Ocean Springs 20 Year 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

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

“Designing for the Future”

Adopted: June 19, 2001