Residents demand action as Broadmoor Drive mobile homes remain vacant and in disrepair

Several residents of the Hickory Hill subdivision urged the Gautier City Council on Aug. 19 to address deteriorating mobile homes and abandoned vehicles on Broadmoor Drive, which they say form an unsightly gateway to their neighborhood. Denise Blankenshen told the council that "6 trailers on Broadmoor have been vacant for over a year," and asked the council to consider rezoning the entrance to prohibit new mobile or manufactured homes. The complaint matters because residents said the condition of the mobile homes is affecting property values and daily life. "Many of the trailers on Broadmoor Drive were in disrepair with broken windows or missing windows, overgrown weeds, or even appearing to be abandoned altogether," Blankenshen said during the public-comment period. Other speakers said code enforcement responses have been intermittent and asked for a sustained effort. Planning Director Scott Anderson and Council members described existing regulatory limits and next steps. Anderson said the corridor appears to be split between zoning districts and that the north and south sides have different rules, explaining that some lots in the area may allow manufactured homes while others do not. Council members and the mayor said they would direct staff to compile the permitting and rezoning steps and to conduct an additional code-enforcement sweep of the area. The mayor told residents, "We will get the city manager to request the staff to do a code enforcement sweep in that area." The council did not take formal legislative action or adopt a rezoning ordinance at the meeting; council members described the next steps as administrative and procedural. City staff said they would return with the process and options for rezoning (citizen-initiated versus city-initiated) and provide clarity on enforcement avenues under local code and Mississippi law. Residents were invited to deliver written material to the clerk; the council said staff would follow up with the residents and review enforcement records the city has on Broadmoor Drive. Council members acknowledged the limits of local authority and emphasized the practical steps available now: a renewed enforcement sweep, a staff memo on rezoning procedures, and follow-up meetings if the situation does not improve. Residents who asked for action were told how to request formal rezoning and were encouraged to contact council members directly if enforcement fails to progress.