2010

EC faculty housing draws fire from Decatur residents Work in progress, says Dr. Sutphin

has no sny-sn oVCI' Ihe EC:C< • ('UIIIJIIIS, llnrlon disng1~'·ell, suyi ng thnt lu 1· own rt·St~l\l't:h incli<:niQS tlw oppo:-;ik. But If:!' l'l't'sld('nl Ill'. Phil :-iu Iph In <'Ill phasi:Z<'H that lhc houst•s, whkh UI'C still unde~· <·onsh·udion. will look mu('h dif– ft'l't'llt wllt'n they are completed. "Tlwrc's still a lot of wo1·k to be done." he said Tuesday. ··om· intent is for tho houses to be an attractive addition to the area," he said. Dr. Sutphin said the ('Ollcgc is working on the inside of the homes, so that faculty members– not students- can move in before school shu·ts. He said thr houses will bt' painted, and lands<•nping·, fences, and underpinningwill be added. As fa1· as the zoning t't'l..'llln– tions. hc said the collegl• is meeting city code, even thoubrfl it doesn'hhavc to miilel' Htute

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By Bill Graham Appear Managing Editor

DECATUR: llndt'l' Jll't·s~.un• (rom lo('al residcntN, ~l!ly()J' Randy Rushing is planning to ask the Mississippi .\tlornl'y General's office if two houHN; on the ECCC campus fnll undct· the town's zoning rcgulationH. Resident Cathcrinr !lorton told town aldermen Monday night that the houses m-e a "slap in the face." The two-bedroom, 24 by 40 houses, built by the school's cru·– peoli'Y classes, typimlly sell at auction, but did not sell this yew·. Mayo1· Rushing said Monday that Town Attorney Bobby Everett had researched the zon– ing issue, finding that tbc town

Faculty housing at ECCC has raised the ire of Decatur res– dents, but ECCC President Dr. Phil Sutphin says the area will be more attractive when work on the houses is completed.

"You 're not laking sides if you ask fo1· a written opinion," she told the board. But, sh<' add<'d, if the opinion wnt-1 in fttvOI' of lhr ('Ollege, she WOttJd (>J'('SS Oil. "You get an opinion, and in my mind that's just another slt•p,'' she said. "I think we need to take il to the Supreme Court. Beeuuse that opinion is just an opinion." see HOUSl'S... IJ~lge 9

law.

At the center of the zoning issue, according to town offi– cials. is whether or not the hom;– es are too cloHc to the strcct and too close tog\'lhcr. Horton, addressing the board Mondny, (•tlllrd Uw hous cs a publi<· 1mf<'l) issue. ''And a publi<' nuisunt't' issue," sh<~ said. "I know nobody wants to make e1wmit~s of lhc t·ollcge," she udckd. " I lovt~ the t•ollt•ge."

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:..Houses ConUnued lrom tA '"If I nl:'ed to donate, and supply an attorney because the dty's so broke. whatever," she said. ~~That's my home street down there."

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