The Livingston Parish Planning and Zoning Commission met for their regular meeting on August 6th, wherein they heard several rezoning requests for both businesses and residents as well as a single planning request for a used car lot.
Planning
The only agenda item concerning actual planning requests was a conditional use zoning verification signature for a used car lot by Ervin Fletcher. Fletcher noted that he intends to sell used cars from the lot and will house around 4 to 5 cars there at a time. Fletcher also added that he will not be doing car repairs on site.
Fletcher stated that he’s seeking to use this car lot “to help the less fortunate,” adding that “some people can’t afford to go to these big shot dealerships to get cars so I’m going to try to help out in whatever way I can.”
This conditional use is set to only apply to Fletcher as he owns the property. If Fletcher were to no longer run the business or sell the property, then the conditional use will become void and will not pass to the next owner.
The commission made a motion to approve of the conditional use request with an additional stipulation to only allow a maximum of ten cars to be housed on the property at a time. The commission unanimously approved the motion.
Zoning
The zoning portion of the meeting began with a request from a representative of Alvin Fairburn and Associates to take two 1.5 acre lots on a 3 acre tract on Lost Oak Lane and rezone them from Agriculture (AG) to Residential 1 (R1)
The request, according to the Planning and Permit Department, comes as a necessary step to eventually sell the lots as single family housing.
Marie Kension approached to let the commissioners know that potential buyers are able to buy just one tract of a 1.5 acre lot or more tracts to a maximum of 3 acres.
A motion was made to approve the request contingent upon the future subdivision of the three acres and the commission unanimously approved the motion.
Following this, the commission heard a request to rezone a parcel on Line Drive from AG to Industrial 2 (I2).
Brad Albin, owner of Traffic Control Products, approached the board to discuss how he is seeking to move his business operations from Denham Springs to the lot listed as well as set up buildings, equipment storage, and construction materials storage on site.
“We’ve been blessed enough to grow and we’ve outgrown where we are currently in the city of Denham Springs,” Albin stated. “We just plan to move that same exact operation to this property,”
According to the Planning and Permit Department, the land is currently composed of two parcels, one of which is already zoned I2 while the larger tract that is contingent upon purchase of the land in its entirety is zoned AG.
Commissioner Jacob Erdey expressed his concerns that half of one side of the tract is set next to R1 zoned land while the Planning and Permit Department noted that several industrial businesses already exist along the road.
Albin added that the area next to the residential side will most likely be used simply for material and equipment storage.
Commissioner Kathy Long added her request that, during the planning phase, Albin maintain a tree line on the side of the property that lines the residential zoned area.
The commission made a motion to approve the request and voted in favor with only Commissioner Jacob Erdey against it.
The last item of the agenda was a request to rezone 28430 Rae Drive from R2 to R1.5.
While no one stepped forward to speak on the item, the Planning and Permit Department stated that the request comes as an effort to temporarily place a small mobile home on the property for the property owner’s child.
Commissioner Gerald Burns stated that he drove through the neighborhood and noted that almost 50% of the residents in the neighborhood are mobile homes and double-wides, “so it kind of fits in… it’s not incompatible.”
“I am concerned that this constitutes spot zoning,” Commissioner Brian Clemmons stated. “Spot zoning is something that we’re not forbidden from doing but highly discouraged from doing.”
Commissioner Burns disagreed, stating that it does not constitute spot zoning due to the presence of several other mobile homes throughout the neighborhood.
Commissioner Norman Engler mediated, saying both views were correct. “When all these mobile homes were [placed] there, it was not [zoned] R2 because we had no zoning… so now, as far as us coming in and saying ‘will it fit or will it not?’ it’s our liberty to choose that… and fit something in,” he added.
The commissioners ultimately voted to approve the request with only Commissioners Brady Wax and Sarah Phares voting against it, thus concluding the meeting.
