DMR commission denies Ocean Springs plan to build concrete pathway on East Beach

The Mississippi Advisory Commission on Marine Resources voted Wednesday to deny the City of Ocean Springs’ request for a certificate of waiver that would have allowed construction of a 5,730-foot, 10-foot-wide concrete pedestrian pathway on the sand side of East Beach Drive.

The commission’s decision came after more than an hour of public comment, technical questions from commissioners and a staff presentation summarizing the application, public responses and agency reviews. Commissioners voted to deny the certificate following repeated concerns about erosion, hydraulic impacts and the project’s popularity in the community.

The city proposed the pathway to give pedestrians a route off the narrow roadway between Weeks Bayou and Halstead Road, tie into the seawall and improve pedestrian safety. Wetlands permitting staff reported the project would fill limited areas of sand beach above mean high tide and would place structural fill where the beach elevation was below the top of the seawall. The application requested variances under the Mississippi Coastal Program to convert some unvegetated water bottoms and sand beach to a constructed pathway and associated features.

Staff said the project is part of Jackson County’s bicycle, pedestrian and trails master plan and that the city plans to maintain the pathway while the county would maintain the sand beach. Agency reviewers including the Mississippi Department of Archives and History recommended a context study as a condition if the project were approved; the Secretary of State’s office said an amendment to the state tidelands lease would be required.

Dozens of residents and property owners at the commission meeting urged denial, citing recurring erosion, limited beach width, potential harm to shorebird habitat and the project’s likely effect of attracting more visitors and parking pressure to a narrow, largely residential shoreline. “It is not a safe place to walk,” said Dr. Dorlus Alford, an East Beach resident, describing frequent close calls with vehicles on the narrow road. Several speakers, including members of the incoming Ocean Springs city government, asked the commission to defer action until the new mayor and board could review the project.

A handful of speakers and the Ward 4 alderman said a pedestrian route was needed for safety and that the city had pursued the project for years; the city’s agent provided traffic and safety analysis and noted the pathway was part of an adopted master plan. Wetlands staff summarized alternatives considered by the applicant, including a narrower path, a shoulder on the north side of the road and other traffic-calming measures; staff noted MDOT standards and public input had driven the applicant’s choice of a south-side path.

After public comment and discussion, Commissioner Freddy Mayfield moved to deny the waiver. The motion carried on voice vote.

The commission’s decision does not preclude the city from filing a new application or pursuing a modified design. Staff told commissioners there remains a previously authorized, narrower 6.5-foot sidewalk authorization that is valid through November 2025 for a portion of East Beach. DMR staff also confirmed the Department of Archives and History’s requested context study and other technical analyses would be appropriate prerequisites for any future approval.

The denial follows concerns raised during prior public hearings and reflected broad local opposition at the April 15 meeting.

Votes at a glance: The commission voted to deny the certificate of waiver for the City of Ocean Springs East Beach pathway (motion: Commissioner Mayfield; second: recorded; outcome: denied).