In preparation for the Mannsdale Livingston Overlay District meeting on Feb. 15 where a vote will be taken on whether a Fleetway Market in the area is permissible, the Chapel of the Cross has launched an official campaign “Protect the Chapel” to raise awareness.
In the 2022 annual church meeting on Jan. 23, the campaign was announced that will consist of printing signs and banners to hang along roadways, as well as sending out draft letters for congregation and community to send to the Madison County Board of Supervisors and other elected officials. The church is concerned about the potential and preliminary staged Fleetway Market coming into the area across from its campus and imposing on the historic integrity of the area.
“The big concern is if the county would allow this exception, then other things that are now forbidden out there could come in there as well,” Former Senior Warden for the Chapel of the Cross Bob Williams said. “It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the things I’m about to say but not in the historic district. You could have dollar stores, fast food, motels, and coin laundries. That is all just not in keeping with the historic district that has been preserved for Mississippi and generations to come.”
In 2003, the Mannsdale-Livingston Heritage Preservation Overlay District was created with the intention of preserving the integrity of the Mannsdale-Livingston area of the county along Highway 463. This adopted zoning article of the county includes the restrictions as to what can be built in the area, which includes the Chapel of the Cross Church that was built in 1848. Fleetway Market has caused concern as many believe it violates the zoning laws for the area.
“The goal (of the campaign) is for the county to uphold the zoning laws they put into place because they actually put these in place, and they did it to protect that heritage preservation district,” Williams said. “They did it to stop inappropriate buildings just like this one from being put in. We want them to uphold the zoning laws.”
Williams said the chapel’s big push at the moment is they’re asking everyone to use the draft letter they’ve created and email the letter to each of the five Madison County supervisors and Scott Weeks with the planning and zoning department. After the Mannsdale Livingston Overlay District votes on whether Fleetway should be allowed or not, the issue goes to the planning and zoning department for a second advisory vote before finally going to the board of supervisors for the final say. The draft letter with directions can be found at this link: https://chapelofthecrossms.org/news-and-events/announcements/view/help-….
The church also purchased a phone and has supplied a telephone number for people to call and get more information about the campaign. The number is 601-862-6309, and it will direct you to Williams who is currently manning the phone.
“I’m beginning to have calls, but it is early,” Williams said. “The banners are going to be going up this week, so I think the calls are going to increase once those banners are up throughout the county and in the City of Madison. I think we are going to get a lot of attention from that.”
While at the time of the interview Williams didn’t have all the locations of the banners, he said there will be two signs on the church’s property: one facing 463 and another facing Gluckstadt Road. He said there would also be a sign in Madison by the caboose.
Williams said he has also started getting calls from Homeowner Associations in the area who are against the Fleetway Market. He has heard from Reunion, a large neighborhood along 463, and Johnstone, whose property actually backs up to the proposed service station.
Presently, Reunion is against it, and we think that they will be speaking out against it as well,” Williams said. “One thing I probably will be doing over the next couple weeks is speaking at a lot of these HOA meetings and bringing everybody up to date on what’s actually happening because I think a lot of people just don’t know.”
The overlay’s board meeting, which is the first meeting the developers will be present at for a vote, is Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Chapel of the Cross.
“We are encouraging the community to get out and show up,” Williams said.
