Planning commission again tables request for bed and breakfast at 107 Arlington
Published 11:22 pm Saturday, June 17, 2023
- The city’s planning commission tabled a request to operate 107 Arlington as a bed and breakfast. It is owned by the owners of The Guest House Inn on Franklin Street. (Jan Griffey | The Natchez Democrat)
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NATCHEZ — The city’s planning commission again tabled a request from the owners of The Guest House, which originally applied to operate a bed and breakfast with an event space for up to 150 at a house they own at 107Arlington Ave.
Neighbors to the property showed up to their second planning commission meeting on the property. At the last planning commission meeting, neighbors expressed concern about parking for the event space, and other concerns like the number of families that would stay in the house.
However, Shiela Prunty, who is a Natchez native who is a vice president with the company, said what is actually sought is a guesthouse, not a bed and breakfast and not an event space.
She said the incorrect application was filled out, citing confusion with the city planning department’s forms offered online.
Planning commissioner Jonathan Smith asked that Prunty’s application be tabled again, rather than denied, to allow city planner Frankie Legaux time to check to see if the application could be amended for a guesthouse and grandfathered in under existing city ordinances. That would mean the application would not have to be filed anew, which could add as much as six months to the process.
Commissioners agreed to table the application.
In other action, the planning commission:
• granted a special exception for Jim Smith at 401 Madison to use the property as a guesthouse.
• granted a special exception for Melanie Marcheschi at 931 State St. to use the property as a guesthouse.
• granted a special exception for Rachel Verucchi, 625 N. Wall St. to use the property as a guest house.
• approved the subdivision of industrial property owned by the Joe Fortunato Estate and Neb’s Legacy LLC at 251 U.S. 61 to be subdivided into five lots for industrial use.
• granted a special exception for John and Rebecca Burns of Brookhaven to use 300 N. Commerce St., which they own, as a guesthouse.
• granted a special exception to Matthew Deming at 510 Orleans St., to rent the top floor apartment of the building as a guest house.
The next planning commission meeting is scheduled for July 20 at 5:15 p.m. at 115 S. Pearl St. in the Council Chambers.