Rankin County adopts Mount Helm pit expansion in solid-waste plan and reserves Marquette site for industrial marketing

Rankin County supervisors voted Jan. 15 to adopt a technical amendment to the county solid-waste plan to allow expansion of the Mount Helm pit and to reserve the former Marquette Concrete Plant site for potential heavy-industrial economic development.

Staff said the solid-waste plan amendment adopts findings that conform to the previously held public hearing and that no comments were received during the comment period. The board approved the perfunctory resolution to amend the plan.

Separately, the board considered a written request from the Rankin First Economic Development Authority asking the county to reserve the Marquette Concrete Plant property (PPIN 21861) in Rankin County, Mississippi, for economic-development use. Staff reported the property is county owned, adjacent to other county parcels, and that demolition of the old cement plant has been contracted. The combined parcels would create nearly 30 acres with rail access and direct nearby access to Highway 18 and the interstate, staff said.

Board members asked about current zoning and the municipality's role. Staff replied the parcel with the old cement plant is zoned A2 (heavy industrial) but noted the property sits inside the City of Brandon's municipal boundaries, meaning coordination with the city may be required for rezoning or other land-use actions. The board voted to place a hold on the Marquette property for marketing through Rankin First Economic Development Authority.