Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Jackson public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
6 issues in zoning with high priority
Vacant property blight-reduction ordinance
Councilman Foote slammed the Jackson Redevelopment Authority for sitting on roughly 90 tax-exempt downtown properties instead of selling them to investors. The city pays JRA $600,000 a year, and council wants answers — JRA will appear at the second April meeting.
Ward 3 bar/lounge use permit at 975 W. Northside Drive
Kenny Ellis wants to open a bar/lounge in a vacant commercial center near residential areas. Neighbors opposed it and the Planning Board recommended denial, but the decision is now postponed to July.
Ward 3 mixed-use rezoning at 350 N. Mart Plaza
A repeat request to allow housing above commercial space at 350 N. Mart Plaza in Ward 3, tabled from December after the Planning Board recommended denial 2-9.
Mixed-use rezoning above Taste Bar & Grill
Neighbors near North Mart Plaza say the club brings weekend drag racing, noise until 2 a.m. and parking chaos on their residential streets. The rezoning would add dwellings above the club, and the council ultimately approved it 3-2 after debate over whether opposition was about legitimate concerns or the owners' race.
Adaptive reuse of former school building in Ward 6 (Case 4335)
One Voice is turning the former school at 2909 Oak Forest Dr. into a community resilience hub with a rentable event space, workforce training kitchen, food hall, clinic, and up to 200 emergency shelter beds. It's a $10 million, three-phase project on ten acres, funded partly by a $1 million Hewlett Packard Foundation grant.
Proposed roller skating rink at 540 Raymond Road
The applicant wanted the old shopping center spot rezoned for a roller rink, but neighbors and their councilman pointed to years of police calls, noise and litter tied to his previous businesses there. The council denied it, which also means he must wait a year before reapplying.