By Billy Davis

A county permit application for a Plum Point gravel pit will not be heard next week because the public notice sign did not meet guidelines.

Danny Walker, who chairs the Panola County Land Development Commission, confirmed the application has been dropped from the April 11 agenda.

Plum Point resident Conner Vick is seeking the special exception permit to mine gravel from Plum Point Road, located in the southern edge of Panola County.

The permit request has jumpstarted organized opposition to the planned gravel pit, The Panolian reported Tuesday.

The newspaper also reported that Vick’s permit could be in jeopardy, at least temporarily, because the sign fails to follow guidelines.

Vick, asked about the sign, told The Panolian he followed the guidelines “and I added some to it.”

Applicants are required to erect a four-foot-by-eight-foot red sign that states the purpose of the application and the acreage affected, the requested zoning change, the date and place of the public hearing, and the name of the applicant.

Vick’s sign reads, “Keeping Plum Point Beautiful I Will Need To Move Dirt & Gravel To Make A Pretty Lake If Interested Be At Court House 4 11-11.”

Panola County has two county courthouses, in Sardis and Batesville, and the land commission rotates each month.

At the public hearing the applicant describes the permit request while the public — typically nearby neighbors — are given an opportunity to share their opinions with the land commission.

The Panolian reported Tuesday that Vick’s permit could be in jeopardy, at least temporarily, because the  sign fails to follow guidelines.

A copy of the sign guidelines, which Vick obtained when he applied for a permit, was also obtained by The Panolian. Exact instructions, even the size of the lettering, are spelled out in the document.  

Walker conferred with land commission consultant Bob Barber about the signage, and the two agreed Vick’s application should be postponed.  

“It doesn’t meet the county requirements,” said Barber. “It’s as simple as that.”

“I don’t feel like it takes care of what it’s supposed to care of,” said Walker.

The land commission agenda includes two other items: the return of applicant Wirestrippers, Inc. of Como, and a new request for a cheerleading facility east of Batesville.