Jackson Jambalaya

KF - Could you please repost the documents? They appear as if they are copied over each other somehow. Please keep us abreast of this situation. What happens next?

Attachment is illegible.

Another New Urbanist House of Cards. It works everywhere or so the creative class says.

Just click on the link and the documents are nice and clear.

Maybe they could take the USDA money from Livingston and cover the Lost Rabbit problems. Better to have one new urban paradise as opposed to two bankrupt, incomplete ones.

Jackassery aside; what I read is they're saying they don't legally exist, they're broke, they've been sued, they have no means of income, they can't afford a lawyer and they can't defend the lawsuit.

I've noticed over the past six months the increasing number of for sale signs on new units at Lost Rabbit. Surely realtors will be required to give 'this information' to prospective purchasers.

They do have a new pumpkin at the entrance though and the owner of 'Smart Cars' had a new one delivered on a big truck the other day.

You nailed it. 9:57, that is a question that went through my head. We have one huge failed mixed use development targeted at rich folk so lets take $6 million and do the same thing on the other side of Madison and see if that works. Wait til you see the lot prices for LT.

KF, what's the other failed huge mixed use dev?

10:15 - I think he's predicting Livingston will be the second debacle.

On a somewhat related topic I see reported in NS Sun that Nutt+Reunion blinked and have been forced to back off ramming through their controversial PUD amendments until City of Madison zoning kicks in.

Yes, shadow, Realtors would be required to disclose.

Wouldn't that be like putting money down on property in Carmel, California that disclosure shows is about to slide into the sea?

Ask any real city planner, you will find out that the "new urbanist" junk is a con. It only works where there is a shortage of land and a lot of people. In Madison county there is neither..

At least Livingston is maintaining some retail presence, due mostly to its location on HCP and not at the a-dollar-dollar end of Hoy Road. The prices at both are ridiculous.

Never mind all that, because all those hip new urbanism types will soon be moving to those Farish Street lofts with the 14 blues clubs (all open by summer!!) and the 8 screen theater/IMAX.

I can't believe KF didn't open a separate thread on Watkins and his Farish St. IMAX proposal.

That Fondren Bugle story draws into question the financial stability of the Farish Street effort.

Sad. I love Lost Rabbit and the concept is fabulous. However, the pricing is a bit much. If it would have been priced better it would have beena hit.

@ Reed: When did Livingston migrate to Highland Colony Parkway?

As an aside to all the piling on, seriously, what will or might become of the Lost Rabbit development if all they claim in their letter (linked above) is true? And as a further aside, what, if any, responsibility or 'blame' can be assigned to the PRVWSD? We've recently learned through this blog of their contractual dealings with Burwell. Now this.

Or are they totally beyond fault? Keep in mind they have a lawyer who suggested that it is his opinion that Burwell does indeed 'own the water'. Did they have no obligation to do a bit more due diligence before entering into this monstrous project on their land?

I agree, Shadowfax. What does this mean to current - and future - homeowners in Lost Rabbit? I don't live far from there, and my wife harbors not-so-secret dreams of having a house there at some point. Are the homeowners going to have to pitch in and maintain the common areas? Take their own trash to the dump? Keep the roads maintained? I don't understand what the District was supposed to do in the first place, so I don't have much of a feel for the impact of its demise. Bill Billingsley

Just asking. I believe at one time Stuart Irby owned some very expensive water front property at Lost Rabbit. Wonder if he still does?

Ahhh, I'm getting my new urbanist nirvanas mixed up. I was thinking of the Township @ Colony Park. It is doing well as a business/retail location. Residential, not so much.

Still, they're all gonna be ghost towns once we get our 14 new blues clubs on Farish. Just you wait. Add to that the multiple music clubs committed to OCG and Jackson will be able to brag of the best resident-to-blues-club ratio of any city in the world, and that'll bring in those darn tourists!

Much like raising taxes equates to more revenue, building blues clubs equates to more tourism. If 14 blues clubs will bring in 10,000 tourists, then 1400 blues clubs will bring in a million!

Lost Rabbit was doomed with the PID and issuing of more than $18.6M in bonds.... if you scroll through the bond documents you will see where the annual bond debt special assessment was going to be outrageously high, i.e., for the smallest houses nearly $5,000 annually. This is 2 to 3 times higher than Reunion PID special assessments which are collected with property taxes. See [PDF] LIMITED OFFERING MEMORANDUM $18605000 LOST RABBIT

Bill, Madison County will pick up the garbage just like they do today...

Anon: I've never seen a Madison County garbage truck. Can you describe one? I live in the area.

In Columbia, SC the capital there are 2 areas downtown The Vista and 5 Points both loaded with clubs, resturants, grills, bars, etc. Together you will not find 14 music clubs but you will find it filled and people spending money. Don't forget the University of South Carolina is also located at the edge of downtown and they still can't support 14.

Anon 11:40-
You are a planner or work/interface with? Do tell!

Regarding PRV, shadowfox, they are only concerned with getting that lease paid, nothing more. Nothing in their makeup orduties requires the best usage....just that it brings in revenue from leases. If Burwell/Lost Rabbit fulfill their duty of paying their leasehold fee to PRVSWD, then their obligation is met and PRV is satisfied. Sad but true.

No, Stuart Irby did/does not own waterfront property in Lost Rabbit. The PRVWSD owns it, notwithstanding Burwell's vodka-clouded thoughts on the matter.

re: Anon: I've never seen a Madison County garbage truck. Can you describe one? I live in the area.

Well, can you tell us what garbage truck you have seen? I just don't think the PID has anything to do with garbage collection, and I don't think there will be any change in garbage collection. The same people who picked it up last month and last year will pick it up next month and next year!

Yes, from what I saw and heard from the District, its attorney, and the developer and its attorney at the time, I definitely believe that PRVWSD is complicit and has exposure for their part in the hustle.

Waste Management serves the area as far as I know. Not sure about The Rabbit, though, as it's not in the city limits. I think it was promised to have its own workplaces as well as township government. Maybe they dump their shit in the Rez. You know, those 'hauty types' expect someone will come along and clean up after them.

Madison County hires a private firm to pick up the garbage. Come sit in my driveway between 7 and noon on Monday if you want to see what the truck looks like; I'm at work then so I have no idea what the truck looks like.

Regarding Watkins proposals, that is all they will be

The Madison County Road Department, aka Solid Waste Department, picks up the garbage in the unincorporated areas of Madison County. Recyclables are picked up in some subdivisions by Waste Management... Madison County used Red River to pick up the garbage and recycles until KING ELVIS, along with Griffin and Banks, turned the garbage pickup over to the ROAD DEPARTMENT to create more jobs where people can draw retirement from PERS.

Someone doing a little research might find Lost Rabbit, with Pearl River’s help, refused to go through and obtain approval from Madison County’s Planning and Zoning and Board of Supervisors. That same someone doing said research might find there were some very powerful politicians lobbying Supervisors for their rich buddies involved in Lost Rabbit, asking them to back off of those who could have possibly been responsible for campaign contributions, to said politicians.