Residents urge caution as council approves rezoning and subdivision for Pecan Grove Phase 3

Tupelo — The City Council on Nov. 4 voted to approve rezoning application RZ25‑O1 and a preliminary plat for Pecan Grove Phase 3, a proposed 10‑lot residential subdivision on about 12.8 acres between McCullough Boulevard and Pecan Grove Road, after multiple neighbors voiced opposition over drainage, tree removal and construction access.

Neighbors said they bought homes on Pecan Grove for a quiet cul‑de‑sac and raised concerns that construction traffic, the loss of tree buffers and inadequate erosion controls already observed on the site would damage streets, harm privacy and worsen existing drainage problems. “Our entire neighborhood is opposed to this development and access to our street from directly from our street to this development,” said Dr. Sam Newell, who lives across the street from the project. Melinda Ivy McElroy, the nearest neighbor, said the construction “will be an excessive amount of time” and could put children at risk on a narrow street without sidewalks.

Tracy Knight, a consultant for some landowners, told the council she had observed construction started under a stop order, with no silt fences or erosion control in place, and urged the city to require bonds, gravel entryways and washdown pits to limit sediment tracked onto public streets. “There’s no silt fence up. There’s still no erosion control,” Knight said.

In a formal presentation, Leslie Mart of the Tupelo Planning Committee told the council the committee unanimously recommended approval of both the rezoning and the major‑subdivision application, noting the site’s limited access and drainage constraints made it unsuitable for commercial development but appropriate for low‑density residential use. The committee attached conditions that include clearly identified green spaces, delineation of construction access and a minimum two‑year agreement with owners for the construction access, developer responsibility provisions for access maintenance, compliance with MDEQ rules, and a cultural review by the Chickasaw Nation. “Following careful consideration of staff analysis, applicant testimony and public comment, the committee determined that rezoning the subject property…is consistent with the city’s adopted plans,” Mart said.

City development services reported that the stipulations listed by the planning committee have been met. The council approved the rezoning and preliminary plat by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the minutes. The council discussion and planning‑committee conditions leave technical details — drainage solutions, exact access arrangements, and tree replacement locations and sizes — to be addressed during later construction‑review and permitting steps.

Residents asked what enforcement measures would be available if required mitigation was not completed. Council staff and the planning committee noted developer agreements and construction permitting would include responsibilities and that the fire marshal had reviewed and approved proposed access for the subdivision, but the hearing did not resolve every enforcement detail. Concerns about possible Clean Water Act/Nationwide 404 permit requirements for on‑site streams and about the size/caliper and location of replacement trees were raised by the public and flagged for later technical review.

Next steps: the subdivision will proceed to construction‑plan review and permitting with the stipulated conditions in place; required cultural review by the Chickasaw Nation and MDEQ compliance are listed as prerequisites in the planning‑committee approval.

Quotes used in this article are attributed to participants in the Nov. 4 council meeting.