COURTESY: CITY OF OXFORD
Local developers have faced changes in zoning and building codes due to the Oxford Board of Aldermen approving a new zoning ordinance late last year.
The main change in the ordinance includes limiting houses to one family and limiting the number of homes in a dwelling unit.
More specifically, in the new ordinance, RC (multi-family) housing units were reduced from five dwelling units to three. RB (two family) housing units were reduced from three dwelling units to two.
City Planner Andrea Correll was asked to a write growth management plan in an effort to help keep the small-town quality of life in Oxford and not jeopardize structures, roads and the environment.
Correll said she is committed to keeping the historic feel of the downtown Oxford area while also accommodating the growth throughout the town.
“We need to be proactive, so we can do what is best for the community,” said Correll. “The Historic District of Oxford is our golden-goose, so we wrote some ordinances on lot coverage in order to preserve the community and prevent space, sewage and plumbing issues.”
The new land ordinance will not effect previously existing subdivisions unless they are adding additions or renovating. It will mainly affect local developers, looking to build their own house and students.
In a survey of the local Oxford residents, conducted in the demographic of 50 students ranging from 19 to 22-years-old, 68 percent of students said this new land ordinance will affect their housing decisions in future years to come.
Yet when conducting a survey on families in the Oxford community with five or more persons in a family, statistics came to show that 92 percent of families will not be affected by this new change in zoning, and 8 percent said it will affect them due to renovations they will be doing in the future.
Randall Crumbly, president of Royal Oaks subdivision, which is about two miles from the Ole Miss’s Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium, said that this new ordinance would not affect his community at all.
“There are approximately 69 lots in our subdivision, which all have been built on, and there has been no new construction in nine years,” Crumbly said. “There are no more lots available in Royal Oaks, so this ordinance does not really apply to us. I believe it is more for the constructors and student-housing off-campus.”
Royal Oaks, along with many other of the subdivisions in the Historic District, will not face any obstacles or problems with this new ordinance. Crumbly believes the city is doing its best to protect from the center (the courthouse on the Square) out because they don’t want to look back in 20 years to see a larger version of a large city.
Homeowners Association President of Canterbury Square Jim Clutcher owns 26 units that are all two/three bedroom units. The new land ordinance will not affect Canterbury Square subdivision, Clutcher said.
“We are an older neighborhood that will not be seeking change anytime soon,” Clutcher said.
Correll also said there is some concern about having single-family houses next to duplexes in the historic districts of town.
“Many parts of the historic district are zoned RB or business because there are small lots that are not the standard size of traditional suburban America,” Correll said. “So the concern with the RB houses in that zone is when houses are demolished or the character changes of the house, you could have single-family house next to a duplex, which is something the city does not want.”
Prior to the new ordinance, the planning board had the authority to grant condominiums and townhouses in RB zones. Due to this, there was not a ceiling on the density of the properties they built, and they were getting more than two units. The new ordinance change fixed that loophole, and now the planning board no longer has the authority to grant special exceptions for condominiums to have three or more units.
Tannehill said the biggest concern for her was the number of bedrooms and the height of the buildings.
“There used to be five bedrooms allowed in multi-family houses, and it encouraged developers to build higher for more space,” Tannehill said. “There are several instances of that around University Avenue. Several developers voiced their disapproval against the ordinance because they were opposed to the decrease in units per household.
Jeff Pate, property manager of Old Miss Rentals in Oxford, said he was not opposed to the new ordinance.
“I want to keep the Square looking like the Square,” Pate said. “ None of the buildings surrounding the Square or on University Avenue should be taller than the buildings on the Square. It shouldn’t be blemished by anything else because it’s so vital and important to the historical aspects of Oxford.”
However, Pate did have suggestions for other ways Oxford could expand to accommodate the growth throughout town.
Pate said there is room for growth around Highway 7 to the east, buildings and residential structures should be allowed to be tall because it wouldn’t impact anything with historical significance in Oxford, and it would help with the overcrowding in town.
Another primary goal for this new ordinance is to retain the residential character of the historical neighborhoods and to make standards with the developments that are compatible with each other. Correll believes the new ordinance will have no problem achieving that goal.
“The ordinance will make it easier for Oxford to maintain the small-town charm that it has, but it will also help the city grow in the future,” Correll said. “The wisdom of the Board of Aldermen was evident during the discussions and voting of the new ordinance.”
Correll is adamant about maintaining the ability for Oxford citizens to be within walking distance of restaurants, grocery store and the Square in the Historic District. She intends on continuing to mix commercial buildings and residences to continue the small town and tight- knit feel of the community, also referred to as “smart growth,” since it gives citizens the ability to walk to near by services. Her buildings codes will follow this desire.
A new road to be completed this spring, Jackson Road, veering off Jackson Avenue toward the Square, will implement this mixed business and residential idea. Correll hopes that this will also boost the use of zip cars, as well as bikes and healthy forms of transportation.
“These ordinances don’t just come out of my forehead,” Correll said, “I insist on maintaining the existing quality of life in this city.”
