Resident complains about potential closing of part of Clifton Ave.

Published 2:10 pm Wednesday, October 11, 2023

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NATCHEZ — The Mayor and Board of Aldermen have taken no action on a request from a resident of Clifton Avenue to close a portion of that street.

City Attorney Bryan Callaway had an item on the board’s agenda at its Sept. 26 meeting to discuss. However before it could get to that point, a Clifton Avenue resident spoke against the closure.

Audra Quin spoke on behalf of her mother, Cheryl Peterman, who has lived at 321 Clifton Ave. in her family home for 40 years.

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Quin said a homeowner who owns two lots at the end of Clifton Avenue next to her mother approached her mother and told her she wanted to close off a portion of the street and install a gate past her mother’s home.

“My mother told her no,” Quin said. “The Peterman family has lived there since the 1940s. We have had no trouble with anyone who comes down the street. The people who do are coming to look at the view of the river. We have had no problems whatsoever.

“We have a big family and we go over to my mother’s house all the time and if the street was closed and a gate put up, we would not be able to turn around,” Quin said. “If she wants to put up a gate on her property, that’s fine. She told my mother she wanted to put a gate up so she would feel safe. My mother told her, ‘I am safe.’ ”

Quin said her mother didn’t know the Board of Aldermen was considering this action, and only saw it on Tuesday by reading her online subscription to The Natchez Democrat.

“No one came to tell us or anyone else who lives near there that this was being considered. There is a big community that doesn’t know about this,” Quin said.

Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson said aldermen did not plan to take action on the issue at the meeting.

“The city attorney was going to simply bring it up in his report and make people aware of this,” Gibson said. “We did not know there was opposition to this. We will not take any action on it.”

Ward 2 Alderman Billie Joe Frazier, who moved to allow Quin to speak on the issue, said, “If we have any kind of opposition, particularly when dealing with closing a street, we can’t handle it like this.”

Also Tuesday night, aldermen held to adjudicate nuisance properties in the city.

Several property owners asked questions or asked for more time to take care of issues on their property.

Properties become a nuisance if the grass is not cut or if the structure of the home is in disrepair.

The Board of Aldermen approved moving forward with adjudication on the follow properties. That means the city will pay the cost of cutting the grass or seeking demolition of the property, which will be put on the homeowner’s property tax bill.

• 27 Concord Ave.

• 95 E. Oak St.

• 627 East Stiers Lane

• 116 jIvy Lane

• 106 Joiner St.

• 100 Kennedy Drive

• 629 Maple St.

• 304 Monette St.

• 505 N. Union

• 600 N. Union

• 907 State St.