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Aldermen approve Foxpaw Creek rezoning for 262‑lot subdivision after weeks of debate
Summary
The Olive Branch Board of Aldermen voted 5–2 to rezone roughly 108 acres along Davidson Road from AR to R2, approving a preliminary plat for a 262‑lot subdivision called Foxpaw Creek after presentations from staff and the applicant and extended resident opposition focused on traffic and school capacity.
The Olive Branch Board of Aldermen voted 5–2 on Dec. 16 to rezone about 108 acres on the west side of Davidson Road from AR (agricultural‑residential) to R2 (single‑family residential), clearing the way for the Foxpaw Creek subdivision.
Planning staff described the project as a two‑phase development with 262 lots (121 in phase one and 141 in phase two), new sidewalks and a trail, Davidson Road frontage improvements and internal traffic‑calming features. Staff also noted streams on the site and said a final MDEQ delineation could change the buffer footprint and, in turn, the lot count.
Jason Gambone, director of land development for Garden Street Communities, told aldermen the homes would be built for Adams Homes with a 2,000‑square‑foot minimum living area, a typical product mix aimed at “attainable” priced housing. Gambone said the developer would widen Davidson Road on the project frontage, add sidewalks and build roughly five miles of internal walking trails. He estimated the completed subdivision would add about 650 residents and produce roughly $850,000 annually in property tax revenue based on homes assessed in the mid‑$300,000s.
Residents during the public‑comment period said the area is still rural and raised objections to the density, impacts on Timber Oaks Drive and school capacity. Bernice Morgan, who said she has lived on Timber Oaks for 35 years, told the board: “We put in Timber Oaks Road... Reszone the property across from us, but don't put 262 homes on that property.”
Gambone and staff cited a traffic study showing modest peak‑hour impacts on nearby streets, and stressed that much of the projected traffic would travel to Goodman Road rather than pass by existing homes. Staff also briefed aldermen on the petitioner’s proposed off‑site Davidson Road improvements and the developer’s willingness to place street trees and other landscaping in deed restrictions.
After discussion and a failed motion to remand, the board took a roll‑call vote: Aldridge, Collins, Dickerson, Gamage and Wallace voted yes; Earheart and Hamilton voted no. Because a petition in opposition met the county planning statute’s 20% adjoining‑owner rule, the application required a five‑vote supermajority to pass — which it achieved. The board also approved the subdivision’s preliminary plat and a set of planning conditions, including street‑tree requirements, HOA maintenance of the trail system until accepted by the city, and a mechanism to add eight additional lots only if MDEQ determines that a particular stream buffer is not required.
What happens next: The developer must meet the planning conditions and submit final engineering and plat material before building permits can be issued. The stream delineation and required off‑site improvements are the principal outstanding technical items.
