Tupelo planning committee backs rezoning of 12.8 acres for 11-home subdivision amid neighbor concerns about traffic, drainage and tree removal

The Tupelo Planning Committee on Sept. 8 recommended rezoning 12.8 acres between McCullough Boulevard and Pecan Grove Road from Mixed Use Commercial Corridor (MUCC) to Low Density Residential (LDR) and reviewed a preliminary plat that would subdivide the land into 11 residential lots.

The action follows a public hearing in which nearby homeowners raised safety and infrastructure concerns, including increased traffic on the single‑entry Pecan Grove cul‑de‑sac, recurring backyard flooding tied to Town Creek, and removal of trees on a narrow buffer strip between the proposed development and the existing neighborhood.

Dr. Max Hutchinson, the applicant and developer, presented the rezoning request and described the parcel as “a piece of property that is pretty well landlocked” and unsuited to commercial development. Hutchinson said the site “lends itself very well to a large‑lot subdivision” and that he plans 11 lots with green‑space buffers and covenants that would join the new lots to the Pecan Grove homeowners association.

Pat Faulkner, a city consultant who prepared the staff review, told the committee that rezoning would be appropriate because the site lacks practical access for commercial uses. “Without access to McCullough Boulevard . . . the property is not suitable for its current zoning. It will never be developed commercially,” Faulkner said, summarizing the city’s criteria that the committee must consider.

Residents who spoke urged denial or delay. Ryan Russell, a Pecan Grove resident, said the street is a “dead end street with 1 entrance in, 1 entrance out” and that adding houses would increase congestion near the Montessori school on Mount Vernon Road, slow emergency vehicles and raise safety risks for children. Bradley Dixon, president of the Pecan Grove Homeowners Association, said 84 neighbors signed a petition opposing a new entrance through their neighborhood.

Several speakers said preliminary clearing had already begun without permits and pointed to a stop‑work order the city engineer issued Aug. 29. Beau Hill, a nearby resident, said city crews had not yet fixed existing storm‑drain problems that let water bypass catch basins and erode yards.

Tanner Newman, director of development services, read an e‑mail from the Natchez Trace land resource manager stating the Parkway boundary runs west along McCullough Boulevard and that the Trace would not allow an access point to the subdivision from McCullough. Newman said that, combined with the site layout, effectively prevents the commercial access neighbors suggested.

Faulkner said subdivision technical issues — traffic counts, drainage plans, street geometry and fire department turning radii — are addressed at the construction‑plan stage, not in the rezoning decision. He noted the city’s traffic‑study threshold is 130 vehicle trips per day, and that an 11‑lot subdivision does not meet that threshold. He also said LDR minimum lot size under the code is 0.33 acres and that the applicant’s revised plat made every lot meet the dimensional standards. The required open‑space minimum is 10 percent of the site (about 1.28 acres); the applicant’s plat shows roughly 2.6 acres of green space.

Hutchinson and staff said some preliminary earthwork had been done to remove a fallen tree and other debris from a drainage channel and to stabilize a new drainage way; Hutchinson said an engineering drainage study had been prepared and shared with city staff. Hutchinson also said he holds a two‑year construction easement from an adjoining owner that would permit temporary construction access from Mount Vernon Road, and he said the easement would be used for heavy equipment during road and utility installation.

After committee discussion, Commissioner Leslie Mart made a motion to recommend approving the rezoning to LDR; Pam Hadley seconded the motion. The committee chair called the vote and said it was unanimous. The committee also considered the preliminary plat for 11 lots and staff recommended approval subject to construction‑plan compliance with city engineering and fire department requirements. The committee’s recommendation goes to the Tupelo City Council for final action at a later meeting.

Neighbors were told the planning committee acts as a recommending body; the city council will hold a subsequent public hearing (likely in October) where residents can comment again. Several speakers said they plan to pursue covenant or other neighborhood protections and noted concerns about a possible conflict of interest because Hutchinson previously served as HOA president while developing the property.

The rezoning vote does not authorize any construction. Before any houses can be built, the applicant must submit and obtain city approval of subdivision construction plans that address stormwater control, street design, sidewalks or payment‑in‑lieu, fire access and other technical requirements. Staff said those plans must meet city code and engineering standards and that the city engineer will enforce compliance.

The committee’s recommendation and the record of public comments will be forwarded to the city council, which will set the final public hearing and decision date. Residents seeking notice of the council hearing were told they will receive the same public‑notice mailing that was sent for the planning committee hearing.