The Beauvoir Villas project—covering 16.7 acres at the corner of Lawrence Street and Iris Street—is being brought forward to rezone the land to Planned Development Residential (PD-R). But with that designation comes a firm legal obligation: because the underlying base zoning is Low-Density Single-Family Residential (RS-10), the developer is required to set aside at least 20% of the total property as open space. This is not a flexible guideline or a box to be negotiated away; it is a binding standard and one of the few requirements the ordinance explicitly states cannot be modified. Unlike building setbacks or lot widths, open space set-asides are untouchable. The ordinance is clear: for every Planned Development proposal, “modifications prohibited” means exactly what it says.

You can read the requirement for open space set-asides and the requirement for this development here:

• Planned Development Residential - Open Space Set-Aside Requirement
• Open Space Set-Aside Ordinance Amounts

For a development the size of Beauvoir Villas, the 20% requirement translates to roughly 145,400 square feet that must be set aside for parks, recreation, or other shared open space. But the plan submitted by Elliott Homes falls staggeringly short. According to the developer’s own filings, the total open space set aside is about 39,096 square feet—a mere 5% of the property. That’s not just below the threshold—it’s one-quarter of what the law demands.

You can view a map reflecting the areas of the property that are deemed "open space set-asides" here: "Beauvoir Villas" Open Space Set-Aside Map. The breakdown of proposed open space includes the following:

• West Park (Pink): 8,276 sq ft
• East Park (Red): 10,515 sq ft
• Stormwater Detention Pond (Blue): 15,160 sq ft (75% counted, per ordinance)
• Mailbox Kiosk Area (Purple): 720 sq ft (may not count)
• Other Common Areas (Orange & Yellow): 4,425 sq ft

The ordinance does permit certain elements—like stormwater detention areas (with only 75% of their area allowed to count) and accessory structures—to be included in the open space total. But even with those allowances, the law is unwavering: the final number must meet the full 20% requirement for any PD-R project tied to a RS-10 base zone. In the case of Beauvoir Villas, the gap is not small. The proposal falls short by an estimated 100,000 square feet—a deficit that cannot be explained away or brushed aside.

Adding further scrutiny is the ordinance’s explicit list of what cannot be counted toward open space requirements—yet these are the very elements that often blur the lines in dense developments like Beauvoir Villas. According to city code, private yards, public or private streets and sidewalks, driveways and parking areas, non-recreational structures, and outdoor storage zones are all strictly excluded from open space calculations. These exclusions are not negotiable. They serve one purpose: to prevent developers from padding their numbers with infrastructure that serves vehicles and buildings, not people. Any attempt to inflate open space totals with such features would not only undermine the intent of the ordinance—it would violate it outright.

The Beauvoir Villas proposal—calling for 213 homes on lots just 1,500 square feet in size—was tabled by the Biloxi City Council earlier this month, buying time for further scrutiny. The project is expected to return for review in July, but the spotlight has only intensified. With an open space shortfall of over 100,000 square feet and lot sizes far below traditional standards, these issues are no longer peripheral—they are central to the question of legality. As Councilmembers prepare to revisit the matter, they’ll be forced to confront a fundamental issue: can a rezoning request that so clearly violates the city’s own code be allowed to move forward?