The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen voted to approve the site plan for Rice Road Place, a future building that will have space for multiple business opportunities to be located off Rice Road.
Pradip Biswas, a local business owner who is building Rice Road Place, presented his final plan to the board on June 19, which addressed all of the Architectural Review Board and Board of Aldermen’s concerns.
“At present, we only received enquiries from a handful of interested parties for restaurant chains and office spaces for auto insurance,” Biswas said in a previous interview with the Sun.
Now that the city has approved his plans, he intends to post signs advertising the space available for businesses to rent.
He said this will allow him to be able to decide who is able to lease the storefronts.
Biswas has been working for some time to design and develop a small commercial center that will be attractive and appealing for nearby residents.
The review process for this particular business has been one of the longest that Alan Hart, the Director of Community Development, has encountered.
Since Biswas’ property runs alongside a residential property, he is required to have a 50-foot buffer that must be absorbed onto his commercial lot.
The city’s zoning ordinance requires the buffer, but does not give specific guidelines for what the property owner must do with the buffer, according to Hart.
The board wants him to keep a 50-foot buffer of existing trees. Biswas’ latest plan keeps existing trees and several feet of green space to allow room for a wall he is required to build.
The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen also voted to table the architectural review for the C Spire lighting project until the first meeting of the board in July.
The issue with the project is that the lights would be blue, which would need approval from the board given the current ordinance that requires all major changes to a business’ building to be brought before the architectural review board then the Ridgeland Board of Aldermen.
The board would like to take a look at the ordinance so that they may address concerns that approving this plan would set a precedent for other businesses to have unique displays.
In other action, the board:
• Approved the minutes from the June 5 regular meeting and the special meeting of the board on June 11;
• Approved a petition to close and vacated certain parts of a street or right of way as platted on block 45;
• Approved the architectural review for Fill and Chill awning addition;
• Approved the architectural review for Altar’d State at Renaissance at Colony Park;
• Approved cost resolution for re-entry cleanup at 705 Greenbrook Drive relating to July 18, 2017 adjudication by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen;
• Approved Allen Engineering’s proposal to update risk management plan and budget amendment decrease;
• Accepted the deed of dedication and temporary construction easement for Curtis Leroy Darty and George Darty on Sunnybrook Road;
• Approved a request for authority to advertise for term bids for public works;
• Approved the Department of Environmental Quality solid waste grant agreement for water bottle fillers;
• Approved a recommendation of award for residential recycling contract;
• Approved East Lake Harbour Drive rehabilitation contractor pay request;
• Approved authorization to advertise for traffic signal video detection system equipment;
• Declared Temple, Inc., sole source provider for Clary Corporation’s traffic uninterruptible power system;
• Approved special event permit for Ridgeland Fire Department 911 Hero Run;
• Approved non-compensated special contract investigator contract with Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics;
• Accepted a donation from Southeastern Financial and Cline Tours to the Ridgeland Police Department;
• Received the May 2018 privilege license report;
• Approved payment of claims and June 8 payroll.
