The Oxford Board of Aldermen voted last week to appeal the city planning commission’s approval of The Velvet Ditch’s outdoor expansion plans and granted a property rezoning request bordering the South Campus Rail Trail by JWM Development, despite opposition by many Oxford community members, including some University of Mississippi faculty. 

The Velvet Ditch is located at the intersection of University Avenue and South Lamar Boulevard in the space previously occupied by Abner’s. Jared Foster, owner of Landshark Seafood, has transformed the building interior into a “Mad Hatter-style bar” that will serve food and drinks until 1:30 a.m.  

Deliberations for outdoor expansion plans between Foster, residents of the South Lamar Historic District, the Historic Preservation Commission and the board of aldermen have been ongoing since July 1, 2024. The plans included expanding an outdoor patio to include turf over the parking lot, two bars, outdoor seating and umbrellas.

In the most recent meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, Lauren Ward, an attorney at Daniel and Coker law firm, represented residents of the South Lamar Historic District, which is comprised of homeowners who live on South Lamar Boulevard, South 11th Street and adjacent streets. Ward expressed concern that the plan’s impact on traffic, parking, sound and smell had not been adequately considered.

Jared Foster represented himself before the board and compared his business to nearby businesses Back Nine and Proud Larry’s, both of which hold large capacities.

“All I’m asking is to be treated equally here,” Foster said. “I have yet to hear how we are not following objectives.”

Brian Hyneman, aldermen for Ward III and resident of the South Lamar District, said his biggest concern was safety. Hyneman said the city would need to hire more officers for the Oxford Police Department to ensure that Velvet Ditch customers exited the bar safely –– similar to The Library Sports Bar.

“Assuming it is, as you say, a well-run business, you will have at 1:30 a.m. 260 people unleashed into a neighborhood,” Hyneman said. “Which is my neighborhood or onto the city streets of Oxford. You’re now increasing the odds of something happening.”

Hyneman motioned to approve the appeal and was seconded by Aldermen At-Large Mary Martha Crowe. There was one nay vote from Mark Huelse, aldermen for Ward II.

The Velvet Ditch will be allowed to revisit its plans with the city planning commission in 90 days. While outdoor expansion of the bar is tabled, the Velvet Ditch will hold a soft opening for the interior on Oct. 11.  

Another dispute revisited by the board was JWM Development’s proposal for the rezoning of property located on Old Taylor Road adjacent to Faulkner Flatts and the South Campus Rail Trail. 

The decision by the board of aldermen granted 26.06 acres of the land to be reclassified from traditional neighborhood business and neighborhood residential zone to a suburban multi-family zone and .07 acres to be rezoned from neighborhood residential to suburban residential.

Although the city planning commission failed in its rezoning request in a 3-4 vote on Sept. 9, JWM argued that the university’s intake of master leases for several properties in Oxford presents a greater need for housing to be developed. JWM development won the case on the grounds that the character of the neighborhood has changed since the previous zoning. 

The completion of Oxford Way construction connecting Old Taylor Road and South Lamar Avenue, Chucky Mullins Drive construction and the approval of a gas station site plan on an adjacent property were cited as changes seen in the surrounding development that constituted reclassification.

Those in opposition of the rezoning were most concerned with the loss of Oxford’s tree canopy and the height of the buildings. 

The rezoning will allow for 40-foot tall buildings to be built, compared to 38 feet from the previous zoning ordinance. JWM has stated in its submitted rezoning request that the property will extend 1,300 feet from the trail. However, there is only an enforceable buffer of 50 feet mandated by the city to protect the trees closest to the trail.

Many trail users unable to attend the meeting wrote emails to Mayor Robyn Tannehill highlighting their appreciation for the trails and urging the city to deny the rezoning request. Tannehill submitted the emails to be considered on the docket. 

Michael Weldy, who frequently uses the trail, wrote that the current development’s buffer zone is insufficient.

“Fifty feet isn’t enough,” Weldy said. “At least try to hide (the development). I’m not sure of the buffer zone for Faulkner Flatts, but it isn’t enough.”

Several community members spoke in hopes of swaying the board’s decision, including Marcos Mendoza, a UM anthropology professor, and his daughter, Sylvie Mendoza. She presented data from her fifth-grade science fair project stating 67 out of 79 trail users surveyed would be very upset if the trails were developed into houses or roads.

Ann Fisher-Wirth, former faculty member and director of the environmental studies minor at the University of Mississippi, spoke about the importance of tree coverage.

“From the environmental studies point of view, protecting our tree canopy in this community is of the utmost importance as far as helping to fight global warming and helping to create more flow of oxygen,” Fisher-Wirth said.

Tannehill clarified that the land is not a preserve and is zoned to be developed. Although the city does not own the trail, Tannehill said the city is working to create a plan for future parks and trails.

“I love the trials,” Tannehill said. “They are critical to us. We have budgeted in this year’s budget to do an overall study of where we need to have different parks in areas we have not identified.”