Resident urges Ocean Springs to verify Corps of Engineers notice after large wetland-fill proposal cited

A resident told the Ocean Springs Board of Aldermen that a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public notice for a nearby project raises material concerns about wetland impacts, flood behavior and endangered species.

Dr. Albert Diaz said he had received the Corps notice dated April 13 describing proposed activity on roughly 80.76 acres that would fill about 35.41 acres of wetland and block 432 linear feet of stream. He asked the board to "verify your facts before you give the permit," and said the notice listed multiple endangered species, including the sandhill crane. "Where is the water going to go that was sinking into the wetlands and draining out the stream?" he asked.

City staff told Diaz the project appears to be proceeding through county permitting and said the city had not received plans as of the meeting; staff invited the resident to leave a copy for city review and said they would follow up. The board acknowledged the concern and said it would check jurisdictional details and any submittals that come before the city.

What was said about the development: Diaz described numbers in the public notice and said the proposed buildout could include hundreds of homes on the parcel; he told the board many nearby residents might not have been notified directly by the Corps notice mailing he received.

Next steps: city staff said they would follow up to verify whether the project requires city action or is being processed by the county; they invited the resident to provide his notice and contact information for follow-up.