Things Are Looking Up!

I don't want to be overly optimistic, but I'm starting to feel good about the demise of the condos on the Bluffs.

The potential developers of the condos, Larry Brown, and Ed Worley, got permission from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History many months ago to tear down the old Pecan Factory PROVIDING they followed certain very reasonable requirements. As we all know, those requirements were totally ignored, and they tore down the building without getting the required permit - and to add insult to injury, they did it while MDAH was meeting in Natchez. It would surprise me if there were not some angry people at MDAH. Most government agencies do not take kindly to having their laws ignored.

You have to hand it to Worley Brown - they definitely have balls. They wait a couple of months and apply for a permit to build the condos. I guess they think MDAH is just a bunch of wimps they can ignore and intimidate. The Permit Committee met a couple of weeks ago and recommended some very restrictive requirements. For details, see this article in the Natchez Democrat. I especially love the quote from Larry Brown.

“I briefly talked to my attorney, and he said it was all right. He said the conditions were pretty standard and nothing out of the ordinary.”

Yeah, right, Larry.

This past Friday, the MDAH Board of Trustees, who has final authority, met to consider the recommendations of their Permit Committee. Gwen Ball and several other Natchezians attended that meeting and made a very professional presentation about their many concerns. (See this article in the Democrat.) The Board said they had to take it under advisement until their next meeting, which is not until July. So we get another three months breathing room. (And don't forget, there's still the lawsuit hanging over their heads.) Of course, Larry Brown is still in a state of denial.

“Based on questions some of the board members asked, they seemed confused. They elected to take some time to get more information and talk at their next meeting."

The Board of Trustees is confused? I don't think so.

Larry, give it up. You're never going to get these condos. They were a stupid idea to begin with, and you're getting stupider by the minute.