St. Tammany Parish Planning and Zoning Commission postponed action on a proposed subdivision of 21.414 acres near P. Morgan Road in Folsom after extended discussion about drainage, creek crossings and buildable area.

Commissioners said the developer must clarify how on-site drainage will be handled and consider moving the lot line between the proposed Tract A1 and Tract A2 to create more buildable area. Commissioner Martino moved to postpone the matter for 30 days to allow those questions to be answered; Commissioner Trucillo seconded the motion and the commission carried it.

The proposal would split 21.414 acres into four tracts (A1–A4) that would be served by a new 60.12-foot private servitude of access to be named Chanterel Lane. Staff’s revised report noted the applicant had requested a waiver to allow construction of the access and initial drainage work before building permits are issued, and listed 11 staff conditions including a required drainage plan and compliance with no-cut buffers along natural features.

At the hearing, the applicant’s representative said the team had added a 35-foot buffer along a drainage feature that bisects the site and planned to maintain a 25-foot natural landscape buffer around the perimeter. A representative for the owner said the intention was not to clear-cut the property and that only minimal clearing would occur when a home pad is prepared.

Nearby residents pressed staff and the applicant on where drainage from new road ditches would be routed. One resident, who said the creek currently collects runoff from upstream properties and that the site provides wildlife habitat, asked whether the proposed road and ditches would worsen flooding to adjacent parcels. Staff and the applicant acknowledged they did not yet have a final drainage plan but said any future development would be required to submit a drainage plan, including a hydrology study and capacity for a 100-year storm, and that the parish’s review must ensure no adverse off-site impacts.

Commissioners described Tract A2 as having limited buildable area given the required 35-foot stream buffer and 50-foot perimeter buffers, and several suggested shifting the A1–A2 boundary to the west to increase buildable space. The motion to postpone directs the applicant to return with revised lot lines or additional engineering detail addressing the drainage and buildability concerns.

The item will return to the commission at the next meeting or when the applicant provides the requested revised plat and drainage documentation.