Olive Branch board approves multiple plats, infrastructure contracts; veto override attempt fails

Olive Branch — The Board of Aldermen approved a range of land‑use and infrastructure items at its January meeting, including preliminary and final plats, contracts for water and signal projects, and professional-service agreements; the board failed to muster the two‑thirds majority needed to override the mayor’s veto on a separate townhouse design change.

Votes at a glance

- Rosewood rezoning (7200 College Road): Approved (rezoning from AR to R1); planning commission had recommended approval. (See separate article for discussion and conditions.)

- Rosewood preliminary plat: Approved subject to planning-commission and city-engineer conditions (tree preservation, College Road frontage improvements, side-loaded garages, minimum heated-area covenants).

- Rezoning of 7705 Craft Road from AR to C1 (neighborhood commercial): Approved (motion carried after staff presentation and applicant remarks). Public comment was closed with no speakers for or against recorded at the hearing.

- Preliminary plat: Kirk Farms, Phase 1 (Goodman Road area): Approved; conditions include MDOT review for Highway 302 connection, FEMA floodplain approval before final plat recording, sewer-capacity and cost‑share provisions, trail and amenity construction phasing and roof-elevation submittals for architectural review.

- Final plats: Donald Ochsner subdivision (single lot on Mockingbird Lane): Approved with standard conditions (paved driveway, sidewalk requirements). Grants Creek subdivision (one lot with right-of-way replacement for future connection): Approved; staff recommended a plat note dedicating the replacement right-of-way on recording.

- Bids and procurement: - Fairhaven raw-water well replacement: Awarded (recommended bid accepted for a shorter time frame and lower cost than prior solicitation). - College and Craft Road traffic signalization: Awarded to low bidder using metal poles; project expected to free police officers used for traffic control and target completion before the 2025 school year. - George Harrison Soccer Complex Phase 2 (additional fields): Tabled for further bid evaluation and will return to the board at a later meeting.

- Professional services and task orders: - South Area Project 2: Task Order No. 4 approved with consultant for construction engineering (hourly, not to exceed $640,275). - Civil Link LLC: Approved for survey and gravity-sewer design associated with Gwen Farms pump-station removal (hourly, not to exceed stated amount).

- Veto override attempt: Board vote to override the mayor’s December veto of an amendment to a townhouse project failed (override required five votes; tally was 2 in favor, 5 opposed), so the mayor’s veto stands.

What changed and next steps: Several approvals include explicit conditions that require additional engineering, traffic and floodplain reviews before final plats or construction permits are issued. City staff will verify College Road frontage improvements, FEMA letters of map revision for projects in floodplain areas, sewer capacity and required frontage and median designs before final approvals.

Notable public comment themes: During the meeting residents repeatedly raised concerns about traffic congestion on College Road and Highway 305, school capacity, the pace of new development, lot sizes relative to surrounding neighborhoods and maintenance of city infrastructure.

Ending: The board completed a full agenda of land-use and infrastructure items and moved into executive session on personnel and acquisition matters at the meeting’s end. Staff will return with final plats and engineering reviews where required.