Monday, July 18, 2022

Apartments Out in Ridgeland Development

Apartments will not be coming anytime soon to Highland Colony Parkway after a developer notified the city of Ridgeland he is taking a 30 acre-mixed use development back to the drawing board. 

Developer Andrew Mattiace notified the city of Ridgeland he is "revising the site plan" for the project.  The project was going to include 500 apartments.  The planned apartments drew widespread opposition.  Mr. Mattiace said patio homes, zero-lot line dwellings, condos, and detached single-family homes will replace the apartments.  

 

The Ridgeland Board of Ealdormen was supposed to discuss the project at its regular work session tonight.  However, the developer asked the Board to remand his zoning application to the Zoning Board for another public hearing.  

The controversy began when  Mattiace Properties submitted a petition for a conditional use permit for residential dwelling units (otherwise known as apartments.).  The property lies north of Highland Colony Baptist Church and south of the future UMC campus. It is bounded by I-55 on the east and Highland Colony Parkway on the west. The property is currently zoned Mixed-used District (MU-1). 

The proposed $70 million development would have 500 rental units.  The developer never used the word "apartments" but kept using the term "residential dwelling units" at the hearing.   There will be no condos or town homes in the project.  The petition states: 

The proposed development will be a mixed-use project with office space, retail stores and restaurants with a residential component to complete the mixed-use nature of the project, which with the nearby developments will be consistent with the growin national trend of live, work, dine and play projects with walkable features. The adjacent properties are offices and churches and a proposed medical campus. The residential dwelling units are compatible with, and complementary to, the adjacent properties as the units will provide residences for employees of the businesses and future businesses and members of the churches within a reasonable walking and/or biking distance. Therefore, the project represents a compatible use for the existing properties and the proposed medical campus by providing conveniently located residences.

 The Zoning Board rejected the petition on a 6-1 vote but the Board of Ealdormen were going to vote on it tomorrow night.  

 

38 comments:

Very British said...

Comments about "Ealdormen" in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

Anonymous said...

Palm greasing doesn't work in Madison and Ridgeland. I can't speak for Canton and the county.

Anonymous said...

Is the new construction on Old Canton Rd near Lincolnshire apartments? Anyone know. My friend doesn't.

Anonymous said...

"Palm greasing doesn't work in Madison and Ridgeland. I can't speak for Canton and the county." Works like a fucking charm up here in Canton.

Anonymous said...

I would be willing to wager they never had any real plans of building the apartments that were originally proposed – – odds are they new it would create a firestorm of protest – – therefore their new proposal will look so much better by comparison

Anonymous said...

2:45 I like you read that word twice, and looked it up. I still don’t know what it means. Any help appreciated.

Anonymous said...

Again, if Mississippi were to experience a population boom and be the cause of high housing prices I would welcome it. However this struck me as a developer taking advantage of a low interest rate environment (that is quickly disappearing) to bring in yet more rentals. I wouldn't even be opposed to owner-occupied condos, but that was not what was being proposed.

I expect an attempt to be made at a later date.

Anonymous said...

July 18, 2022 at 2:52 PM said ...."Palm greasing doesn't work in Madison and Ridgeland.."....
LOLing out loud while ROTF LOLing out loud.
Oh, please tell us for what country you cannot speak. !!~!!
Meanwhile....still LOLing out loud.

Anonymous said...

Nice. Glad to see my home value protected.

Anonymous said...

Would still like a detailed explanation of "patio homes, zero-lot line dwellings, condos, and detached single-family homes." Are these the paper-walled units we see in college towns rented by 2-4 students for around $600 per person per month? If so, doesn't appear much different than the residential dwelling units previously proposed. Seems like he is using neatly crafted language to shoe-in a variant of what was originally proposed. Unless this is an actual neighborhood with well-constructed standalone homes or town homes that rival those of the township in price, no thank you. Thanks for keeping us simple folk in the loop KF.

wise_guy said...

@ 2.45PM and 3.04PM

Antiquated term synonymous with "alderman"; Kingfish being cheeky.

@ 2.52PM, 3.02PM and 3.22PM

Palm-greasing probably does work in Madison and Ridgeland up to a point, but the ealdormen of those municipalities want to be re-elected. However, the payola associated with approving apartments on Highland Colony would have to be of more value than re-election to this august board, as the ealdormen would likely be facing a wipeout in the next election if they approved the apartments.

@ 4.14PM

All of the residential units in The Township in Ridgeland would fall into the descriptions in the new plan, so this is nothing new for HCP. Whether Mattiace is proposing the same level of finish and architectural standards as the Township remains to be seen.

Anonymous said...

What's the difference in a condo and an apartment?

Anonymous said...

So Hegelian! Thesis (Apartments and all that implies), Antithesis (No you're not), Synthesis (tiny shotgun shacks, all that was implicit in "apartments" with no evictions of undesirables and no restrictions on paint color, yard art and pitbull breeding operations!) Beautiful work!

Ben Dover Ridgeland said...

Patio home - double talk for multi-family building, also known as townhouses, garden homes, twin homes, carriage homes, duplexes.

Zero-lot line - minimum distances/setbacks.

He is trying to pack as many homes/acre as he can get away with.

Anonymous said...

This hostility to decent apartment homes might be one of the reasons Mississippi is ranked dead last in livability for millennials (and why so many young folks with brains and means leave the state). https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-millennials/33371 https://yallpolitics.com/2022/04/04/mississippi-loses-half-its-college-graduates-to-brain-drain-within-three-years-osa-report-shows/

Anonymous said...

patio homes, zero-lot line dwellings, condos all sound like keywords for apartments

Anonymous said...

Is this an EB-5 or similarly funded project? I don't see apartments or condos/patio-/town-homes/anything similar providing a reasonable ROI on its own economics in the current overall situation, given interest rate increases, inflation, margin and earnings compression, compartmental retail issues (many of which would directly affect the intended customer for commercial portions of this development), etc.

Anonymous said...

"What's the difference in a condo and an apartment? "

People own their condo (i.e., a long-term mortgage, with an owner-occupied property). Apartment renters have no long-term investment in their property or their neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

Zero lot line refers to property line.

Patio homes are ZLL but can be attached or detached. All of ours are detached (single family, detached buildings). That's not the case in many areas. You ain't got much of a yard, if any.

Townhomes share one or more walls.

Condos refer to ownership of the home instead of it being rented. Most condos are attached. Condo owners share common properties. You own the walls and everything inside. You own a condo which is a glorified apartment. Share costs for landscaping, maintenance, etc.

An apartment is rented unless you are lucky enough to be in the NYC area where you can "buy" a co-op apt. You own the air and paintings on the wall but not the walls in a lovely co op, which has a board that can refuse to accept you, or not. Keeps out the riff raff.

All enjoy commons fees or "maintenance" or HOA fees etc.

Anonymous said...

Just remember that a Madison developer (resident of Madison) sued Brandon over minimum sq ft on some spec homes he was trying to jam in, claiming "racism." That's rich from a guy in a town that has no apartments. At least until Disparate Impact HUD rulings change that. Mary is very, very, happy to see this effort in the downscale next door town. Less heat on her legacy of "racism" in the words of one of her resident developers.

And, 5:02, no. Wrong. 2022 NAR report:

Millennials now make up 43% of home buyers – the most of any generation – an increase from 37% last year.
Generation X bought the most expensive homes at a median price of $320,000.
The largest share of buyers purchased in suburban areas and small towns.

Millenials are moving OUT of apartments and settling down in sane areas. Yep, even Ridgeland.

Anonymous said...

"...i.e., a long-term mortgage, with an owner-occupied property..."

Ah, so just like Fort Morgan to Panama City. Why, shoot, I bet there are at least 8 or maybe even 10 condos down there that are "owner-occupied."

Anonymous said...

Poor people live in apartments

In MS there are lots of poor people

A large % of the poor people are black

Poor / Black people would live in the apartments near the white people

White people would be scared and run away from the poor / black people

Anonymous said...

5:14 PM isn't that the functional equivalent of what will happen when investors buy these low value homes or "condos" and begin renting them out?

Anonymous said...

Not sure what you all were told but I was told by a very reliable source when it all began
MAYOR MCGEE and board will not grant apartments…
Period.

Seems the source was right.

Anonymous said...

All of you people live in your mother's basement. What do you care?
Young professionals need affordable, safe housing, whether it is rental or a purchase. And preferably something with quality and character. Can't have anything nice because of people with your mentality.

Anonymous said...

With all of the available apartments in Jackson why would Ridgeland need to allow more to be built? I saw some lovely ones today off of Meadowbrook behind the Piggly Wiggly. Also there are some winners on south Terry Road.

Could President Biden please send Zsar Kamala Harris to Jackson to fix these multitude of issues? She has done a great on the southern border.

There was a private citizen directing traffic today on County Line Road. The intersection that has been a four way stop for over a week. He was doing great. Would probably make a great Mayor, at least he is actually out amongst the people.

And of course the garbage is still on the street as well. Good job Mr. Mayor and your crazy chief of staff. Making Jacksonians proud one screw up at a time!


Anonymous said...

nothing destroys property values faster than bringing in renters
a nuclear waste dump or a prison for the truly violent and destroy things faster than renters

Kingfish’s Middle School English Teacher. said...

Ealdorman is a little-known literary character. He made a cameo appearance in “Beowulf.” Oh, that scamp Kingfish! My worst student in middle-school English class. He just won’t check his work before handing it in!

Kingfish said...

Try watching The Last Kingdom

Hookah said...

Why do you need apartments when investment companies are buying up homes and moving renters into neighborhoods they would never qualify for on their own merits.

Anonymous said...

Ealdorman was a term in Anglo-Saxon England which originally applied to a man of high status, including some of royal birth, whose authority was independent of the king.

Anonymous said...

Totally as an aside....KF for the win at 1026. LK was/is an awesome series. Ah, if only we could have an Uhtred.

Anonymous said...

"Poor people live in apartments...white people would be scared and run away from the poor / black people."

The same old ignorant, race baiting drivel.

People starting out or starting over in life rent apartments. People who can't afford a home in a nicer area, but want to live there, rent apartments. People who don't have the down payment or credit history to own a home, rent apartments. People who don't want to make a longer-term commitment to the area or a job, rent apartments.

The housing starts figures, published every month, have always had single-family and multi-family components. There is typically an inverse relationship -- when housing prices and interest are higher, more multi-family units are built.

But, there is a greater strain on the infrastructure, when you have more inhabitants per acre.

Anonymous said...

Not sure how anybody could come to the conclusion that Mayor McGee was not quietly pushing this project. And as for palm greasing, let's just say, McGee has a greasy hand.

Anonymous said...

6;28: " Millennials are moving OUT of apartments and settling down in sane areas."

There are no "sane areas" for people who just don't have the means to buy. and/or want a smaller SF (known as empty-nesters, or I- don't-want-all this-stuff- anymore seniors. There are "iffy" areas and strict, gated Eastbrooke-like condo developments.

Krusatyr said...

Housing costs and interest rates are sky high, so large real estate projects not previously funded with pre-committed labor and material and financing costs can't be developed within a marketable budget. Mattiace did not want bad PR while perhaps still considering small projects that are owner financed.

Spec and custom houses on cash basis can still happen where financing isn't necessary.

Anonymous said...

July 18, 2022 at 4:47 PM
Condos are owner occupied and pay an HOA for building upkeep and services. Apartments are tenants and do not own their abode. The company (or person) owning said apartments pay for repairs and upkeep.

Krusatyr said...

Zero lot line refers to a lot where one side property line set back is 5' to 15', depending on local set back requirements and the other side is zero. This results in all homes being 5' to 15' apart.

Many zero lot line projects with 4 or more units in Jackson and Madison/Ridgeland are very attractive, well built and fairly expensive.


Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.