A public hearing was held on May 19 to discuss a property on Northpark Drive and Old Canton Road in Ridgeland seeking a Conditional Use Permit for single family housing development.

The property is currently zoned C2-A and, though the petition for rezoning included the majority of the vacant lot, the area not included can still be used for commercial development. The petitioner is  Sandeep “Sunny” Sethi on behalf of Sunray Investments, LLC. 

“The name of the proposed subdivision is ‘Bellamare’,” Public Works Director Alan Hart said. “The development will offer a location for new single family homes.”

Hart said this is the same location of a recent request for a townhome subdivision that was withdrawn prior to a final vote by the mayor and board of aldermen. 

The petition stated the petitioner felt there is a demand for new high quality housing in the market. It states the site is appropriate for this development due to its size and location.

“We feel this development will be one of the highest and best uses in the land,” the petition states.

The petitioner stated the proposed development will have minimal impact on the adjacent streets, which are Lake Harbour, Northpark Drive, and Old Canton Road. 

“All three are major thoroughfares designed to accommodate a development such as this,” the petition states. “Also, this property being developed as residential instead of commercial, as it is zoned, will generate much less traffic than if developed commercially.”

The petition also states that the residential community will only bring benefits to the surrounding commercial developments as it will add exposure to new potential customers. It also states the nature of the development is to promote open green space and quality of life with walking trails and peaceful waterscapes.

“We intend to build using energy efficient design and promote a sense of community and connectivity,” the petition states. “Additionally, we are proposing to utilize existing infrastructure that is in place, which should limit environmental impacts also.”

The mayor and board of aldermen will consider the request at the next board meeting.