Staff recommends variance and permit for Jackson County Pascagoula drainage project to reduce flooding

Commission staff recommended that the executive director approve a variance and a permit for a Jackson County drainage improvement project in Pascagoula that would fill 185 square feet of coastal wetlands to reduce recurring flooding. The staff presentation said the project, located between Canty Street and Comenee Avenue, would install a culvert at Canty Street, place riprap for stabilization, and construct a box culvert to connect a proposed outfall to an existing outfall at Comenee Avenue. The applicant requested the variance because staff concluded no feasible alternative sites or construction techniques were available and asserted a significant public benefit. "Therefore, staff request a motion that the commission recommends the executive director to approve the requested variance and approve the permit as requested," the Coastal Resources Management staff member said during the presentation. The public notice period ran from July 8 through July 25, a public hearing was held July 24, and staff reported one public comment in favor of the project. The presenter said the project was expected to reduce flood elevation by approximately 19 to 20 inches for nearby residents. Project details the presenter gave: the county proposes to fill a total of 185 square feet of coastal wetlands — about 10 square feet of vegetated water bottoms and about 175 square feet of unvegetated water bottoms — and to relocate and spread impacted tidal marsh vegetation over an adjacent 30 square foot area to allow regrowth. Agency comments reported in the presentation included no comments from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and an outstanding request from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for additional information; the Mississippi secretary of state indicated a rent‑exempt lease will be required. Discussion only: staff recommended approval and noted agency comment status; Direction: staff requested a motion recommending approval. Formal action: the transcript records a second to a motion but does not record a formal vote or definitive outcome at this meeting. Why it matters: the project aims to reroute stormwater into a larger receiving channel (Comenee Bayou) and reduce local flood elevations by roughly 19–20 inches for residents and travelers in the project area.