How about that? Was this editorial stuck in the printer for 20 years? These folks must never leave town so they can roll back in and be shocked by how much of Old Oxford is already gone and its soul was taken by the dementers at least two decades ago. Too little, too late. After rubber-stamping everything the developers ever wanted for all these years, all theyre going to do now is piss people off. Schmucks. Let’s control what our future looks like Oxford is known for its small-town charm and ambience. With the growth and continued building that we are seeing, are we in danger of losing that feel? I grew up on Highway 6 East. In all the years I was driving into Oxford from our home, the only thing I remember seeing was the water tower by the Park Commission building with its Christmas lights. A different view Fast-forward to today and all you see are massive condo developments on South 16th and South 17th streets when you top that same hill. Anyone who has lived in Oxford for any amount of time realizes that every day, we seem to lose a little more of our aesthetic appeal. Gone are the days of James Food Center and so many other establishments that used to be a part of our downtown area. When people think of Oxford, they think of the Square and its charm. Growth in Oxford is a positive thing and is something that supports not only our tax base, but also our everyday conveniences of city services and our local schools. There is not a city or town in Mississippi that has money in the bank like our city and county government does due to the sale of the hospital. Not only that, but look at the $313 million facility that Baptist is breaking ground later this month. The future growth around this stateofthe-art facility will be a huge boost to our tax rolls. Just this week, it was announced that we will have a new 94-bed Hilton Home2 hotel near the new facility for extended stay families who have a patient at the hospital. Ordinance changes limit What the city is trying to do now is maintain this growth with an ordinance that would allow a structure to cover 30 percent of the lot compared to 40 percent before. Some of these developments actually slipped through because of, depending on who you ask, oversight of city officials or a misinterpretation of the ordinance Recently, there was a public hearing held to discuss this change with people on both sides of this ordinance voicing their opinions. Former Mayor Richard Howorth, who spoke before the board for the first time in five years, was in support of the ordinance. Howorth said that it is important to maintain Oxford’s character and its “soul.” Howorth said that this ordinance wasn’t trying to destroy development, but control it in an effective manner. Howorth realizes that “Our Little Easy City to the North” is in danger of losing that reputation. All one has to do is ride on West Jackson Avenue and Old Taylor Road and witness the urban sprawl that is being developed. I live close to both of the new developments on South 16th and 17th streets. Is this really what we want in our “Neighborhood Conversation Overlay District” and so close to the heart of Oxford — the Square? We already have three hotels being built within the “Conservation Overlay District” that will add to more traffic with 292 rooms planned for those three developments. Many cities and towns would be ecstatic to see the growth that is happening in Oxford. Sometimes this growth is just the poison that will make so many retirees and condo owners have second thoughts about why they wanted to relocate to Oxford and relish the small town experience. The university with all the amenities it has to offer, is another major reason for our growth. Graduates of Ole Miss always want to come back, and for plenty of good reasons. Town-gown cooperation With the increase in enrollment at Ole Miss, there has never been a more important time for the leaders of the university to come to the table with our city and county leaders to discuss the growth and how to control it. The city of Oxford’s infrastructure is taxed to the limit. Why can’t the university (if it is within the legal guidelines) financially support some of the proposed new roads in our community since the university indirectly contributes to the problem? The vote on this ordinance will be held at the regular board meeting Tuesday. Now is the time to voice an opinion and contact your alderman. According to Mayor Pat Patterson, “The purpose of these amendments is to preserve the integrity of our neighborhoods. The intent of the building coverage reductions was to provide more open space which would give more transition between single family and duplex and multi-family.” In my opinion, this is a vote to take back Oxford and control what our future looks like. After all, what is a person or a city without its “soul”?
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 02:24:12 +0000
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