Meeting Summary

The St. Charles Parish Planning and Zoning Commission met on January 9, 2025 to review a slate of home occupation permits, lot resubdivisions, and rezoning requests. The commission approved three home occupation permits and several lot resubdivisions, including one in Bayou Gauche that required waivers from setback and lot-access rules. It also approved a rezoning in Luling from R1AM to R2 for two lots near the St. Charles Parish Hospital area, while recommending denial of two other rezoning requests, one in Paradis and one in Norco, both of which drew strong opposition from nearby residents.

Watch Items

• 2024-18-MIN (Bayou Gauche resubdivision): Approved with waivers for building-line and lot-arrangement requirements. It will go before the parish council for final approval; the applicant will be notified by mail of the council meeting date.
• 2024-21-MIN (Montz resubdivision, Denver Paraloo): Approved without waivers, so it will not go to the council. Residents raised concerns about drainage, flooding, and how future construction would access the new lots, including whether a canal crossing or an existing subdivision stub-out (Thoroughbred) would be used. Staff said any future building plans would go through a separate permitting process with Planning and Zoning, and that residents would not necessarily be notified of that process unless it involved public right-of-way.
• 2024-21-R (Luling rezoning, Danny Alexander): Approved, changing zoning from R1AM to R2 on Paul Frederick Drive lots. This will be forwarded to the parish council, which has final say on the rezoning.
• 2024-22-R (Paradis rezoning, Peter Alonzo): The commission recommended denial of this request to rezone from R1A to M1 near Highway 631. Multiple residents spoke against it, citing flooding concerns, the residential character of the neighborhood, and the presence of a historic cemetery and burial mound on adjacent land. Because it is only a recommendation, the matter will still go before the parish council for a final decision, and residents will be notified by mail of that hearing.
• 2024-24-R (Norco rezoning, Malcolm Darensberg): The commission recommended denial of a request to rezone a Good Hope Street property from C2 to C3. The applicant said he wanted the rezoning so he could get a dealer's license to sell cars from his service station; staff noted a special use permit for auto sales under the current C2 zoning is only available for properties fronting a state road, which this site does not. This recommendation will also be forwarded to the parish council for a final vote.