Olive Branch approves annexation, sets limits on gas station and truck stops

The City of Olive Branch could soon grow by another 450 acres.

The Board of Aldermen this week approved a request by a family of landowners to annex two parcels of land into the city. 

The two land parcels total 454 acres and are located near Laughter Road and I-269 and east of Pleasant Hill Road.

Mayor Ken Adams said the family voluntarily approached the city asking for the undeveloped land to be annexed.

“It adds approximately one square mile,” Adams said.

Adams said the family asked to be annexed because of the services provided by the city.

“It’s a big family of brothers and sisters, and every one was 100 percent in,” Adams said. “It’s the kind of annexation that is positive. They asked us to do it. So it makes sense for them, and I think you’ll see that it will be positive for Olive Branch as well.”

The petition now goes to the Chancery Court for approval.

In other business, the Board of Aldermen also took steps to limit the number of convenience stores and gas stations to no more than two at any four-corner intersection, or where a street “T’s” into another street on a corner.

“As we grow, we continue to get more applications for convenience stores and gas stations,” Adams said. “We want to be able to control it in a safe manner.”

Adams said he hears from a lot of residents complaining about the number of convenience stores being built. 

“We occasionally get input from the citizens and they say ‘how many convenience stores do we need?’” Adams said. “To me, it’s capitalism working. It’s like when I hear people say ‘when will we have enough Dollar General Stores?’ I say, when you quit driving by and seeing eight cars in front of them. When there are seven or eight cars there, obviously there are in demand.”

While the city can’t single out a particular type of business, Adams said the city can regulate them from a traffic safety standpoint.

“i think this will help,” Adams said. “Two out of four corners, that’s enough. And having them in the middle of a highway or street where you have people turning in both directions, that’s a hazard.”

 The board also adopted a measure to regulate truck stops. Truck stops will now need a conditional use permit, must be located within half a mile of a truck route, and have at least two acres to build on.