The Board of Supervisors met June 4 to discuss potential community building developments and the opening dedication of Lafayette County Fire Department’s newest Fire Station 17 in the Highlands area.
The area next to the new fire station is also slated for development, as members at Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting raised questions regarding 409 Rentals planned development on Highway 6 East. The company requested consideration for a commercial conditional use permit, which would allow 409 Rentals to begin construction without first disclosing the building’s purpose. The request was presented by Lafayette County Building Inspector Joel Hollowell.
District 1 Supervisor Kevin Frye said the plans he had seen for the buildings included an office and a roll-up door, suggesting an existing, intended purpose, and expressed concern that the buildings may not be suitable for the rural area.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of objection from that neighborhood if it’s a convenience store,” said Frye. “But it’s harder to say ‘no’ when you’ve built the building. So I just want to be clear that I think there’s something that can go there that’s perfectly acceptable to the residents. But I think there are also some things that would be the opposite of that.”
Oxford resident Robert Wilson, whose property neighbors 409 Rentals’, formally asked the board if the buildings could be a positive step toward the future commercialization of his own property. The board agreed that he would “definitely have grounds” to propose it, indicating 409’s commercial development opens the door for additional, commercialized spaces.
The Lafayette County Board of Supervisors motioned to consider the request of 409 Rentals commercial conditional use permit.
The meeting went on to approve 409 Rentals’ Commercial Preliminary Site Plan, as members discussed the visual compatibility of the buildings with the surrounding neighborhood. In compliance with the area’s Future Land Use Map, the developer, who wasn’t in attendance, has agreed to brick the front of the buildings and pave the drive to match Fire Station 17.
Stay tuned for hottytoddy.com’s coverage of the dedication of Fire Station 17 June 14.
Story by Megan Wolfe, contributor for HottyToddy.com.
