The Biloxi City Council on Aug. 26 voted unanimously to deny a zoning map amendment that would have changed a portion of 8275 West Oak Lawn Road from residential estate restricted to community business, following extensive public comment raising drainage, fill and storm-surge concerns.

Residents and nearby property owners told the council the proposal would require significant fill and could redirect stormwater into existing yards and wetlands, and they urged councilmembers to reject the developer's request. Planning staff had previously sent the application to the council after a recommendation against it from the planning commission.

Why it matters: Neighbors argued the rezoning would allow uses, including a 24-hour service station, that could increase impervious surfaces and hazardous runoff into adjacent wetlands and neighborhoods that already receive drainage from the Interstate 10 corridor.

Public concerns. Resident Sean Cross told the council the property's drainage pattern ‘‘originates on this property’’ and crosses onto his land. Cross told the council he had provided a survey and color photos to illustrate the water flow and said the applicant's engineer indicated up to "6 feet of fill" could be brought to the site. Cross warned councilmembers that raising the site could redirect storm surge and runoff onto nearby properties and asked them to "take the information that I've given you and the pictures and make a good sound judgment today." (Sean Cross, resident.)

Other neighbors echoed those concerns. William Graves, who said he lives on River Estate Circle, cited the area's past storm surge experience and warned of "hazardous waste runoff" from vehicle service operations. Graves also said he had not received mailed notice of the planning application and asked the council to protect property values for nearby homeowners. (William Graves, resident.)

Council debate and vote. Councilmember Shoemaker said he had met with neighbors and received dozens of calls from residents in opposition; he moved to deny the application. Councilmember Tisdale said the record showed no substantive change in neighborhood character and noted nearby commercial uses were north of West Oak Lawn Road while the south side remained residential. The motion to deny, moved by Shoemaker and seconded by Tisdale, carried unanimously. (Councilmember Shoemaker; Councilmember Tisdale.)

Background and process. The planning commission recommended denial; during council discussion staff reported the planning commission vote as a denial in the record. The council's vote was procedural action on the zoning map amendment before the body. No ordinance or land-use code change was adopted beyond the denial of this specific application.

What was not decided. The council's action denied the rezoning request for this parcel only; it did not adopt new citywide drainage, flood or zoning regulations. The transcript does not record any new mitigation conditions or follow-up assignments to staff stemming from the vote.