Board approves Rosewood rezoning and preliminary plat after redesign; neighbors voice traffic and school concerns

Olive Branch — The Board of Aldermen voted to rezone 46.88 acres at 7200 College Road from AR (agricultural residential) to R1 (single-family residential) and approved a preliminary plat for the Rosewood subdivision after the applicant reduced the project’s size and redesigned street connections to respond to earlier public concerns.

Why it matters: The project will create new single-family lots in a formerly rural area where residents have warned of traffic congestion, school crowding and pressure on city infrastructure. The developer reduced the scope from an earlier proposal, saying the redesign preserves tree canopy and limits through-traffic.

Staff presentation and changes: Planning staff said the rezoning area was reduced by 42% from a prior proposal and that the planned lots in the central R1 area now have a minimum lot size of 15,000 square feet — larger than the R1 minimum of 12,500. The developer also added a jog to the internal spine road to discourage cut-through traffic between College Road and other local streets and kept surrounding parcels at AR zoning to preserve larger lots and tree canopy.

Applicant Ben Smith told the board the redesign followed planning commission feedback and neighborhood meetings. “We have met and met and met with the neighbors…and we have made many changes,” he said, asking the board to rely on the planning commission’s unanimous recommendation for approval.

Public comment and board concerns: Neighbors from Oakwood Park, Dawkins Farms and other nearby subdivisions urged the board to deny the rezoning or to analyze infrastructure impacts further. Rob Oakes of Oakwood Park, who said he met with the developer, testified he supported the revised plan and commended the developer’s engagement with neighbors. Other speakers pressed traffic and school impacts:

- Deborah Doan said traffic on Highway 305 and College Road is already heavy and warned adding lots while nearby developments remain unbuilt could worsen congestion. “Traffic, on 305 is normally backed up as far from college all the way back past 78,” she said.

- Brian Gartshore cited recent approvals for more than 3,100 units in the preceding three years and asked whether the city should slow new approvals until infrastructure and school capacity are addressed.

- Sid Bickley and others said lot sizes in the proposal differ from adjacent neighborhoods and urged the board to preserve existing character.

Staff and applicant responses: Planning staff explained the area now has central sewer and that the revised design retained larger lots to the north and south and preserved open drainage ditches and tree canopy. Ben Smith and the developer said the revised plan included wider lot depths and a 50-foot tree preservation easement on the backs of many R1 lots.

Board decision and conditions: After discussion the board approved the rezoning and later approved the preliminary plat with conditions the planning commission recommended, including:

- College Road frontage improvements to be designed and built per city engineer requirements; - Minimum heated-area and design standards to be recorded in covenants (the applicant agreed to increase minimum heated area on one-acre lots to 3,000 square feet); - Side-loaded garages and lot-width minimums to preserve streetscape; and - Phasing and public-right-of-way connections that meet the International Fire Code requirement for multiple access points once the development exceeds 30 buildable lots.

The planning commission had recommended approval by unanimous vote; the board approved the rezoning and plat in subsequent motions.

Ending: The board approved the rezoning and preliminary plat after a lengthy public comment period and staff review. Conditions attached to the approvals require additional design work and developer commitments on lot sizes, road improvements and tree preservation that municipal staff will enforce during final-plat review.