Jackson County Planning Commission gave a recommendation for a special exception of zoning for an RV Park in Gulf Park Estates Wednesday.
Developers of Ocean Springs Islands RV Park were seeking a special exception for the vacant Pine Island Golf Course. The lot is currently zoned for condominiums, a hotel, and an 18-hole golf course.
If the special exception is approved by the county’s Board of Supervisors, it would allow developers to move forward with their plans for a luxury, resort-style RV Park. In the Wednesday morning planning commission meeting, dozens of people both for and against the project were in attendance and spoke before the commission.
Those opposing voiced their concerns about infrastructure inadequacies, namely the condition of Beachview Drive, a two-lane road that RVs would use to access the park.
“I’m an owner of a child care center and I know how wide those RVs are and I know how many children are out in Gulf Park Estates. Right now, Beachview Drive is not safe because it’s so narrow,” said resident Karla Owens.
Her neighbor, Tracy Ladnier, also voiced concerns over the current state of infrastructure.
“What are you going to do if the bridge collapses? What are you going to do if something gets stuck on it and no one has a way out? What about people going to school? What about people going to work? You want them to take an hour before they have to go to work and take away from their families. That’s not fair,” Ladnier said.
One of the park’s developers, Adam Dial, was at the meeting and gave a presentation to address those concerns and more. He points to Jackson County’s four-year plan to widen Beachview Drive and argues that an RV park will bring less traffic than what the lot is currently zoned for.
“The first phase of Beachview Drive is 100% designed. The roughly two-and-a-half million dollars has already been designated by the county in the budget for this fiscal year,” explained Dial. “I heard earlier today that they will be receiving bids for that project in January. The property is currently zoned for 1,200 condos, a 200-room hotel, and an 18-hole golf course. If that were to be built as it is entitled today, that creates a lot of traffic. A lot more traffic than a luxury RV resort.”
Residents opposing the park were upset at the planning commission’s recommendation. Many of them told WLOX News that they plan to petition the board of supervisors to deny the special exception. Developers, however, are hopeful that this traction will continue and that the first phase of the RV park could open by 2024.
