High-rise opponents could seek stay

High-rise opponents could seek stay: "10/25/2007 5:00:00 AM Email this article • Print this article High-rise opponents could seek stay By ANDREW UJIFUSA Assistant Managing Editor It may cost the residents appealing the Renaissance high rise decision $75 million to stop actual construction from proceeding on the 13-story building. Those in opposition to the building, which was approved by the city of Ridgeland on Oct. 11, filed an appeal last Friday in Madison County Circuit Court. These appellants can also request that a judge issue a 'stay order' to stop construction work at the building's proposed location on Steed Road near Interstate 55 southbound. Such an order, however, would require the appellants in the case to post a bond, which could be set at 125 percent of the project's cost, estimated at $60 million. Dinsmor resident Lawson Hester, a member of Zoning Ordinances Need Enforcement (Z.O.N.E.) and an attorney who has been working with residents appealing the city's decision, said that a $75 million bond would be impractical. But he also said that it is up to the court to decide if such a large bond would be imposed on residents who are party to the appeal. 'There's no proof in the record of the value of this building for the purpose of appeal,' Hester said. 'The amount of any b"

Appeal filed on 13-story building

October 20, 2007

Appeal filed on 13-story building

• Residents' legal action won't slow Ridgeland development, company says

By Elizabeth Crisp
elizabeth.crisp@clarionledger.com

Residents opposing construction of a 13-story building that was narrowly approved by Ridgeland aldermen earlier this month have filed an appeal challenging the board's decision.

The 200 Renaissance office building, part of a mixed-use development near Highland Colony Parkway and I-55, has been a point of conflict in the city for several months. Residents for and against the project have formed groups, started blogs and circulated petitions.

The appeal was filed late Friday afternoon, the last day an appeal could be filed. But it will not slow developer Buster Bailey's plans for the project, said Stewart Speed, president of Colony Properties, an H.C. Bailey company.

"The appeal was entirely expected, and we plan to proceed with our building plans because we are confident that we will win the appeal," Speed said.

After a public hearing earlier this month that lasted six hours and stretched past 1 a.m., aldermen voted 4-3 in favor of a height exception that was needed because structures in the area are limited to four stories.

Bailey, who could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon, has said he expects construction to take about two years and that the building needs to be completed for tenants by October 2009.

The project has drawn commitments from three major firms: the Butler Snow law firm, Horne CPA and an unnamed third tenant believed to be Regions Bank.

Lawson Hester, a Dinsmor resident who has been a vocal opponent of the building, said several of the 33 people listed as petitioners on the appeal live in Old Agency Village, the subdivision nearest the building.

The list also includes representatives from each of the other subdivisions near the building, as well as Ridgeland residents living east of the interstate, he said.

"There were many more people who volunteered to be appellants in this case, but we think we have a good representation with these," said Hester, a lawyer.

While nothing has been set, Hester said he expects a court hearing to be held sometime in December or January.

Ward 5 Alderman Scott Jones, who made the motion to approve the developer's request, said he does not think a judge will rule in favor of the appeal.

Jones carefully worded the motion - citing all 15 criteria for a variance listed in the city's zoning ordinance - to ensure its legality, he said.

"We did everything we could possibly do to make it as defensible as possible," he said.

While the project did gain the city's approval, aldermen have asked that changes be made to the building's design.

"It was asked that they change the building skin to be more in character with the rest of the development," Jones said.

The architects are working on the modifications to the building's exterior and could have new plans in about three weeks, Speed said.

"There are some things they will be able to change without making major structural changes," said Jones, who works as a structural draftsman.

Speed said work on the new plans is proceeding.

"(Some aldermen) felt that the architecture was incompatible with the area," he said. "We didn't feel that way, but we are working on it."

The building's modern scheme, in juxtaposition to surrounding developments, was one issue brought up repeatedly by residents who opposed it.

The main arguments that will be presented in the appeal focus on zoning requirements for the property, Hester said. The 200 Renaissance site is zoned C4, or highway commercial district.

In addition to the height restriction, the zoning class puts limits on the ratio of a building's size versus the size of the property.

"They have approved an allowance of an excessive number of square feet for the available land," Hester said. "There is no means in which that can lawfully be approved."

Hester also said he thinks that aldermen voted on the request without examining all of the evidence presented or the testimony given at the hearing.

"The evidence was not properly considered," he said.

Other arguments that have been made include that the building goes against the character of the area.

There are 72 buildings on Highland Colony Parkway that are four stories or fewer.

The first building to deviate from that was another Renaissance structure - the eight-story Cellular South building recently completed. Aldermen approved a height exception for it in 2005 with little opposition from residents.

"No one else has ever sought the board's approval to build over four stories," Jones said. "The first one, Cellular South, was approved."

During the public hearing, Hester argued that another law firm, Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, has its attorneys in several buildings on the parkway because they are not more than four stories.

Jones said all of the city's requests are judged on a case-by-case basis and that aldermen weigh the benefits to the city.

"If Copeland Cook had asked five years ago, when they were the first building in Ridgeland, if they could be in a taller building, there's probably a good chance it would have been approved," Jones said. "They didn't ask us."

Jones said he thinks most of the city's residents are ready to move past the issue.

To comment on this story, call Elizabeth Crisp at (601) 942-9019.

13-story building approved by 4-3 vote

October 11, 2007

13-story building approved by 4-3 vote
By Leah Square
leah.square@mcherald.com

Special to The Clarion-Ledger

This is a rendering of the 13-story proposed building (200 Renaissance) that will house the employees of Butler Snow law firm, the Horne CPA Group and a Fortune 500 company. The building was originally designed to be 17 stories.


Ridgeland aldermen approved developer H.C. “Buster” Bailey’s petition to build 200 Renaissance west of I-55 and Steed Road. The vote came at the end of a six-and-a-half hour public hearing stretching from late Wednesday to early this morning.

Hundreds of people packed into the Ridgeland High Cafetorium to hear more than five hours of “expert” and public comment preceding the vote. Following comments, Community Development Director Alan Hart recommended the petition be approved. After consulting City Attorney Jerry Mills, the mayor and aldermen followed with an executive session, saying the matter was grounds for potential litigation.

It was about 1 a.m. before the Board of Aldermen returned and voted 4-3 in favor of the developer.

The 13-story office building, 200 Renaissance, will house the employees of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada law firm, the Horne CPA Group and a Fortune 500 company. The land the building is proposed for is zoned for buildings four stories tall or less.

Bailey said construction is to start immediately because the tenants will be moving in during the fall of 2009.

After executive session, Alderman Scott Jones initiated a motion to approve the petition, citing it met 15 criteria as required by the city ordinances. Alderman Chuck Gautier seconded Jones’ motion.

Jones, Gautier and Aldermen Larry Roberts and Linda Davis voted for the petition. Aldermen Ken Heard, Gerald Steen and Kevin Holder voted against it.

Visibly emotional, Davis did not immediately vote when Mayor Gene McGee called for the hands of the aldermen who were for the petition. Only after the others voted did she say, “This is the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life, but I vote for it.”

Both Davis and Roberts had said they were undecided going into the public hearing. Bailey said the months leading up to the public hearing was a “long road.”

“I’m tired, and I’m just glad it’s over,” he said. “We want to do the best job we can to reconcile with the neighbors that were opposed to this.”

Zoning Ordinances Need Enforcement, a group that formed in opposition of the building, had voiced concerns about the building’s proposed height and potential to cause traffic jams. Some members said they wondered if they could trust their city leaders to enforce the zoning ordinances.

Go Ridgeland, a group of residents who have publicly offered support for the building, maintain the building will bring millions of dollars, prestige and upscale tenants into the city and the state.

Mills has said Attorney Steve Smith, who represents ZONE, may appeal the decision in Madison County Circuit Court. The Circuit Court decision would be based on the record of the mayor and aldermen public hearing, he said.

If either party is dissatisfied with the court decision, the case could then go to the Court of Appeals and possibly the Mississippi Supreme Court.

An appeal and intent to file a bill of exceptions must be presented to the court within 10 days of the public hearing, Smith said.

The minutes of the Sept. 10 Planning and Zoning Board public hearing were added to the record of the mayor and aldermen hearing. The zoning board failed to recommend the mayor and aldermen approve or deny the petition.

APPROVED - YES

The height variance request for 200 Renaissance was APPROVED just before 1 a.m., Thursday, 11 Oct 2007

Alderman Gerald Steen, Alderman-at-Large, Mayor Pro Tempore --- Nay

Alderman Ken Heard, Ward 1 --- Nay

Alderman Chuck Gautier, Ward 2 --- Aye

Alderman Kevin Holder, Ward 3--- Nay

Alderman Larry Roberts, Ward 4 --- Aye

Alderman Scott Jones, Ward 5 --- Aye

Alderman Linda S. Davis, Ward 6 --- Aye

Letter: Reader backs 200 Renaissance

October 4, 2007

Reader backs 200 Renaissance

I'm writing to voice my support for the proposed 13-story building, 200 Renaissance.

I have owned and operated a Ridgeland-based company for 22 years. I have also been a resident of Dinsmor for 10 years. Developments like this are critical to our economic future.

The proposed tenants of this building are certainly top-notch firms, but their mere re-location from Jackson to Ridgeland doesn't represent any significant net economic growth. However, the entire Renaissance development, including the proposed building, will serve as an overall investment catalyst for economic expansion. More importantly, it's the first step towards attracting corporate headquarters to our area - not just remote branches and factories of organizations that are based in other states or other countries, although such facilities contribute to the draw of the area.

To my many friends that live in the surrounding neighborhoods that oppose this building, I am sensitive to and respect your position. I know you are sincere and have legitimate reasons for opposing this.

But I really think there are two other parties that need to be considered in this issue.

First, consider the developers of the residential areas where folks live that object. Why did they build these neighborhoods so close to the Interstate and more importantly, interchanges? When they built these subdivisions, I-55 was not the major thoroughfare that it is today, linking the explosive growth in south Madison County with downtown Jackson and other areas. Ridgeland was actually still the outskirts of the metro area.

Second, as homebuyers, what were we thinking? What did we expect? That this suburban area of the largest and capital city of our state would not expand and grow? It's right on a major interchange on the most traveled highway in our state for heaven's sake!

Additionally, there's just something about reasonable building height, and I think 13 or 17 stories is reasonable, that sends a powerful economic message to investors and other corporate and business suitors. It has a look of permanency, and stability - not speculation and lack of commitment. When you see an attractive structure like this in the distance, you know that good things are going on in the area. It gives people confidence that this is a good place to live and work.

I'm confident that Ridgeland's leaders understand this and will act accordingly, as they always have in the past. I thank them for their service to our community.

Gerard Gibert

CEO, Venture Technologies

Ridgeland