Petal's "ice-hole"

[MSQueen]

i just read in yesterday's HA about the ice house which has been built (if u can call it "built") on Hwy 42 in front of the East Oaks Shopping Center, and i have continued to look at the picture along side of the article. what a joke!!! many residents are supposedly upset because they say it "violates two ordinances and should never have been constructed at its current location." Petal resident Hugh Garraway said, "It's like a big vending machine." judging by the picture in the paper, that's about what it looks like. they are supposed to have a public hearing at 6:00 on April 16th to further discuss, receive input, review the variance commission's findings, and vote on it. i may just have to attend so i can hear dan tolbert (petal bldg inspector) talk his way out of this one!:smt119

[wilebill]

The funniest thing to me about the article is the quote from Garraway where he said it "distracts from the aesthetic of the area." :smt118 It's in front of a strip mall! You sure don't want to mess with the aesthetics of a strip mall, do you?

[MSQueen]

i personally haven't been out there to see the ice house--er, trailer, but i have been out to the strip mall. as i recall, there isn't that much frontage to have a building, and i can imagine how tacky that building looks out in front of the strip mall. i hope these folks stay on top of this, because if not, there will be metal/tin buildings popping up everywhere in petal. IMO, they really look cheap and if not constructed properly, could possibly be a hazard during strong windstorms, etc. petal has enough problems with the aesthetics of the city as it is without the folks in charge allowing such shoddy buildings to be built!

[Susan from H'burg]

BTW, Hugh Garraway lives a short distance from the ice house (on Hwy 42, his is the house with the "Sherwood Forest" sign in it). Anyway, he keeps an old Army Jeep parked outside his house, along with a small RV that I would classify as a trailer. Is that "aesthetically pleasing?" I think not.

[IGID]

With a name like ice-hole, I bet I know what they're calling Garraway....lol

[MSQueen]

BTW, Hugh Garraway lives a short distance from the ice house (on Hwy 42, his is the house with the "Sherwood Forest" sign in it). Anyway, he keeps an old Army Jeep parked outside his house, along with a small RV that I would classify as a trailer. Is that "aesthetically pleasing?" I think not.
i haven't seen his house, so i can't say. i haven't been to personally see the ice house, have u?

the main issue with the ice house deals with the fact it is supposed to be a BUSINESS, and therefore, it's supposed to follow certain building restrictions, etc. set out for businesses.

i, for one, am tired of seeing all of the cheap metal buildings being built in petal, and i believe that is the issue that the city council is going to be discussing soon -- stricter enforcement to restrict the % of metal a business can use when building. (i know that may not be worded the best, but hopefully u understand what i mean) i have tried for years to get petal to help enforce residents to maintain their properties, but without much success. i DO feel that when u have a NEW BUSINESS building being built and it being the job of our fine building inspector to "inspect" those buildings, that he would make sure that all guidelines are followed BEFORE allowing the building to be built!

[Conveyor Belt]

Aren't there quite a few metal buildings in petal, especially on the end of main st? I don't really pay that much attention to them, but aren't alot of the school building's metal, including the head start center at the middle school?

Either it's a rule, or it's not. I don't believe in 'exceptions' when it comes to stuff like this.

[MSQueen]

yes, there are quite a few metal buildings already there, and that's EXACTLY what i'm talking about. i think during phillips' administration, NOTHING was done about NOTHING, and they allowed all sorts of things to be built. i don't know what restrictions were in the building codes then, but i think that's what they are fixing to tackle with the issue concerning the metal buildings. either they can build them or they can't -- period.

[Farside]

The formal public hearing date for the Ice House variance given in the Hattiesburg American article is incorrect. The correct date is Wednesday April 12 at 6:00pm at the Petal City Hall. I believe the hearing will actually be in the courtroom next door.

[MSQueen]

thanks farside! :-D

[MSQueen]

http://hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060413/NEWS01/604130308&SearchID=73241528348226

yippee! they finally did something right! of course, the article doesn't say if the Building Inspector, Dan Tolbert, was present at the meeting, although i would presume he wasn't since the article didn't quote him trying to "defend" why he allowed the building to be built in the first place!

i didn't make it to the meeting, either, but i am really glad that the city officials realized that this issue was a "NO-BRAINER" and could easily be fixed. I DO hope that in the future, there is something put in place where Tolbert isn't the sole authority to say "yea" or "nay" to allowing new buildings to be built. it is scary to think that ONE MAN has the power to allow this to happen, and it is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! hopefully, the mayor and/or others have personally let Tolbert know that he totally screwed up. i also hope that they confronted him and asked him what he was thinking and WHY he allowed it to be built in the first place!! of course, i don't think the citizens of Petal will ever be given an explanation, or if we are given one, i'm sure it will be one of the generic "glazed-over" ones.

things like this really get me worked up dealing with my hometown. i have dealt with Tolbert so many times in the past. although he is a very polite person, i question his abilities to effectively and fairly do his job. this is the latest example of why i feel this way!

[Sir Mickey Mouse]

There is also one of these in front of Sam's/Wal-Mart on Hwy. 98 and another in Laurel... I bet they are popping up everywhere.

[metal protector]

My family dropped a dime on a manufactured shop during Phillips administration, after being told by the alderman that we could build the shop. The permit ran out before the manufactured building was assembled so a new one was needed. Now we are being denied because they claim it needs to be 70% brick. To brick a building that big is not cheap.


I have been noticing around the town of madison, I mean petal there are lots more metal buidlings.

O'Rielly Auto Parts - Central Ave.
Behind house (put up right before Katrina) - Garden Ln & Old Richton Rd
Petal Harvey church - Right by city hall (karl can't miss this one)
Huge one - Behind Bill's dicount on Main St
Dollar General - HWY 42
Petal Middle school Band Hall - Kola St
Petal High schools' new building - HWY 42
Goodyear - HWY 42
Oak plaza shopping (ugly building with pretty prices) - HWY 42
Andy Moore appliance - Carterville
Just put up - Sort of behind Green's Creek Baptist Church by a pool house
(david cox's old house)




IMO - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is not an ugly building at all.

[Conveyor Belt]

I like the no metal rule. However, I think it should be just that... a rule, not something that can be skirted around. You can't include gov't or school buildings in the loop because laws don't apply to the gov't or schools, at least not in Hattiesburg.

One thing I was noticing, was that alot of buildings have a brick front, but metal sides, etc. Does the side of the buiding facing the street have to be 70% brick, or the whole building?

[wilebill]

One thing I was noticing, was that alot of buildings have a brick front, but metal sides, etc. Does the side of the buiding facing the street have to be 70% brick, or the whole building?
The way I read it, the whole building has to be 70% something else. I think this percentage was derived because if you cover the front and both sides, that would be about 75%, leaving the back as metal. Makes sense to me, anyway.

And isn't the YMCA an all-metal building?

[Conveyor Belt]

There are A LOT of mostly metal buildings in Petal. I just don't get it...

[MSQueen]

con, most of the buildings that are mostly metal were constructed during tony phillips' tenure as mayor, and during that time, i don't think there was any sort of building restrictions against metal buildings (but i'm not positive). i know that since carl scott has been mayor there may have been changes/additions to the building restrictions as it relates to metal buildings, but it is still kinda up in the air, since there are supporters for both sides of the issue.

[Conveyor Belt]

Okay, if the restrictions are a recent thing, then I don't have a problem with it at all. If it's something that was on the books but not enforced, that's a different story...

For instance, in Hattiesburg, there's an ordinance against what are commonly called "pole banners". These are the signs that gas stations and resturants attach to marquee poles or parking lot poles as advertisments. The banners attached to streetlight poles on USM campus or downtown are pole banners. Apparently, sometime in the Chain administation, an ordinance was issued against these things. No one enforced it, and then during the late Morgan era, someone got uppity about it and started cracking down. The thing is, these things generate $1000's of extra sales a week. Business owners can't have them, but the city can, the university can... It's crap. Thing is, 1/2 the signs in Hattiesburg violate the ordinance, and nothing is done. Real estate signs violate the ordinance, but if I put out a USM real estate sign, it's okay...

[metal protector]

now "James Moore" has art aka graffiti being painted in the city. They need to either decide they want a nice city or a trashy one.

IMO, the city is doing way too much. Telling people what they can build, what they are saying about the "ice hole", tearing down owners buildings, and now they graffiti the town.

[Conveyor Belt]

All this "art" going on in the city... some of it's definitley better than others. I LOVE the mural on the side of El Mariachi Loco... I HATE the one on that tanning place by the Shell station.

[MSQueen]

i haven't seen any of it yet. guess i'll have to get out more! :-D

[Tommy9854]

All this "art" going on in the city... some of it's definitley better than others. I LOVE the mural on the side of El Mariachi Loco... I HATE the one on that tanning place by the Shell station.

The one on Tropical Glamour was done by a Petal High School student. I think the El Mariachi Loco one was done by a professional.

[Fire Extinguisher]

Tacky, tacky. The "art" is just like the one that dreamed it up.... stupid.

[MSQueen]

fire, which are u referring to? i have still only seen pics in the paper and online of the painting done at El Mariachi Loco, but haven't seen or paid attention to the one at Tropical Glamour yet.

[Fire Extinguisher]

Any of them, its just a bad idea, no matter how good the actual art may be. They should concentrate on the areas around the two bridges if they really want Petal to look good. First impressions....

[Conveyor Belt]

Yeah, I still am wondering when they're going to add the "PE" and "AL" to the welcome sign coming in from the bypass. I always say, "Hey, I'm entering 'T'", which is stupid, but then, so is the sign.

[MSQueen]

Any of them, its just a bad idea, no matter how good the actual art may be. They should concentrate on the areas around the two bridges if they really want Petal to look good. First impressions....
personally, i think that any time you can get businesses interested in doing something to "spruce up" their buildings it's a good thing. also, getting school kids involved in Anything is also a good thing -- especially when it's art! anything encouraging our young people to be creative, regardless of the outcome of that creativity, promotes their self-esteem and can also help instill pride in their city in other ways and in the future.

i would much rather see murals on the sides of buildings rather than graffiti written all over them.

i agree about both entrances at the bridges into Petal. i think maybe that will be a project a little further down the road AFTER getting some of the "junky" businesses to either CLEAN UP or CLEAR OUT!:-D

[Blondie]

I agree, I like the murals. I think it adds to the buildings. Both murals go with the type of business, so it's not out of place. I'm glad to know a student did the one at Tropical Glamour. Businesses adding to the beautification of the city is a good thing. I wish more would. I like the idea of art being on display.

One of the ADP Leaders groups is going to have a mural project for downtown Hattiesburg. I think Coney Island is one of the businesses that is going to be involved.

[Joelaw]

i agree about both entrances at the bridges into Petal. i think maybe that will be a project a little further down the road AFTER getting some of the "junky" businesses to either CLEAN UP or CLEAR OUT!:-DI think it would be a grate idea to get our side cleaned up but the other side of the river needs to do something also. I know of several familys who were looking at homes in Petal but did not relocate due the the parts of Hattiesburg they would have to drive through to get home every night.

[MSQueen]

i really don't look for there to be much "spiffying-up" on the hattiesburg side (especially on East Hardy/River Avenue). i don't know what the City of Petal can do ordinance-wise to change the cosmetics of the entrance from East Hardy/River Avenue. if there was a way to make some of those businesses really see how things look there and what they might could do to make it more "inviting", that might help. but, IMO, the other entrance from hwy 11/hwy 42 is really the one that needs the most improvements. of course, i have read in the Petal News that the City and Percy Scarborough are having a feud over demolishing his business that caught fire (twice, i think) several, several years ago. hopefully, the City will win that issue and be able to remove the remainder of that building. also, the area where the Petal Fairgrounds is could stand to be cleaned up some. also, i don't know what the deal is with the Paul's Tire building. it hasn't been touched i don't think since Katrina came through. i thought at one time maybe they were waiting to settle with the insurance, but i don't know that that is the case. i believe they have a business also in Laurel, if i'm not mistaken. there is also a building to the right once you go over the railroad tracks from 42/11 (West Central Avenue). I don't know what building that is, but it has been torn up like it is now for quite some time.
cleaning up the places i have mentioned here would, i believe, help to maybe motivate some of the other businesses to spruce up their buildings and landscape.
i really think this needs to be done, especially with the parkway coming on through. petal really needs to take PRIDE in it's "older" areas and keep them enticing as people drive through. :-D

[Blondie]

I think the Paul's Tire building has been an eminent domain issue. That's been the holdup on that.

I think the city should do something like H'burg does with some grants or something for businesses to spruce up their buildings/property. I'm not sure exactly how H'burg's works or who is eligible or anything, but it just seems to me there's got to be some grants or something to help. I love Petal but sometimes I don't really understand why the city leaders don't concentrate on the more needed areas of beautification. They will pass ordinances regarding owning mobile homes, but not on businesses cleaning up their property.

[SouthChic]

I went out Hwy 42 tonight and noticed the ice building is no longer there. :smt102

[Tully Mars]

I went out Hwy 42 tonight and noticed the ice building is no longer there. :smt102

:smt038 :smt038 :smt038 :smt038

[MSQueen]

i think the ice house has now taken up residence in the side parking lot of Fred's near Broadway Drive. anybody seen it? i just saw it from the road but haven't gotten up close to see what it's really about and how it works. :smt102

[fuzzis]

i think the ice house has now taken up residence in the side parking lot of Fred's near Broadway Drive. anybody seen it? i just saw it from the road but haven't gotten up close to see what it's really about and how it works. :smt102

That's been there for months. The last time I was over there, it wasn't operational.

fuzzis

[MSQueen]

the first time i saw it (or "noticed" it) was about a month ago. it still looks kinda weird -- like a big white box sitting out in the parking lot. :confused: