- Revised
ordinances expected in weeks
American - 3 Oct 2006
... Within one to two weeks, Hattiesburg City Council members could
see revised copies of a controversial set of ordinances that would
regulate parking, noise and rental properties, City Attorney Charles
Lawrence said Monday...
"We still want the residential property owners to have the
peaceful use and quiet enjoyment of their properties," he said.
"But we also want those people that rent properties in a single-family
residential zone to control the actions of their tenants."
The rental regulations are the most controversial of the three
ordinances, and council members have indicated they may consider
voting on the parking and noise ordinances prior to passing a
rental ordinance...
- Council
should tread lightly on rental rules
American - 24 Sep 2006
...Leaders of two Hattiesburg neighborhood organizations are understandably
concerned over what they see as a proliferation of single-family
housing units being used as rental housing in their communities.
Hence, Hattiesburg City Councilman Carter Carroll's efforts to further
regulate rental housing comes as no surprise, given the political
viability of the neighborhood groups and the passion by which they
state their respective cases.
Nevertheless, a package of regulations proposed
by the city council that would have an even greater impact on
the availability of rental housing may be more far reaching than
originally envisioned...
- Officials
say ordinances wouldn't hurt enrollment
American - 22 Sep 2006
...Several property owners and students at a Monday meeting said
they believe passing an ordinance limiting off-campus housing could
make students think twice about coming to one of Hattiesburg's two
universities.
But officials say growth in the private apartment
market and a willingness by council to work out the kinks in the
proposed ordinance should allay those concerns...
-
Ordinances
could impact thousands
American - 22 Sep 2006
... The effects of a package of rental regulations proposed by
Hattiesburg City Council could have a much wider impact than many
people expected.
Upwards of 5,000 of the 10,500 single-family
homes inside Hattiesburg's city limits may be rental housing,
according to numbers from the Forrest County Tax Assessor's Office.
On the other hand, apartment complexes with more than 3,500 bedrooms
are in various stages of planning and development and could help
offset the displaced students...
-
Ordinance
idea lacks sense
American - 22 Sep 2006
...Common sense is not always the all important
pre-requisite for policy making decision, although it should.
The recent controversy over a proposed Hattiesburg ordinance to
curtail the number of non-family members living in a single family
residence, parking restrictions and noise curfew greatly exemplifies
this notion...
- Rental
rules may prove complex
American - 20 Sep 2006
...Debate over the pros and cons of a package of ordinances to regulate
rental housing in Hattiesburg spilled over from a Monday night public
hearing to Tuesday's city council meeting...
The existing zoning ordinance allows four unrelated people to occupy
a single-family residence but the problem is that the ordinance
has no provisions for enforcement, City Attorney Charles Lawrence
said.
"There is nothing with regards to enforcement
of any property being used inconsistent with its zoning,"
he said. "There's probably nothing I could do short of filing
in chancery court for an injunction against each property."...
- Rental
rules stir heated debate
American - 19 Sep 2006
..."If Hattiesburg is trying to lure retirees, they need to
do something about this," Janet Smith said. "Either Hattiesburg
wants retirees or college students or they can find a way we can
all live together. We loved Hattiesburg. It was such a beautiful
neighborhood but now we almost wouldn't move into this neighborhood
again."
A show of hands about two hours into the hearing
indicated a large majority of those in attendance supported the
ordinances, but it came after nearly all of the dozen or so student-age
residents and some real estate professionals had left...
- Neighbor
vs neighbor in housing debate
WDAM - 19 Sep 2006
...It was democracy at its best Monday night, when over 200 Hattiesburg
residents showed up for heated discussions on an ordinance that
may push many renters out of the Hub City's single-family homes.
The goal of the proposed ordinance is clear:
prevent a bunch of college students from turning a single-family
home into a party pad...
- Ordinance
hearing draws big crowd, lots of debate
American - 18 Sep 2006
...A proposed set of ordinances that would regulate rental housing
in Hattiesburg drew a mixed and occasionally heated reaction from
the 150 to 200 homeowners, property owners and renters who turned
out for a Monday hearing.
City Council had asked for input on a set of
three ordinances that would limit the number of nonrelated people
that could live in a single-family residential property, make
parking on lawns illegal and set quiet hours in the city...
- Hattiesburg
to hold rental ordinance hearing tonight
American - 18 Sep 2006
... Hattiesburg City Council will have a public hearing at 6 tonight
at City Hall to discuss proposed ordinances that deal with rental
housing, parking on lawns and quiet hours within the city.
The ordinances:
-- Rental properties: Makes it illegal for property owners to
rent homes zoned single-family residential to two or more people.
Owners or renters could be fined up to $1,000 a day and face possible
jail time for violations.
-- Parking on lawns: Makes it illegal to park
on lawns and on-street parking is better defined.
-- Quiet hours: Sets 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
as quiet hours, although the proposed ordinance does not list
particulars that would be considered violations...
-
Cities
struggle with rental regulations
American - 15 Sep 2006
...Michael McMillan, who owns and rents nine properties in the
Avenues where he lives, said he fully supports the ordinance and
says he doesn't believe he has any properties that would not conform.
"In my neighborhood, I can point out houses
where there are five or six college students. I understand them
wanting to spread out the rent but it's not good for residential
neighborhoods," McMillan said.
The ordinances, which were drawn up by City Attorney
Charles Lawrence over the past several months, came about after
members of the Jamestown-Lincoln Road and University Heights neighborhood
associations began complaining about an influx of college students
into their neighborhoods...
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