Oxford Mayor Pat Patterson, center, listens on during a Board of Aldermen meeting. (DM Photo/Anna Brigance)
The Oxford Planning Commission and residents of Anderson Road have rejected a new student housing development called Aspen Heights due to rezoning issues and personal concerns of its residents.
York Breckenridge GP, LLC requested permission from the city to rezone from Agricultural District and Single Family Residential District to Two Unit Residential District. This would rezone a total of 49.2 acres of land, allowing room for 235 units in this area.
“The Planning Commission felt that the applicant had not met the required proof and therefore recommended denial of the request,” Oxford City Planner Tim Akers said.
To rezone property in Mississippi, an applicant must prove that there was a mistake in the original zoning, that the character of the neighborhood has changed and that there is a public need for rezoning, according to Akers.
Resident Annette Lee is one of more than 30 residents to sign a petition banning Aspen Heights in her neighborhood. “I’ve lived here for over forty years and built my home here,” she said. “We are a residential neighborhood and this kind of project does not belong here.”
Lee said placing another student housing project in her neighborhood would add to existing problems in the area.
“We already have water problems, and student housing will make it worse. Not to mention the lighting and noise.”
Kendall Ligon, another resident of the area, also signed the petition to ban Aspen Heights.
“This student housing complex decreases our property value, and just think about what it will be like in ten years,” Ligon said.
With preexisting student housing complexes on Anderson Road, such as the Hub and The Retreat, residents do not understand the need for another.
Akers said that York Breckenridge GP, LLC has appealed the Planning Commission’s denial. Their request will be heard at the Board of Alderman meeting on Feb. 18.
