barefield wins

[ynotme297]

looks like the highlands neighborhood will be the the next site of new appartments. a judge overturned the zone rueling, slapped the city council on the hands for trying to stop it,kim bradly said he dropped they ball by not telling everyone that it was overturned, and barefiled is now gonna sue everyone for trying to stop him. WAS THERE EVER ANY DOUBT that this would happen?

[jmb]

With his money??? No.

[543LISTguy]

Guess they should have elected that Scooter guy!

What judge was it and why was this kept so quiet?

[IGID]

I wonder what Bradley got out of it. There is no way he didn't know about it or how to appeal within the 30 days of the ruling. Looks like they voted in the wrong man, a typical politician.

[noway]

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060201/NEWS01/602010302/1002

The Judge was a former gulfport Attonery & where does Mike Barefield Practice? Anyway look the city wanted it from the start.. They had to vote against it.. It was election year. Kim Bradley should have notified his ward about the appeal but he is a business man & developer.. Good luck to the Barefields & the Highland Neighborhood.

[wilebill]

The thing that gets me the most about this situation is that the Barefield name used to by synonomous with citizenship and doing good for the city and its citizens. Now it seems to be "to hell with everybody else as long as I can make more money". That's a great legacy to pass on.

It would have been just as easy, although less lucrative, to build single family housing for middle to upper class people. This could have enhanced the entire neighborhood and also the city by attracting middle to upper class families, which we desperately need.

The lifespan of upscale apartments is what, 10 years?, until they become lower rent cheap apartments. Plus the fact that the apartment dwellers are not landowners and for the most part are not as interested in seeing their neighborhood maintained and prosper.

I'm not down on apartment dwellers, but you don't have to drive far to see what was once nice apartments turned into little more than slums. When the apartments degrade the good tenants just find themselves a nicer set of apartments with better neighbors to move to.

The city should have fought this tooth and nail. Now we really know what their agenda is and what the vision for Hattiesburg is. Sooner or later, and it looks like sooner, the only things that will be left in Hattiesburg is low rent single and multi-family housing and businesses. Even the people who actually own the residential property won't even live here.

Barefield and the city council just sold all of us out.

[IGID]

With the city going the way of Jackson, why would they want to live here?

[noway]

I figured hubcityslicker would come back and join us? What was his other names? I'm sure he is laughing at some of us..

[ynotme297]

i wonder if bradly will try to stop the trailer park that is supposed to go in at the old van hook golf course?

[wilebill]

What exactly has Kim done since he's been in office? He sure couldn't pick up a phone to let anyone know about the court ruling. I sure hope he's doing a lot behind the scenes because I don't know of anything publicly he's done.

[jmb]

i wonder if bradly will try to stop the trailer park that is supposed to go in at the old van hook golf course?

They're turning that into a trailer park???

[Wayward]

They're turning that into a trailer park???
Nope. The old golf course will be an ADP and Southern Miss driven Innovation and Technology Park plus a lot of green space. But someone is planning a mobile home park off of Classic Drive toward Highway 49 ... it would be in the general area.

[XC9]

I called Bradley about the trailer park going in on Golf Course Road and he assured me u.s.m. doesn't want that so it will never happen. It looks to me like they are already putting up some slabs . When you leave Westhills Apartments look to the left and see how close together those new small houses are. This area is becoming a slum area. The moose lodge really doesn't help with keeping their property mowed or cleaned either. I HATE IT! This was a nice area at one time (for a long time) and as a resident of this area I do all I can to keep our property up. We certainly don't need the additional traffic either. Come through this way someday noway and look at the difference.

[jmb]

That area has turned into slums also? I hate to hear that. One of my good friends in high school lived in a nice house on West Hills Drive. It's hard to imagine all the changes that have taken place over the past 30 years. It's going to take me at least a tank of gas checking it all out this summer.

[MSQueen]

That area has turned into slums also? I hate to hear that. One of my good friends in high school lived in a nice house on West Hills Drive. It's hard to imagine all the changes that have taken place over the past 30 years. It's going to take me at least a tank of gas checking it all out this summer.
where r u living now, jmb?

[jmb]

MSQueen, I grew up in Hattiesburg but my husband got transferred shortly after we got married. I've been in southern Illinois now for 21 years. Last time I was in Hattiesburg was 1989!

[MSQueen]

jmb, u will DEFINITELY be in for a MAJOR shock when u come to visit this summer! especially out Hwy 98!

[noway]

I saw in today's HA That the country club area of Ward One Paul Padgett is fighting to stop an apartment complex development.. They Have put the mobile home park on hold.. I LOVE IT.. ynot remember a speech or debate when mr Bradley said He was for development but the barefield property was a bad location.. Well it looks like all this development is moving in on the country club area.. whatcha goin to do? whatcha goin to do? When the apartments are built next to you....LOVE IT

YNOT you think Paul Padgett will join myhburg soon? You think he will be calling for advice on MONEY & POLITICS?

[Tully Mars]

The judge in this case is wacked...I am sure that Stone will sue me for saying that. At any rate, the placement of apartments at that location is clearly a nonconforming land use, regardless of abutting properties on 4th street. How he can say that the Council and Planning Commission were acting in a manner that was "arbitrary and capricious is beyond me. The city has a comprehensive plan that is supported by a land use map and land use plan.

If the proposed development is not aligned with the stated goals of those documents then not only are the commissioners and council members right, they are obligated to follow the plans that they themselves ratified unless a compelling reason causes them to do otherwise. The very vocal opposition to the proposal should be more than enough justification in and of itself to deny the proposal.

[wilebill]

The judge in this case is wacked...I am sure that Stone will sue me for saying that. At any rate, the placement of apartments at that location is clearly a nonconforming land use, regardless of abutting properties on 4th street. How he can say that the Council and Planning Commission were acting in a manner that was "arbitrary and capricious is beyond me. The city has a comprehensive plan that is supported by a land use map and land use plan.

If the proposed development is not aligned with the stated goals of those documents then not only are the commissioners and council members right, they are obligated to follow the plans that they themselves ratified unless a compelling reason causes them to do otherwise. The very vocal opposition to the proposal should be more than enough justification in and of itself to deny the proposal.
If the above is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, then why did the council just fold and give up? Why didn't Bradley, of all people, say something? Does the mayor not give a crap either? Is west Hattiesburg just going to be transformed into a free-for-all territory? Why draft a plan and not defend it's integrity to the utmost?

Are there other unwritten plans for W Hattiesburg that supersedes the comprehensive plans?

IMO, there's too many questions and no one giving any answers. Bradley's excuse that he gave in the paper was lame and unacceptable. If he's not up to the job, then why in the hell did he run?

[Tully Mars]

If the above is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, then why did the council just fold and give up? Why didn't Bradley, of all people, say something? Does the mayor not give a crap either? Is west Hattiesburg just going to be transformed into a free-for-all territory? Why draft a plan and not defend it's integrity to the utmost?

Are there other unwritten plans for W Hattiesburg that supersedes the comprehensive plans?

IMO, there's too many questions and no one giving any answers. Bradley's excuse that he gave in the paper was lame and unacceptable. If he's not up to the job, then why in the hell did he run?

Very good questions...unfortunately, I don't have the answers.

One thing that has been interesting to watch as Hattiesburg has developed over the last 20 years or so has been our attitude towards development. 20 years ago there were very few decent jobs to be had here, very little construction taking place...in short, there just was not much happening here.

The attitude at that time was one that catered to the developer and more often than not, concessions were made and justified in the interest of attracting investment, jobs and opportunities. That was probably not a bad approach, at that time.

However, today when you cannot ride more that a mile or so in any direction without seeing some form of development I think that we need to become a bit more discriminating. I think that Hattiesburg is enough of a destination and has a strong enough economic pull factor that we should be telling developers that if they are not interested in doing things the way we want them done then they can move on. That approach should apply to everyone from the small business to the big chain restaurants and walmarts of the world.

It is time to recognize that we have a commodity here that developers and investors want a part of, and their price to pay for owning a piece of the commodity is to create a quality development.

[ynotme297]

I saw in today's HA That the country club area of Ward One Paul Padgett is fighting to stop an apartment complex development.. They Have put the mobile home park on hold.. I LOVE IT.. ynot remember a speech or debate when mr Bradley said He was for development but the barefield property was a bad location.. Well it looks like all this development is moving in on the country club area.. whatcha goin to do? whatcha goin to do? When the apartments are built next to you....LOVE IT

YNOT you think Paul Padgett will join myhburg soon? You think he will be calling for advice on MONEY & POLITICS?

bradly has him out gunned out there. all those folks are prolly wondering what he is gonna do. i don`t think they will fight it like we did, even though we lost and wasn`t told about it till it was too late. dunno what paul will do. i do know that he is hopping mad. i tried to tell all of them out there that this could happen and they needed to get together. oh well, we`ll see now that the shoe is on the other foot.

[ynotme297]

tully, you are very correct. have you heard the old saying"money talks and b.s. walks"? well that is whats happening. the mentality of the city is build it now and we will figure out how to move traffic and cover with police and fire later. we can`t cover the amount of people that have moved in since the storm, let alone build more appt.`s and increase the traffic. its kinda like in the movie with kevin cosner "if you build it they will come"

[wilebill]

However, today when you cannot ride more that a mile or so in any direction without seeing some form of development I think that we need to become a bit more discriminating. I think that Hattiesburg is enough of a destination and has a strong enough economic pull factor that we should be telling developers that if they are not interested in doing things the way we want them done then they can move on. That approach should apply to everyone from the small business to the big chain restaurants and walmarts of the world.

It is time to recognize that we have a commodity here that developers and investors want a part of, and their price to pay for owning a piece of the commodity is to create a quality development.
I would not be opposed to seeing Hattiesburg adopt ordinances similar to what Madison has done in allowing on certain types of designs for commercial construction and having an iron-clad development plan.

Hattiesburg could and should be an example of what a good city could be, but I'm afraid an agenda such as this is not even on the radar screen of our so called "leaders". Just as Katrina has given the coast an opportunity to start over and do it right, we have the same opportunity but are squandering it.

Some people can't see opportunity even if it slapped them upside the head, and even if they did see wouldn't know what to do with it.

[IGID]

The apartments have already started on West Hills next to the bike trail. It's going to be huge.
www.eaglestrail.com

[Jessica]

The apartments have already started on West Hills next to the bike trail. It's going to be huge.
www.eaglestrail.com (http://www.eaglestrail.com)

2 bedroom / 2 bath units: $525 per bed per month
4 bedroom / 4 bath units: $400 per bed per month

Per bed? Are they furnishing the beds?

[beggingforrelief]

If the above is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, then why did the council just fold and give up? Why didn't Bradley, of all people, say something? Does the mayor not give a crap either? Is west Hattiesburg just going to be transformed into a free-for-all territory? Why draft a plan and not defend it's integrity to the utmost?




If you look at the whole picture, apartments are an ideal way to increase a voting population. Now DuPree stands to prosper from this. Ward One was the closest non afro-american ward he came to winning. Load up apartments with multi-race occupants his voting base may increase for his benefit. Thats why the Mayor is sitting at City Hall smiling.

[wilebill]

If you look at the whole picture, apartments are an ideal way to increase a voting population. Now DuPree stands to prosper from this. Ward One was the closest non afro-american ward he came to winning. Load up apartments with multi-race occupants his voting base may increase for his benefit. Thats why the Mayor is sitting at City Hall smiling.
I didn't want to say this myself, I wanted to see if anyone else thought those above thoughts. Looks like I'm not alone in wondering if this is the true agenda.