind of fits right there together and that's really the only thing we're here before today. There's no public hearing or no other, you know, general requirements. We will have a public hearing, as I mentioned, at the county level. Uh after if we if we get approval of this today and then the city board approves it, we're hoping the first meeting on the 3, I believe, of March is when they're scheduled to to approve it. Uh and then we would move forward on that basis if the county boards of advisors chooses to move forward.

I entertain a motion. Do you want to uh add that recommendation letter from the city to the minutes? I can. I just curious. Good for me. Yeah. Okay. And that letter was from Ridgand, you said? Yes. From Ellen Hart. So second. It's been moved properly. Second. All in favor? Eyes have it. So it is.

All right, guys. This is just a little bit different than our normal process with our minutes. Uh per the statute, we have to provide your written recommendation to the board of supervisors within 30 days of receipt. Obviously, we've met within 30 days of receipt of this this request. But I think we need to go ahead and at least put it on the minutes and have a separate motion maybe to allow Scott to submit a letter to the board of supervisors for their their meeting on this coming Tuesday just about the action that was taken here today that it was approved and just so we comply with the 30-day requirement of the statute.

So there needs to be another motion. Yeah, just a motion to allow Scott to uh submit a letter of confirmation or a letter of approval of the actions taken here today at this meeting to the board of supervisors at their February the 17th meeting. I believe that would be that right? That's right. 16th 17th 17th 16th president's day. Okay. Entertain the motion to amend. I'll make that motion. Move the property a second. All in favor? Let's have it. Thank you very much.

Motion to accept March date the 12th. Motion move second. All in favor? A motion to close.