Video: City Leaders And Residents Work Together To Solve A Local Issue

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Some Starkville residents raise concerns about a new business development, even taking those concerns to the Starkville Board of Aldermen.

They believe noise from the future Academy Sports will spill into their next door neighborhood.

Trees and an empty lot sit behind dozens of single family homes, but that empty space will soon be home to a busy Academy Sports and lots of traffic.

“We were concerned for our security, our privacy, as well as, we have a special needs daughter who has some serious medical conditions. Her health is very delicate, she’s very sensitive to sound, and she’s legally blind. Any loud noises cause her to have seizures, so we were super concerned about this,” says homeowner Michael Sullivan.

That’s why Sullivan and neighbors took their concerns to city hall.

“The original prints had shown Academy Sports with the rear of the building on the back side of our fence, but here recently we were shown the updated set of of prints, which showed the front of the building facing the south and the rerouting of Hollywood Boulevard  right along the back side of our fence, within 10 foot of our back fence.”

Developers and city leaders were listening and a compromise is taking shape. The property developer said he’s willing to fund fencing and even additional buffer shrubbery to help with the disturbances.

“We’re definitely relieved. We feel that the mayor and board had concern for us and were open to our suggestions, and the property developer, he as well helped us out and we appreciate that,” says Sullivan.

Homeowners aren’t the only ones who appreciate the solution.

“It’s a heartwarming moment. Anytime we can have constructive dialogue at the table, not only as elected officials, but also as in this case, the general public and the property developer, and ultimately ended up, through dialogue, forging a constructive solution,” says Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman.