Concerns over alcohol sales and a proposed redevelopment plan for the McComb Housing Authority influenced city selectmen Tuesday night to return the Summit Street rezoning issue to the planning commission for further review.
The selectmen voted 6-0 to return the rezoning matter to the planning commission, which last October approved a mixed-use rezoning plan for Summit Street called the Burglund Plan that would allow alcohol sales in the neighborhood.
The commissioners said the plan was the best use for the neighborhood, which is already a mixed commercial-residential area.
Selectmen never voted on the commission’s Oct. 8, 2008, minutes after Mayor Zach Patterson asked then-city attorney Rachel Michel to investigate the commission’s decision. Michel, who was fired by Patterson several days later, never gave the opinion.
Selectmen later approved a subsequent decision by the city’s board of adjustment, which heard an appeal of the planning commission’s decision by Sonja Norwood, a supporter and co-author of a competing rezoning plan called the Northeast McComb Plan.
The board of adjustment ruled that the planning commission made a mistake in approving the Burglund Plan.
The issue remained dormant until a Sept. 2 work session, when city attorney Wayne Dowdy told selectmen that the board of adjustment has no authority to hear a zoning appeal. That moved the issue to the board’s Tuesday meeting.
On Tuesday, housing authority director Jeff Adams presented the organization’s proposal to rebuild and renovate its 435 housing units in McComb, starting with the Burglund Heights complex, which is on the north end of Summit Street.
Adams said the project is still in the planning stages and no starting date has been set.
Adams said the authority favors keeping bars and other businesses that sell alcohol away from its properties.
Selectmen also heard from Sherry Robinson, who prepared the Northeast McComb Plan with Norwood.
The Northeast McComb plan has a separate commercial district on the south end of Summit Street and prohibits alcohol sales.
Robinson said the supporters of the Northeast McComb Plan were upset when the planning commission approved the Burglund Plan.
She also claimed that a petition filed by supporters of the Burglund plan during an Oct. 8, 2008, public hearing was improper, alleging that some of the signatures had been fraudulently obtained and were not checked by city planning officials.
Robinson said she objected to alcohol sales in the neighborhood.
“I’m here representing the children walking to school, the Christians who are tired of seeing kids hanging on the street corner selling drugs,” she said. “I ask the board to consider the children.”
Selectman Robert Earl Smith said the two zoning proposals were similar with the exception of alcohol sales.
“I know all about Summit Street,” Smith said. “I know what goes on on Summit Street. The planning commission needs to delete the alcohol, the bars and nightclubs.”
Selectman E.C. Nobles said the plans should be returned to the commission with the city board’s objections and the housing authority’s plans.
“Let them (the commissioners) decide and send it back,” he said. The (housing authority) plans were something they didn’t have before when they reviewed this.”
Nobles said the commission needs to hold another hearing on the plans to include residents and businesses on Summit Street and the housing authority officials. “That way no one is left out,” he said.
“This (the plans) is new to us,” Nobles said. “The residents should be able to hear that.”
