On April 22, 1999, unknown to the Concerned Citizens Group, another resolution was introduced to amend the March 18, 1999, Resolution. The amendment authorized the Mayor to appoint a Citizens Corridor Committee in regard to a route from I 10 to Highway 90. This resolution was ambiguous in regard to a specific route and the type roadway; whereas, the March 18, 1999, Resolution was specific in regard to the ground level Cedar Lake route. The Concerned Citizens Committee held a meeting at the Sunkist Country Club on April 13, 1999, at which Mayor A.J. Holloway outlined his proposal to set up a citizens committee, known as the Citizens Corridor Committee, the purpose of which was to make a recommendation on where and what kind of North/South connector would be the best for the City. That Committee was subsequently set up with representatives from KAFB, VA Center, School Board, Planning Commission, and citizens from north of the Bay and south of the Bay, as well as the City Councilmen from Wards 4, 5, and 7. Jay Teasdel, who had been active in organizing the Concerned Citizens Committee, was appointed chairman by Mayor A.J. Holloway. Victoria Todd was appointed to the Committee. Subsequently, Paige Gutierrez was appointed to the Committee by the City Council. Rick Stewart represents the School Board; Dickie Walters-KAFB; Glen Struchtemeyer-VA; Gary Lechner-Biloxi Planning Commission; Jeff Elder; Ricky Mathews of the Sun Herald, Joy Tucei, and Dean Wilson-Citizens. After the Citizens Corridor Committee was in place with some of of the Concerned Citizens Committee representatives on the Citizens Corridor Committee, the “Concerned Citizens Committee” stepped back and took an “wait and see” attitude while the Citizens Corridor Committee functioned. In June 1999, Jay resigned from the Citizens Corridor Committee for personal reasons, and Royce Hignight was appointed to take his place as a member. A chairman was not appointed, but Bill Mitchell, the engineer engaged to work with the Committee, was selected to act as moderator. Unfortunately, the Citizens Corridor Committee at that time, mostly heard from professionals who represented MDOT, or MDOT consultants, and Federal Highway representatives who work with MDOT routinely. MDOT's representatives at the time ignored other points of view on the north/south project including those from the Gulf Regional Planning Commission which had studied this matter for years. MDOT also ignored the findings in the previous studies. It is the opinion of Royce Hignight who served on both committees that the Citizen's Corridor Committee merely rubber-stamped what MDOT wanted because of the impression that if this route was selected, the purchase of land and construction would begin right away. That, of course, did not happen. Shortly after the Citizen's Corridor Committee endorsed the MDOT proposal, Royce Hignight appeared before the Biloxi City Council and pleaded with the council not to accept the MDOT proposal because it was prohibitively expensive and would never be built. However, the City Council ignored Hignight's warning and endorsed the MDOT proposal. As, it has been apparent from the beginning, MDOT wanted a new bridge to go to the Woolmarket exit in spite of the overwhelming community support for the Cedar Lake exit. The route most favored by MDOT seems to be from the Woolmarket exit, curved to the east, across the Tchoutacabouffa River, and then south across Popps Ferry near Malpass Pools and south across the Bay, through the edge of Hiller Park and on to Highway 90 . However, many Concerned Citizens have reservations and/or object to putting a road on an irreplaceable natural site. In addition, the use of Hiller Park is very tenuous due to federal restrictions regarding what Hiller Park property can be used for. Because of these restrictions, the next most likely route that would be chosen by MDOT, would be from Woolmarket across to Popps Ferry Road, through Sunkist, across the Bay to La Bonne Terre, Bay Vista, and on to Highway 90. This choice, the most expensive by common sense estimates, would destroy large residential neighborhoods and cause traffic nightmares, without providing an additional new evacuation route from the peninsula or providing the benefits that the Cedar Lake/Rodenberg would provide. One of the top MDOT “decision makers” stated at the time during a meeting that he personally favored this route. |
