Planning Commission agrees to rehear request for children’s home at 806 N. Union

NATCHEZ — The Natchez Planning Commission voted 6 to 2 to rehear the request from New Hope Missionary Baptist Church for a special exception to operate the former Natchez Children’s Home again as a children’s home.

The planning commission held a public hearing on the request on June 6 to re-establish the non-conforming use of the property at 806 N. Union St. However, a motion to deny the special exception ended in a 4 to 4 tie vote.

Planning Commission member Jonathan Smith said he did not think rehearing the special exception request was necessary.

“Basically we are an advisory board. We can basically send it to the council without a recommendation. They can still hear it. It’s not like we denied it. I’m not sure why we would need to rehear it,” Smith said.

City Attorney Jack Lazarus, who attended Thursday night’s planning commission meeting, said the tie vote left nothing for the building’s owners to appeal to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

“The Board (of Aldermen) cannot hear this issue because there was no decision made by the planning commission. There is nothing for them to appeal,” Lazarus said.

Mildred Chatman and Emma Rose Jackson made a motion to rehear the special exception request. Members Chatman, Dan Hays Clark, Cheryl Rinehart, Smith, Charles Harris and Jackson voted in favor of the motion. Commissioners Butch Johnson and Marcia McCullough voted nay.

The planning commission is a nine-member body, but one position is still vacant due to the resignation in February of long-time commissioner Deborah Martin.

At a recent meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, a request for those interested in serving on the planning commission was renewed. Those interested had until noon on July 14 to let their interest be known to the mayor’s office.

The city’s planning office has received more than 60 letters from neighbors opposing the facility’s reopening as a children’s home.

Cheryl Rinehart, chairman of the planning commission, said the State of Mississippi no longer recognizes children’s orphanages. Chatman said she thinks the use of the building as a children’s home is “grandfathered in.” However, according to city ordinances, any grandfathered use of a facility dies after six months of no such use.

The building is now owned by New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, which once planned to use it as a school. Dr. Tina Bruce leased the building and used it as a crisis stabilization unit for troubled children until January 2023. Several incidents at the facility concerned neighbors, who questioned whether the unit was authorized to operate there. The facility closed shortly after it was discovered Bruce did not apply for nor was she granted the proper approval for operating that type of facility.

In other business, the commission:

• approved a variance to the distance requirement for short-term rentals and bed and breakfast establishments for 311 S. Commerce St., from Jennifer M. Kelly, who Legaux said was acting as a Realtor for the property.

• approved a special exception for 403 Dr. M.L. King Jr. St. to operate as an event facility. The historic property is known as the Mazique-West House and is owned by James and Sharon West.

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