General

Agenda City of Olive Branch Old Towne Design Review Committee Meeting 10:30 AM March 27, 2026 Call to Order: Roll Call: Approval of Minutes: 1. Minutes of Meeting September 26, 2025 Old Business: New Business: Other Business 1. Administratively approved signs for the following: a. Local Agency Realty Group at 7031 Depot St b. Ash’s Irish Pub at 9200 Goodman Rd c. Rocky’s Italian Restaurant at 7059 Depot St d. Farrell’s Fantastic Fibers at 9211 Hwy 178 e. Applied for but not yet issued: Golf Plus at 9145A Hwy 178 2. Zoning Ordinance Updates - Proposed changes to Zoning Ordinance specific to the C-5 District (Old Towne District). Adjournment Page 1 of 13 Page 2 of 13 MINUTES FOR THE CITY OF OLIVE BRANCH OLD TOWNE DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 The Old Towne Design Review Committee Meeting was held in the Downstairs Conference Room in the Planning and Building Department at 9200 Pigeon Roost Rd, Room 143, on September 26, 2025. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Sarah Camp, Vice-Chairperson, at 10:32am. ROLL CALL Ross Butler, Sarah Camp, Joy Henderson, Vicky Neyman & Janice Lewis were present, and a quorum was established. Kim Terrell and Cliff McLemore were absent. Venard Asongayi, Assistant Director, Jeremiah McCroskey, Associate Planner, Kevin Norman, Senior Planner, and Heather James, Planning Technician, represented the City Planning Department. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF FEBRUARY 28, 2025 Mrs. Camp asked if anyone had any questions, comments or motions regarding the minutes of the February 28, 2025 meeting and there were none. Mrs. Lewis made a motion to approve the minutes as submitted and was seconded by Mr. Butler with approval as follows: Sarah Camp – Yes Janice Lewis – Yes Kim Terrell – Absent Cliff McLemore – Absent Ross Butler – Yes Vicky Neyman – Yes Joy Henderson – Yes OLD BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS 1. Design Review Application submitted by Jaime Ross, property owner. The request is to make amendments to the façade for Local Agency Realty Group. The 0.07+/-ac subject property is zoned C-5, Old Towne District, and is located on the north side of Goodman Rd, just west of Hwy 178, known as 7031 Depot St. (File # DR25-0011). • APPLICATION SUMMARY Jaime Ross, the property owner, requests approval to renovate the exterior front and rear façades of the two-story building at 7031 Depot St, replacing failing structural elements within the building, and replace site elements around the building. The applicant intends to remove and replace aged and deteriorated soffit, fascia, and cladding, and to replace second floor balcony columns and railings. Additionally new gutters, front lighting, and sidewalks are proposed. The applicant also proposes to completely reroof the building with a black architectural shingles to repair existing roof leaks. Final steps would be to paint the exterior brick and façade in a white/black color scheme. Staff recommends approval with conditions. • STAFF PRESENTATION Senior Planner, Kevin Norman, presented the staff report, which is included herein by reference (File # DR25-0011). • OLD TOWNE DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE INQUIRY AND STAFF RESPONSE None • MEETING o Proponents: 2025-9-26 OLD TOWNE DRAC MINS Page 1 of 5 Page 3 of 13  ▪ Jamie Ross, 7031 Depot St, Olive Branch, MS – she has been in the real estate business for 8-9 years in Desoto County and opened her real estate firm in January 2025. She brought pictures as mockups and mentioned that she wants a mural on the side of the building. She wants this to be a statement piece and wants to motivate other businesses to do more renovations in Old Towne. Her main goal is to completely turn the building into a show stopper and attract more people to the area. The side wall is to be painted with a mural of a pollinator garden. She wants a black background with white letters to stretch over the door for her sign. There are 3 lights on the building and they can shine straight up and straight down. She will have the street #s and addresses for apartments to match her sign. She plans to be working on the main part of the building first and not focus on the roof just yet, as there is still life left in it. o Opponents: ▪ None • OLD TOWNE DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE DISCUSSION Mrs. Lewis asked what color the roof would be and Ms. Ross said it would be dark gray. Mrs. Camp asked if the building would be white and Ms. Ross confirmed yes it would be white. Ms. Henderson asked if the staircases were in good shape. Ms. Ross said they mostly were, with just a few boards to replace. She explained the damage to the building and when the upper floor was built, the steel beams were not installed or wrapped correctly and with no gutters, rain finds its way into the building. She said she would not move in until the renovations are done, and wants to be in by December 1st. Mrs. Lewis asked if the sign meets the existing sign code. Ms. Ross said she would make sure it meets code. Mr. Asongayi advised it could be approved administratively, at a later date. Ms. Ross said the mural she submitted was not in the presentation. Mr. Norman advised that the final design hasn’t been received yet with scaled measurements. Mr. Asongayi said to the board that if they want to approve the style of mural, it can be added to the conditions of approval or have her come back. Mrs. Lewis said she wants to see a proof first before it is installed and wants her to come back for approval. Ms. Neyman said she has worked with the Arts Council for the existing mural there and what is on paper doesn’t always look like what is finished on the wall. Mr. Butler asked how much of a walkway is there in the back, if the mural is to be on the side towards the back. Ms. Ross advised that she wants to fence part of the property off to keep people out of the area. Ms. Neyman asked if the fencing would be a separate application. Mr. Asongayi advised it would be separate. Anything done to the outside would be a separate application. He also advised that the sidewalk will need to meet ADA standards and that he would get with Ms. Ross and provide those standards. She said the sidewalk is the same level as the street, and when it rains, water rushes to the door and into the building. She wants to raise the sidewalk gradually in the middle to drain off the water. She is also working with a gutter company. Ms. Ross said she can’t afford the concrete board and batten at this time, but wants material to be vertical vinyl board & batten on the 2nd floor (front and sides) instead of concrete board & batten. Mr. Asongayi advised if the existing material is horizontal vinyl and the new material is vertical vinyl, it should be fine. • MOTION Ms. Neyman made a motion to approve the request to renovate the exterior front façade of the two-story building at 7031 Depot St. subject to the following conditions: 1. All architectural elements of the submitted development plan described in Section 6 of this staff report are binding. 2025-9-26 OLD TOWNE DRAC MINS Page 2 of 5 Page 4 of 13  2. The proposed storefront millwork shall span the length and height of the current brick cladding on the front façade. Professionally rendered millwork drawings shall be submitted to Staff for administrative review and approval. 3. The applicant shall receive a building permit from the City before construction can commence. 4. The applicant shall adhere to Sec. 11.1, D(h) of the Zoning Ordinance which states the approval of any development plan shall expire under the following conditions: A. A building permit is not applied for within six months following the date of the final approval of the development plan by the Old Towne Design Review Committee, or the conclusion of any appeal proceedings. B. If work on the project is not commenced within six months following issuance of the building permit. C. If work on the project is discontinued for a sufficient period to cause the validity of the building permit to lapse. ii. Extensions: Upon request by the applicant, and after good cause is shown, the Old Towne Design Review Committee may grant an initial extension of the six month period within which a building permit must be obtained for an additional six month period. iii. Expiration: If the period of validity expires, the administrative official shall notify the applicant in writing, and shall file with the records of the Old Towne Design Review Committee a certificate of noncompliance. Neither a building permit nor a use and occupancy permit shall be issued until a new development plan application is approved by the committee. 5. Ensure that sidewalk meets ADA requirements. 6. Approve mural as proposed, but excluding the logo sign to the approved administratively later. Mr. Butler made the second and the motion was approved as follows: Sarah Camp – Yes Janice Lewis – Yes Kim Terrell – Absent Cliff McLemore – Absent Ross Butler – Yes Vicky Neyman – Yes Joy Henderson – Yes 2. Design Review Application submitted by Jonathan Mah, property owner. The request is to remodel the existing steel patio into an enclosed storage area for Side Street Burgers. The 0.07+/- acre subject property is zoned C-5, Old Towne District, and is located at the southeast corner of Hwy 178 and Depot St, known as 9199 Hwy 178. (File # DR25-0012). • APPLICATION SUMMARY Jonathan Mah, the property owner, requests approval to renovate the exterior front façade of the SideStreet Burgers building at 9199 HWY 178. The current building has an existing steel patio facing HWY 178. The applicant proposes to use the space to create an enclosed storage area for Side Street Burgers. The building has a white ruff cut batten board lumber on all façade elevations. The proposed improvements include adding black industrial lights above the windows on the front façade, green plants placed in planters, and extending the roof line. This application also includes a request to extend the approval for the existing shipping containers on the property for an additional six months. Staff recommends approval with conditions. 2025-9-26 OLD TOWNE DRAC MINS Page 3 of 5 Page 5 of 13  • STAFF PRESENTATION Associate Planner, Jeremiah McCroskey, presented the staff report, which is included herein by reference (File # DR25-0012). • OLD TOWNE DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE INQUIRY AND STAFF RESPONSE Mr. Butler questioned the 6 month date being January. Mr. McCroskey advised it should be March 22, 2026. Mr. Asongayi asked Mr. Mah how much time he needed. Mr. Mah advised 6 months would be enough time. • MEETING o Proponents: ▪ Jonathan Mah, 9199 Hwy 178, Olive Branch, MS o Opponents: ▪ None • OLD TOWNE DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE DISCUSSION Mr. Asongayi advised this is a new approval to have the containers there for 6 months and the previous approval was not renewable. The 6 month approval can only be granted to Jonathan, since these are owned by 2 people. Mr. Curran will have to apply for his own extension. October 6 is the deadline for his container to be removed and that will begin the process of the violation for Mr. Curran’s container, if still there. The Mayor has asked to give a 1 month extension to November 2025. Mr. Butler said the facades on the front are inconsistent. Mr. Mah advised all the vertical vinyl will be consistent. He said he would submit a sign application to staff for review. Mr. Butler asked for a timeline of the phases. Mr. Mah advised Phase 1 would be a few months (before winter) and include removing the container. Phase 2 would be by the end of 2026, and would include the side patio, concrete and a new front door. He would come back to the board to get approval for that. Phase 3 is working on the subdivision plat and replat. He wants to buy the land the containers are on and fix the dumpster. The finished project date is 3 years out. Ms. Neyman asked if Phase 1 would start today and Mr. Mah said yes. Mrs. Lewis noted the dumpster area is in a different phase. Mr. Asongayi advised that it is a code enforcement issue to enforce and that the enclosure should have doors. • MOTION Ms. Neyman made a motion to approve the request to renovate the exterior front façade of the building at 9199 Hwy 178 subject to the following conditions: 1. All architectural elements of the submitted development plan described in this staff report are binding. 2. The proposed storefront millwork shall span the length and height of the on the front façade. Professionally rendered millwork drawings shall be submitted to Staff for administrative review and approval. 3. The applicant shall receive a building permit from the City before construction can commence. 4. Both existing shipping containers are approved to be allowed on the property for a maximum of six (6) months ending on March 22, 2026. This approval is non- renewable. 5. The applicant shall adhere to Sec. 11.1, D(h) of the Zoning Ordinance which states the approval of any development plan shall expire under the following conditions: (A) A building permit is not applied for within six months following the date of the final approval of the development plan by the Old Towne Design Review Committee, or the conclusion of any appeal proceedings. (B) If work on the project is not commenced within six months following issuance of the building permit. (C) If work on the project is discontinued for a sufficient period to cause the validity of the building permit to lapse. 2025-9-26 OLD TOWNE DRAC MINS Page 4 of 5 Page 6 of 13  ii. Extensions: Upon request by the applicant, and after good cause is shown, the Old Towne Design Review Committee may grant an initial extension of the six month period within which a building permit must be obtained for an additional six month period. iii. Expiration: If the period of validity expires, the administrative official shall notify the applicant in writing, and shall file with the records of the Old Towne Design Review Committee a certificate of noncompliance. Neither a building permit nor a use and occupancy permit shall be issued until a new development plan application is approved by the committee. Mr. Butler made the second and the motion was approved as follows: Sarah Camp – Yes Janice Lewis – Yes Kim Terrell – Absent Cliff McLemore – Absent Ross Butler – Yes Vicky Neyman – Yes Joy Henderson – Yes OTHER BUSINESS 1. Administratively approved signs for the following: a. Studio 204 Salon at 9225 Hwy 178 b. Local Agency Realty Group at 9132 Pigeon Roost Ste C c. Old Towne Taco at 9200 Goodman Rd d. Valvoline Instant Oil Change at 9246 Goodman Rd 2. Mr. Asongayi wanted to welcome the new members: Ross Butler, Vicky Neyman, and Joy Henderson. He said that Code Enforcement is working on cleaning up old signate for businesses that have closed down. He also wanted to add that this was Jason’s last day as he has retired. ADJOURNMENT Mrs. Lewis made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 11:53am. Ms. Henderson made the second and the meeting was adjourned as follows: Sarah Camp – Yes Janice Lewis – Yes Kim Terrell – Absent Cliff McLemore – Absent Ross Butler – Yes Vicky Neyman – Yes Joy Henderson – Yes 2025-9-26 OLD TOWNE DRAC MINS Page 5 of 5 Page 7 of 13 Page 8 of 13 Page 9 of 13  MEMORANDUM TO: Old Towne Design Review Committee FROM: Kevin Norman, Senior Planner DATE: March 23, 2026 Please find attached Zoning Code updates regarding the C-5, Old Towne Zoning District for your review. These would be discussed during the regular Old Towne Design Review meeting on March 27, 2026 at 10:30am in the Planning Conference room. Your active participation and input would be very necessary regarding these zoning code updates. Page 10 of 13 Suggested Changes to C-5 Old Towne District Zoning Based on the current C-5 Old Towne District language, the district has strong preservation intent but can be improved to better encourage reinvestment and redevelopment while protecting character. The recommendations below focus on modernizing uses, simplifying review for small projects, clarifying predictable standards, and solving parking constraints that commonly limit downtown revitalization. 1) Modernize Permitted Uses Toward Experience + Small Business Add or clarify permitted uses that commonly drive revitalization: • Coffee shop / café (explicit) • Micro-brewery / brewpub / taproom (with size and performance limits) • Wine bar / tasting room (with limits) • Small indoor music venue (with size cap and sound controls) • Maker studio / studio retail (maker + storefront) • Shared office / coworking • Boutique fitness (yoga, Pilates, spin) • Small specialty grocery / neighborhood market • Food hall (as a Conditional Use if additional oversight is desired) Rationale: These uses increase foot traffic and create reasons to linger, supporting local retail and restaurants. 2) Ease Change-of-Use (Avoid Parking Shock) Codify that when an existing building changes use without expanding floor area, no new parking is required beyond what legally exists today. If additional mitigation is needed, require a parking management plan (shared parking, signage, time limits) rather than new pavement. Rationale: Removes a major barrier to adaptive reuse and tenant turnover. 3) Codify an Old Towne Parking Toolkit Adopt predictable tools rather than case-by-case uncertainty: • On-street parking credit (frontage only; subject to Fire/Public Works clearance) • Shared parking agreements allowed by right • Administrative parking reductions up to a defined cap (e.g., 10–30%) • Optional payment-in-lieu program if public parking investments are planned • Consider maximum parking limits to prevent front-lot projects on key streets Rationale: Predictability encourages investment and reduces overbuilding of surface lots. 4) Allow Outdoor Activation in the Public Realm Expand outdoor activity tools that support a village center: Page 11 of 13 • Sidewalk cafés where width allows (clear pedestrian path required) • Seasonal parklets (removable; permitted locations) • Temporary outdoor vendor events (art markets, farmers markets) with defined rules • Food trucks as regulated special events (hours, location, duration) Rationale: Outdoor activation builds identity, supports small business, and increases vitality. 5) Create a Small-Project Fast Track Create review tiers so smaller projects can be approved quickly while preserving committee oversight for major changes. Suggested approach: • Minor work (Administrative/Staff approval): paint, awnings, signage swaps, interior renovations, windows/doors, minor façade improvements, small patios • Major work (Committee approval): new construction, additions, major site redesign, parking reconfiguration, demolition Rationale: Encourages quick wins and reduces friction for small business reinvestment. 6) Add Clear Frontage Standards (Light Form-Based Rules) Adopt simple rules that shape a cohesive streetscape without forcing a single architectural style: • Build-to zone (e.g., 0–10 feet from sidewalk) on primary streets • Limit or prohibit parking in front of buildings on key streets • Ground-floor transparency minimum for retail streets • Primary entrance must face the street • Mechanical units and service areas must be screened Rationale: Improves walkability and character while remaining flexible. 7) Adjust Height Cap Carefully (Targeted Flexibility) Current height limit is 2.5 stories / 35 feet. Consider keeping the general cap but allowing up to 3 stories / 45 feet on select blocks if stepbacks, compatibility measures, and higher- quality materials are provided. Rationale: A modest increase can make mixed-use projects financially feasible without overwhelming adjacent areas. 8) Strengthen Quality Standards Without Dictating Style Codify durability and materials rather than prescribing a specific style: • Minimum masonry/fiber cement percentage on street-facing façades • Prohibit vinyl as a primary exterior material Page 12 of 13 • Enhanced standards for corners and primary frontages • Signage principles that allow blade signs and require appropriate lighting and scale Rationale: Prevents low-quality construction while preserving design flexibility. 9) Expand Residential Options Beyond ‘Apartments Above Commercial’ To support adaptive reuse and downtown vitality, consider allowing: • Live/work units • Over-the-shop residential by right • Townhome-style or small-scale multifamily in limited nodes (if desired) • Clear short-term rental policy if tourism is a goal (optional) Rationale: Residential above and behind retail stabilizes the district and supports local business. 10) Add Incentives Through the Code (Optional) Zoning can encourage desired outcomes through incentives such as: • Parking reductions for public amenities (street trees, plazas, wider sidewalks where feasible) • Expedited review for adaptive reuse projects • Bonus height/area only when tied to high-quality design and compatibility measures Rationale: Rewards the kind of development the City wants in Old Towne. Top 5 Workshop Agenda Items (Simplified) • Old Towne parking toolkit (credit, shared parking, reductions, no change-of-use parking shock) • Small-project fast track (staff vs committee review tiers) • Modernize permitted uses (coffee/taproom/coworking/small venue) • Outdoor activation rules (parklets and events) • Light form-based frontage standards (build-to and parking placement) Page 13 of 13