Olive Branch boards weigh sewer survey, zoning overhaul, and $19M in infrastructure change orders
Olive Branch officials have a packed two weeks of land-use and infrastructure decisions, though outcomes from three recent meetings remain unconfirmed because minutes have not yet been published. Agendas show the Board of Aldermen, Board of Adjustment, and Planning Commission each considered consequential items — from a $264,850 sewer survey to a sweeping zoning ordinance amendment — with another major Aldermen meeting set for July 21.
Board of Aldermen — July 7
The Board of Aldermen's July 7 agenda included a consent agenda with 40 items and several new business items. The largest single item was a proposed professional services contract with Pickering Firm for $264,850 to conduct a sanitary sewer evaluation survey. The agenda also listed a final payment of $50,774.92 for pickleball facilities at City Park and Change Order No. 11, which would increase the Public Works Complex contract to $8,839,584.74.
Other agenda items included settlement of claims at 9170 Highland Street and 4501 Goodman Road, and the purchase of five vehicles from the Missouri State Highway Patrol — one Ford F-150 and four Dodge Chargers. Public hearings were scheduled for a conditional use permit appeal and property cleanup orders. Minutes have not been published, so it is not yet confirmed which items were approved.
Board of Adjustment — July 9
The Board of Adjustment was scheduled to consider two conditional use permits for convenience stores with fuel pumps. The active application, File # CU-26-0007, concerns a 2.64-acre PUD-zoned site on the east side of Bethel Road, across from Methodist Olive Branch Hospital. A second application, File # CU-26-0008, for a 0.82-acre C-3-zoned site at 8479 Goodman Rd E, was withdrawn by the applicant before the meeting. The agenda also included approval of minutes from the June 11, 2026 regular meeting. Outcomes are not yet confirmed.
Planning Commission — July 14
The Planning Commission agenda featured a proposed amendment to the city's zoning ordinance that would add new definitions, restrict smoking within 500 ft of public parks, establish criteria for data centers, and set monument sign height limits — 8 ft in Office and Neighborhood Commercial districts, and 12 ft in Highway, General, and Planned Commercial districts.
The commission was also scheduled to consider a final plat for Williams Subdivision, a 2.64-acre single-family lot at 4204 Pleasant Hill Rd in the A-R district; a request to amend the project text for Margarette Manor at Robinson Crossing to allow medical cannabis at 5025 Church Rd E in a PUD; and a rezoning of 50.87 acres from Agricultural-Residential to Single-Family Residential for the Almadale Retreat subdivision on the south side of Desoto Rd. A preliminary plat for Almadale Retreat proposes 86 single-family lots and 3 open spaces on the same parcel. Minutes have not been published.
Coming up
The Board of Aldermen meets July 21 to consider three major infrastructure change orders: Change Order No. 4 with Enscor, LLC, raising the Annexation Water/Sewer East Area Project 1 contract to $7,686,975.22; Change Order No. 1 with Phillips Construction, increasing the Taxiway Rehabilitation Phase 2 contract to $5,945,915.00; and Change Order No. 3 with W & T Contracting, raising the Olive Branch Fire Station No. 6 contract to $5,686,270.87. The agenda also sets public hearings for August 18 on the zoning ordinance amendment and the Almadale Retreat rezoning, and includes approval of the city's annual audit report.