St. Andrews Subdivision

South Marsh Plantation Collection Pg 2

Introduction:

This is a continuation of the links from Page 1 of the Collection. The summary of inquiries that follows is updated as of the date in its headline.

Summary of Inquiries through 12/17/03

1. Introduction (12/17/03):

On December 15, 2003 Johnson Development obtained approval from the Jackson County Board of Supervisors establishing Planned Unit Developments in and around St. Andrews. The proposals do not include changing the name of St. Andrews Subdivision. Each area of development will be a separate PUD, and the currently developed portion of St. Andrews will not be included in the PUDs. However, all will depend on St. Andrews Water and Sewer for utility services. A memorandum of agreement filed with the application indicates the Developer has agreed to purchase the golf course, club house, and other parcels around St. Andrews including the beach land between the 13th and 14th greens. Also a wet lands determination request was filed with the Corps of Engineers to determine certain wetlands between St. Andrews and Gulf Park Estates are isolated wetlands, but it has since been terminated. A wetlands determination is necessary in order to fill-in significantly sized wetlands without having to create new wetlands elsewhere. The Developer proposes to protect the wetlands in the PUDs. Land descriptions filed with the application indicate that the Developer is purchasing the golf course and club house, land west of St. Andrews and east of Pine Hurst, and land in the northern part of St. Andrews. The Developer is not purchasing the St. Andrews water system and its sewage treatment facility. The main effect of establishing a PUD will be to change the designation of the land from R1 zoning to R3 zoning. A plot of the proposed PUD boundaries is available for viewing at the Planning Commission.

SA Dwelling Density

According to the developer’s preliminary masterplan, the proposal will have a dwelling density of 1.08 dwelling units per acre. In the area of St. Andrews subdivision, it includes three residential development areas. The first includes 170 single-family lots north of Inverness Ct. (60x120x170 sq ft/43560 = 28 acres) on land that was abandoned from inclusion in the subdivision. The second is for 172 condominiums near the water tower (11.5 acres). The third will be a conversion of the old clubhouse and surrounding land into 88 more condominiums (11 acres). All together, they will provide 170 patio homes and 260 condominiums over 50.5 acres. This yields a population density of 8.5 dwellings per acre for the project in St. Andrews (430/50.5=8.5). The density of the proposed patio homes is approximately 6 dwellings per acre. The dwelling density for the condominiums near the water tower will be 15 dwellings per acre, and 8 dwellings per acre for the condos that will replace the current club. By contrast, the current allowable density for R1 zoning in St. Andrews is 4.5 dwellings per acre, and the subdivision covenants are believed to allow a maximum density of 3 dwellings per acre.

SA Traffic

Traffic will be altered in St. Andrews. A new entrance by the marina will lead into the new South Marsh Plantation golf course and residential area. The patio homes will have a new entrance directly on to Main Street or can travel along Northern Tantallion and then Braeburn to enter/exit the subdivision or the southern portion of Tantallion to travel to the new clubhouse. The condominiums next to the water tower will not have a roadway connecting into St. Andrews. The separate entrance for the patio homes will reduce the internal traffic through Braeburn and shorten response times for fire trucks, ambulances, and police to the back side of the subdivision, but a separate entrance will also give potential thieves an additional escape route.

Golf Courses

The proposal includes changes to the St Andrews Golf Course, demolition of the St. Andrews Golf Course Club House, construction of a nearby clubhouse for South Marsh Plantation Golf Course, and creation of a Par 72 7139 golf course for South Marsh Plantation Subdivision. The planned length of the St. Andrews Golf Course will be 6500+ yards after the changes. Its changes will include changing the 13th hole to approximately 183 yards and the 14th hole to 323 yards. In November 2000, Jeff Morton, Executive Director of the Mississippi Golf Association wrote in regard to golf courses to host state championships, ''[W]ith advances in golf equipment technology, we are beginning to look at a minimum length of 7,000 yards.''
South Marsh Plantation

In the area west of St. Andrews and south of Pinehurst, the project establishes South Marsh Plantation which includes a golf clubhouse, eight condominiums areas, one area of single-family homes, five commercial areas, and one public area. A golf club house and 60 condominiums are proposed for 15 acres surrounding the marina (density 4 dwellings/acre). The golf course will be a Par 72 course totaling 7139 yards. The 170 single-family lots will be in and around the golf course and include 28 acres (60 x 120 x 170 sq ft / 43560 = 28 acres). Residents will enter and depart on Jim Biddix Rd. or the club house. Three condominium areas are north of the single-family housing. They include 24.8 acres and 248 dwellings, consisting of the following:

Pinehurst Rd. (11.8 acres, 118 dwellings, density 10 dwellings/acre)
Jim Biddix Rd. Entrance (9.5 acres, 95 dwellings, density 10 dwellings/acre)
Jim Biddix Rd. (3.5 acres 35 dwellings, density 10 dwellings/acre)

The other five multi-family areas are south of the single-family dwellings. They include 348 dwellings on 43.5 acres (8 dwellings/acre). The five commercial areas are north of the single-family dwellings and Jim Biddix Rd, and they are located on 30.5 acres. Lastly, the proposed public land consists of 15 acres, but about 1/2 are on wetlands according to the plat.

There are 766 dwellings in South Marsh Plantation (170+118+95+35+348). The average dwellings density for South Marsh is 8 dwellings per acre (766 dwellings / 96.3 acres). It is unlikely that residents of the 766 dwellings in South Marsh Plantation will create significant traffic in St. Andrews subdivision.

All together the development includes 1,256 dwellings. In calculating population densities for this analysis, rights of way and the golf courses were not included in order to have a more direct comparison with St. Andrews convenant and the R1 zoning requirements.

Water

The application submitted by the developer includes a letter from St. Andrews Water and Sewer. It indicates that the entire area of the project is included in the certificated area of St. Andrews Water and Sewer, Inc. and the utility can provide water and sewer services as required by its certificate. Additionally, services are to be provided in accordance with all applicable regulatory authorities under tariffs as approved by the Public Service Commission. The company’s certificate identification is WC-020-0860-00. If the project is not in the certificated area, the utility will have to obtain approval from the Public Service Commission and provide the following supporting documentation:

1. An outline map using Mississippi Department of Transportation county maps to a scale of one-half inch to the mile showing the existing certificated area as well as the proposed additional area.
2. A full legal description of the new area.
3. A map of sufficiently large scale to show boundaries of the proposed service area as well as relevant geographical features.
4. A general description of new facilities.
5. An itemized estimate of costs to the utility of all new investment.
6. A listing of all sources of funding.
7. An estimate of the impact of the cost of facilities upon rate base and rates. This item shall not apply to public utilities excluded from rate regulation pursuant to Miss. Code Ann., Sections 77-3-1 or 77-3-5 or to public utilities heretofore or hereafter exempt by Commission order from rate base regulation or to public utilities whose rates are allowed, by Commission order, to be filed for informational purposes only.
8. The number of assured and prospective customers in (a) the new area; and (b) the existing certificated area.
9. A complete set of engineering plans and specifications.
10. A copy of any required approvals from Health or Environmental Quality authorities.
11. An exhibit listing the names and addresses of all interested persons as defined in Rule 2K of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure together with a certificate that the filing utility has served a notice of the filing upon each.
12. A copy of all testimony to be relied upon at hearing.
13. A copy of the current balance sheet and income statement.

A quick look at the latest outline map of the certificated area filed with the Public Service Commission indicates that the Gulfpark Estates/St.Andrews Fire Department land that the developer is attempting to acquire and project land between Biddix Road and Pinehurst Subdivision are not included in the certificated area for the utility. However, Greg Williams is confident the entire project is within the utility’s certificated area.

Mr. Lindsey Stewart of the Miss. Department of Environmental Quality (lindsey_stewart@deq.state.ms.us) (authored DEQ study entitled "Ground-water study of historical water-level and water-quality data in Jackson County, Mississippi: MDEQ, Office of Land and Water Resources", Open-File Report 99-102, 107 p. Stewart, L., and J. Everett, 1999)
indicates that St. Andrews has two wells in the Lower Graham Ferry aquifer. The sands from which these wells produce are at the surface somewhere close to the Jackson County line north of Vancleave, and they dip southward into the subsurface at a rate of about 30 feet per mile. One of the wells is 712 feet deep, and the other is 628 feet deep (below land surface). These sands are confined (separated from the surface by layers of clay), and the water is under pressure, causing the water level in the casing to rise above the top of the sands. The waters levels are about 60-65 feet below land surface in the shallower well and about 80 feet below land surface in the other. The amount of available drawdown is over 500 feet in both wells. The water contains approximately 30 ppm chloride (the maximum concentration recommended by the health department is 250 ppm). It has some harmless color, and possibly some hydrogen sulfide which is eliminated by the addition of chlorine. Consequently, there is plenty of potable water for now and the foreseeable future, and its somewhat average quality will not be affected by any foreseeable pumping.

In the next few months, the utility will no longer able to provide waste water for watering the golf course (Regional waste water utility hookup), and the golf course will have to tap into the water system for irrigation until it is able to provide its own water from agricultural wells. However, this is also not expected to affect the availability or quality of water from the aquifer.

The utility has been asked to provide a letter for this web site that addresses the impact of the proposed project on current water pressure, availability, and quality, production facilities, and rates. It would also be useful to know what level of service is required by “applicable regulatory authorities.”

Fire Protection

Presently, St. Andrews and Pine Hurst are served by the Gulfpark Estates/St. Andrews Volunteer Fire Department which employs two professional firefighters 40 hours each week. Its vehicles include two modern tanker/pumper firetrucks stationed between St. Andrews and Pinehurst subdivisions. The fire department also has two tanker/pumpers in a fire station in Gulfpark Estates and mutual aid arrangements with neighboring Fountainbleau volunteer fire department and all other fire departments in the county. Mr. Ray Watson of the Planning Commission indicates that for the developer to build any structure higher than 3 stories, the fire department must be able to protect it with a truck capable of attacking high rise fires and firefighters trained to operate the specialized truck.

Education and Law Enforcement
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County Leadership Consideration

On December 15, 2003, the Jackson County Board of Supervisors approved the Developer’s plan establishing planned unit developments. They will continue to be involved during the different phases of development.

Ownership of the Property
Mr. Johnson filed a memo of contract with the Planning Department on October 17 indicating that he would purchase the property within 10 days. No evidence has been found yet that the sale had been completed as of the date of the hearing before the Planning Department (November 19, 2003) or the date of the developer’s appeal to the Supervisors (November 20, 2003).

Wetlands
On November 20, 2003, Mr. Art Hosey of the Corps of Engineers in Mobile indicated that on or about November 12, 2003, inspection of the alleged wetlands on the property was halted by Greg Williams. Mr. Hosey also indicated that as of November 20, 2003, Mr. Johnson has not paid Mr. Dana Sanders for his work preparing a wetlands report.
Interested Persons

Generally, persons interested in this matter include St. Andrews Water and Sewer; the developer Frank W. Johnson, Jr.; FJ Development,LLC(Miss. LLC created 9/15/03, Registered Agent Pat Sheehan of Biloxi Mississippi); Southern Golf, LLC (Miss. LLC created 9/15/03, Registered Agent Pat Sheehan of Biloxi Mississippi); Jackson County Planning Commission (particularly Commissioner Edna Boone); Gulfpark Estates/St. Andrews Fire District; Fountaine Bleau Fire Department; Sheriff of Jackson County; County Supervisors (particularly Fifth District Supervisor John McKay); residents of St. Andrews, Pinehurst, Ocean Beach Estates subdivisions; residents of West Fountaine Bleau Beach, and patrons of St. Andrews Golf Course; Miss. Public Service Commission for additional burden on water and sewer utility; Mississippi Dept. of Environmental Quality, Army Corps of Engineers, and environmental protection associations.