The City of Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Comprehensive Plan
Table of Contents
I. Introduction..................................................................................................................... 1
Why Plan?........................................................................................................................... 1
What is in the Comprehensive Plan?................................................................................. 2
What Do These Terms Mean?.......................................................................................... 3
How Should the Plan Be Used?.......................................................................................... 3
Coordination........................................................................................................................ 4
Who Implements the Plan?................................................................................................ 4
II. Context for Planning................................................................................................. 5
Historical Development...................................................................................................... 6
The Role of Planning.......................................................................................................... 7
Public Participation............................................................................................................. 8
III. Community Vision....................................................................................................... 11
Planning Themes............................................................................................................... 11
Plan Issues........................................................................................................................ 12
IV. Environmental Assessment................................................................................. 14
Topography....................................................................................................................... 14
Geology............................................................................................................................. 14
Hydrology.......................................................................................................................... 14
Water Quality................................................................................................................... 15
Climate.............................................................................................................................. 15
V. Community Growth.................................................................................................... 16
Population.......................................................................................................................... 16
Housing............................................................................................................................. 17
Economic Growth.............................................................................................................. 19
Income............................................................................................................................... 20
VI. Land Use............................................................................................................................ 21
Planning Areas.................................................................................................................. 21
Critical Neighborhoods..................................................................................................... 29
Economic Development.................................................................................................... 30
Transitional Neighborhoods............................................................................................. 32
Preservation of Residential Areas................................................................................... 33
Substandard Housing........................................................................................................ 33
Preservation of Historic Areas........................................................................................ 36
In-fill Development........................................................................................................... 41
Growth Management and Resource Conservation........................................................ 42
Annexation........................................................................................................................ 45
Land Use Categories........................................................................................................ 46
VII. Community Design and Identification........................................................ 56
Community Appearance................................................................................................... 57
Site Design........................................................................................................................ 57
VIII. Community Services and Facilities.............................................................. 59
Transportation.................................................................................................................. 61
Water System................................................................................................................... 71
Wastewater System.......................................................................................................... 76
Stormwater Management................................................................................................. 77
Law Enforcement.............................................................................................................. 78
Fire Protection/EMS......................................................................................................... 80
Parks and Recreation....................................................................................................... 82
Arts & Culture.................................................................................................................. 88
Schools.............................................................................................................................. 89
IX - Goals, Policies and
Recommendations........................................................ 97
Land Use........................................................................................................................... 97
Transportation................................................................................................................ 105
Community Facilities and Growth Coordination........................................................... 109
X - Plan Implementation and
Administration............................................... 115
Plan Monitoring & Amendment..................................................................................... 115
Plan Monitoring.............................................................................................................. 115
Policy Revisions.............................................................................................................. 115
Land Use Plan Amendments.......................................................................................... 116
Implementation Program................................................................................................ 116
Descriptions of Implementation Strategies................................................................... 116
List of Exhibits
Ocean Springs Planning Area Map............................................................................................. 10
Planning Areas Map..................................................................................................................... 22
Historic District Map................................................................................................................... 37
Existing Land Use Map................................................................................................................ 52
Future Land Use Map.................................................................................................................. 53
Transportation System Map........................................................................................................ 63
Parks and Recreation Facilities Map.......................................................................................... 87
School District Map...................................................................................................................... 90
I. Introduction
This document is a statement of the community's vision
for its own future and a guide to achieve that vision through the year
2020. The view of the future expressed
in the Comprehensive Plan is shaped by local community values, ideals and
aspirations about the best management and use of the community's resources.
The Plan uses text, maps and diagrams to establish
policies and programs which the City may use to address the many physical,
economic and social issues facing the community. Thus, the Plan is a tool for managing community change to achieve
the desired quality of life.
Why Plan?
Successful communities do not just happen; they must
be continually shaped and guided. A
community must actively manage its growth and respond to changing circumstances
if it is to continue to meet the needs of its residents and retain the quality
of life that initially attracted those residents to the community.
Residents of Ocean Springs value the high quality of
the natural environment, the character and diversity of their neighborhoods,
the quality of public services, the cultural resources and breadth of
recreational opportunities, as well as the strong sense of “community.” Concern about the impact of new growth has
increased as residents have experienced increased traffic congestion, school
crowding, commercial encroachment on neighborhoods and the inappropriate
development of natural, open areas.
Effective growth management can help the community address each of these
concerns.
The City recognizes the importance of coordinating
growth management efforts with Jackson
County and adjacent communities.
Much of the recent growth is located within the unincorporated portions
of the Planning Area. By shifting urban
and suburban service demands to areas that lack adequate services and
facilities, this growth threatens to create detrimental fiscal impacts in
addition to its impacts on the character of urban and rural areas. The City and County must develop a joint
strategy for growth management to make efficient use of both valuable
infrastructure that is already in place, and to prevent unnecessary loss of the
surrounding open space areas where such infrastructure is not yet in place. A good plan and effective plan
implementation measures can curb the trend towards sprawl development and
promote appropriate and available infill development and redevelopment. While allowing appropriate development
opportunities in outlying areas, this plan seeks to promote development and
economic growth in areas that can be effectively and efficiently served by
public facilities and utilities.
This Comprehensive Plan, once adopted and effectuated
consistently and carefully, also will strengthen the partnership between the
public and private sectors. This
partnership can achieve infinitely more for both parties than either acting
alone. An important premise of an
effective comprehensive plan is that it creates a “win/win” situation for the
public and private sectors, for existing and new neighborhoods, for economic
development and open space land conservation, and for fiscal integrity and
enhanced quality of life.
What is in the Comprehensive Plan?
This Comprehensive Plan focuses on land use and
development issues facing Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The following listing of chapters outlines the major areas
covered by the Comprehensive Plan
•
Section II - Context
for Planning summarizes existing conditions, trends and issues facing the
community and establishes the setting for the Plan. It summarizes historical development and community values.
•
Section III -
Community Vision defines a vision for the community’s future that is the basis
for the Plan’s recommendations. The
most significant aspect of Ocean Springs’ planning process has been the high
level of citizen involvement. The
City's outreach program included focus group meetings, interviews, numerous
public workshops, press releases and newsletters, in an effort to inform the
public and to capture the thoughts, ideas, hopes and desires of the
community. Community values set
priorities for community action and plan implementation.
•
Section IV -
Environmental Assessment identifies natural environmental factors and physical constraints and opportunities that
affect development within the planning area.
•
Section V - Community
Growth identifies demographic characteristics and trends, regulatory
considerations, public facilities and services.
•
Section VI - Land Use
establishes major Plan elements upon which goals, objectives and policies were
based which address issues related to existing and future land use, the
planning area and planning neighborhoods.
•
Section VII - Community Design and
Identification establishes the basis upon which goals, objectives and policies
were identified to define public and private responsibilities for the
enhancement of Ocean Springs’ built environment.
•
Section VIII -
Community Facilities and Services Element defines the city’s role as a service
provider and in partnerships with other service providers for the provision of
facilities and services and define public and private responsibilities for the
provision of facilities.
•
Section IX - Goals,
Policies and Recommendations identifies specific goals and policies for key
planning components.
•
Section X - Plan
Implementation and Administration outlines a schedule of recommended strategies
or tasks needed to implement the Plan’s goals.
It also describes the processes for monitoring and amending the Plan to
ensure that it continues to address vital community issues.
What Do These Terms Mean?
The following terms are used throughout the Plan to
convey key concepts:
Development. The physical construction of
buildings and/or the preparation of land for non-agricultural uses. Development activities include: subdivision
of land; construction or alteration of structures, roads, utilities, and other
facilities; installation of septic systems; grading; deposit of refuse, debris,
or fill materials; and clearing of natural vegetative cover.
Goal. Description of a desired state of affairs
for the community in the future. Goals are the broad public purposes toward
which policies and programs are directed.
Generally, more than one set of actions (policies) may be needed to
achieve each goal. In this Plan, goals
are phrased to express the desired results of the Plan; they complete the
sentence "Our goal is ...."
Policy. Statements of government intent against
which individual actions and decisions are evaluated. Policies typically indicate the agency primarily responsible for
implementing the policy.
Strategy. Individual tasks or
accomplishments which, taken together, will enable the City to achieve Goals
and Policies.
Strategies are the basis for
implementation of the Plan by identifying and recommending specific courses of
action.
How Should the Plan Be
Used?
The Comprehensive Plan
is a guide to action. It is not,
itself, an implementation tool. By ensuring that individual actions are
consistent with the goals, objectives and policies of the Comprehensive Plan,
the City can effectively achieve the vision.
For example, the Planning Commission and the Board of Alderman will use
the Plan's policies and maps to decide whether to approve a proposed re-zoning
of land within its City limits. Zoning,
subdivision, building and construction codes and standards should regulate
development in conformance with the Comprehensive Plan. Upon adopting of this Plan, the City should
review existing development regulations and ordinances to determine compliance
with the adopted Plan. Once The
Comprehensive Plan defines policies and recommends measures governing the
application, modification and interpretation of these development
regulations.
The Plan also should
guide the preparation of detailed facility master plans and capital improvement
programs for the City's water, wastewater, flood control, parks, and
transportation systems. The Plan should
be a dynamic document, subject to periodic amendment when conditions within the
City change significantly. Periodic
updates of the Plan will be needed to ensure that it continues to meet the
needs of City businesses and residents.
Coordination with Other Jurisdictions
Many problems faced by
local governments are regional in nature.
Issues such as population growth, environmental preservation, growth
patterns, and the adequacy of public facilities and services often transcend
local, neighborhood or city boundaries.
This Plan strongly supports partnerships between Ocean Springs, Jackson
County and communities adjacent to the planning area. These partnerships should focus on coordinated growth management
and service provision strategies.
Through effective coordination, residents and business owners will enjoy
the benefits of more cost-effective service provision and a more stable,
sustainable region. Failure to
coordinate will result in excessive consumption of valuable open space land, as
well as the inefficient use of existing public investments in infrastructure.
In other communities,
lack of intergovernmental coordination has resulted in the loss of population
and economic development. Such losses
undermine the stability of neighborhoods and businesses within the City, and
reduce public facility and service efficiencies, thereby making it more costly
for both City residents and County residents.
This makes the City less attractive for major economic development that
would benefit the entire planning area and the region, and generates a need for
more expansive roads and highways to transport workers longer distances to
their jobs. These adverse consequences
can be avoided by: coordinated (joint) comprehensive planning; the adoption and
implementation of key growth management goals, objectives and policies; and
sustained monitoring of development over the planning period.
Who Implements the Plan?
The policies and
strategies of the Plan must be implemented in a timely manner in order to
ensure that the vision of the Comprehensive Plan becomes a reality. Who should be charged with the
implementation of the goals, policies and strategies? It should be a joint effort of the Board of Alderman, the
Planning Commission and City staff, the private sector and other service
providers. Section X identifies and
prioritizes strategies to ensure that the vision becomes a reality. The schedule establishes priorities for
public action and also guides private decisions that support Plan priorities.
II. Context for Planning
The City of Ocean
Spring’s 1965 Comprehensive Plan stated, “Those responsible for planning in
Ocean Springs have two choices. They
can allow the City to develop as it has in the past with only limited regard to
land planning, street alignment, compatible land uses, zoning controls, or
codes and ordinances. This lax attitude
of no controls will continue to curse the land, increase taxes, reduce revenue,
and encourage traffic congestion. The
other choice, and the most desirable, is to intelligently evaluate the economic
background and potential of Ocean Springs, to adhere to the land use plan,
enforce the zoning ordinance and building code, review all subdivision
developments in the light of the subdivision regulations, and intelligently
recommend placement of schools, playgrounds, parks, major roads, and other
community facilities.”
In light of the
alternatives presented to the City leaders thirty-five years ago, what choices
were made? Has the City been allowed to develop as it has
in the past without any regard to land planning or have intelligent evaluations
been made to require proper growth and development? Visual inspections of the City coupled with citizen input
indicate that progress has been made; however, choices also have been made that
have eroded the character of what people perceive Ocean Springs to be. The City of Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Comprehensive Plan’s purpose is to evaluate previous planning efforts and
documents, identify the shortfalls and problems, assess the City’s current
environment, and recommend alternatives for future development based heavily on
citizen comments.
|
MISSION STATEMENT To identify the unique characteristics and resources
of Ocean Springs, and provide for their preservation and enhancement, with
balance between quality of life and economic growth. |
The plan sets forth a
vision to emphasize, develop, and strive to be widely recognized as an aesthetically
pleasing small town community, providing a superior quality of life, and family
environment. The plan’s intent is to
make the preceding vision a reality by focusing on creating a place that feels,
not just looks, like a community and functions like a community; offering
charitable goals; addressing health, educational, social and cultural needs;
and providing recreational amenities.
This involves the development of places designed, constructed and maintained
to stimulate and please the senses, to encourage community use, and to promote
civic and personal pride. If the City
leaders adopt policies meeting the aforementioned criteria, then Ocean Springs
will not only continue to be a great place to live as its residents strongly
believe it is, but also, by cultivating a sense of well-being among its
residents, it will encourage value-added development.
Historical Development
Ocean Springs, purported
to be the second oldest city in the country, was founded by the French in 1699
with the establishment of Fort Maurepas.
Located on a peninsula, the City is bordered by Biloxi Bay, Davis and
Old Fort Bayou. The area became settled
as a colonial fishing village and experienced only limited growth until steamer
service began between Mobile and New Orleans in 1820-30s. In the 1800s, Ocean Springs provided a safe
haven to those escaping yellow fever by steamboat from New Orleans and began to
grow as a resort community with the discovery of mineral springs near the Old
Fort Bayou in the 1850s. This heralded
the construction of numerous hotels and boarding houses, as well as elaborate
resort homes. Also, during this time,
live oaks were planted along the streets of the town. During the 1870s the railroad was built and the central business
district transitioned from the waterfront to the railroad – as the primary
transportation mode changed, so did the location of the community’s focal point
for commercial activity.
The street scape of old
Ocean Springs has not changed much in the last sixty to seventy years. Most of the commercial space available in
the downtown area is rented by retail businesses, especially along Washington
Avenue, the main street of old Ocean Springs.
At the turn of the century, as in many towns nationally and
internationally, there was a significant mix of land uses which allowed people
to walk to nearby businesses and even live above some of the shops in the
downtown area. During the Depression of
the 1930s, many property owners tore down the older buildings to avoid paying
the taxes on them. Most of the
buildings not torn down were destroyed by fire. During the post-World War I era the downtown began growing to the
east of Washington Avenue. As Highway
90 was completed, businesses began relocating along the commercial strip.
It has been noted residents of the community are frequently characterized by their love of the arts. Ocean Spring’s most famou