The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1944-04-28

Passed BY
Protest To New
Ordinance Filed AT
Open Hearing.

Open Hearing. /,
The Jackson County Board of
Supervisors adopted an ordinance
coming the beach front adjacent
to Pascagoula Tuesday morning
following a public hearing at the
courthouse marked by verbal
fireworks.
A protest to the adoption of the
ordinance was filed with the
board and argued by Harold w.
Gautier, attorney representing
w e. Frederic, who is in process
of constructing a commercial
yacht club and dance pavilion
in the area affected by the or
dinance.
AT the termination of the hear
ing the board voted unanimously
for the adoption. Members of the
board present were K. w. Burn
ham, Hermes F. Gautier, Roy
Cumbest, Fred Moran and George
Cruthirds.
Area Affected
The area affected is the "slop-
ing beach" from the Pascagoula
city limits to Bayou Chicot, and
a distance of 500 feet back from
the beach front. The building of
any commercial structure, bill
board, parking lots, etc, is pro-
hibited under terms of the or
dinance without filing of plans
with and approval of the Board
Of Supervisors.
In his argument Mr.. Gautier
charged that the ordinance was
a deliberate attack not only on
Mr.. Frederic, but every other
man. The ordinance. he said.
was being passed for the benefit
of the ingalls, Shipbuilding Cor
poration which, he said, owns a.
total of 1947 feet frontage on the
beach adjacent to, and in the area
affected.
The corporation, he said, oper-
ates the Longfellow House for the
benefit of officers of the corpor-
alton, their guests, and a few
others to whom cards have been
issued. Despite the fact that the
community has sought to adver-
tise itself as a place where beach
front pleasures can be enjoyed,
he added, the restricted Longfel-
low House is the only place along
the beach front, within or with
out the city limits, where a bot
tie of beer can be purchased.
Mr.. Frederic, he said, planned
to construct a place of amusement,
relaxation and enjoyment of Gulf
breezes for the thousands of citi-
zens who are barred from the
Longfellow house.
Moran Replies
Mr.. Moran, in replying to Mr..
Gautier. pointed out that beach
coming was not new in Jackson
county, and that Ocean Springs
had zoned its beach front more
than six years ago. Biloxi, he
pointed out, had ruined its beach
for swimming purposes and re-
taxation by the general public
through failure to adopt a sim
| liar ordinance before it was COM
m~ercialized.
Mr.. Gautier added that at
tempts had been made by the
board last July, before property
referred to in the objection had
been purchased by the corpora
ton. The ingalls, Corporation
plans to build residences along the
beach front property owned by
them. he added, and the ordi-
nance is for the purpose of keep
ing out undesirable commercial
business that would spoil prop
erty values.
James |. Ford. also replying to
the objection, said that in his
opinion, one-tenth of the charges
Guild not be sustained. He pointed
out that the area where the
yacht club" is being built, is
peopled by thousands of chill
dren and parents in the summer
time. Put a beer place there" he
said, "and you won't see the same
situation this summer" The or
dinance applies to Ingalls, as well
as everyone else, he continued.
and Mr.. Frederic will have the
same right as any other person
to apply to the board for a permit
to build.
Several others replied to the
objection. among them being w.
R. Guest, executive vice-president
of Ingalls,. who said that 900 feet
of the frontage had been pur-
chased for the purpose of build
ing homes.
In closing the hearing, Mr..
Burnham said that coming was
almost as old as the law itself.
and hal an establishment OF the
lCOnfiuued On mage 81