Bay St. Louis developer nixes plans for 8 new houses on 3 lots after public outcry

A Bay St. Louis developer has discarded plans to build a housing development near St. Francis and Sycamore streets in Backatown, the city’s historically Black neighborhood.

Rodney Corr’s decision was first reported by Hancock County business and development blogger Lisa Monti.

The development proposal, first reported by the Sun Herald on Monday, required zoning variances for each of the 8 planned houses in order to fit them on 3 lots currently zoned for one residence each. To get these changes approved, developer Corr presented his application to the city’s Zoning and Planning Commission last Tuesday.

At the hearing, Backatown residents turned out in force to voice their opposition to the plan, which they said would overcrowd the neighborhood.

Corr was scheduled to present his application Tuesday to the Bay St. Louis City Council, which has the final say in approving zoning changes. But on Monday, he withdrew the application for zoning variances.

Corr told the Sun Herald he did so because of “the outpouring of the neighbors” at last week’s hearing.

He said he couldn’t afford to build fewer than 8 houses on the property to make up for the cost of building a new road and sewage infrastructure to service the new development, while keeping the house prices at $240,000.

Jeffrey Reed, councilman for the Bay’s third ward, where the development would have been located, said he thought Corr’s proposal would have been good for the neighborhood.

“But when citizens don’t want something and they show up and they express they don’t want it, generally that’s what happens—you don’t get it,” Reed said.

This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 12:12 PM.