Planners back a bigger backyard home on Curtis Circle

A proposed backyard home at 104 Curtis Circle in Starkville, Mississippi, has won unanimous backing from the Planning and Zoning Commission—even though its approximately 812-square-foot footprint exceeds the city’s usual size limit.⁠[1][2]

Jean Collins is seeking a special exception to build the accessory dwelling behind the existing house. The ordinary footprint limit is half the main home’s footprint or 600 square feet, whichever is less. This proposal is 212 square feet over that ceiling.⁠[1]

On Oct. 13, the commission recommended allowing a maximum footprint of 820 square feet. That would be a condition of this property’s special exception, not a citywide increase in the limit. Other development requirements would remain, including a maximum of two bedrooms and two adult residents in the accessory dwelling.⁠[1]

The recommendation is not an established final approval. Request SE 26-13 was listed for a public hearing and consideration on the Mayor and Board of Aldermen’s Oct. 20 agenda; the records reviewed do not establish what the aldermen decided.⁠[1][2]

Planning staff says the proposed location meets setback requirements, the existing driveway can serve both homes, and significant adverse effects on traffic, neighboring properties or property values are not anticipated. Utility connections, drainage and emergency access would still be checked during permitting.⁠[1]

One site-plan detail also remains unexplained in the staff report: an existing shed overlaps part of the proposed dwelling’s footprint, but the report does not identify what would happen to the shed.⁠[1]