Planning commission declines to recommend extension of WSP public-comment period on parish zoning

The Livingston Parish Planning Commission on Feb. 6 voted not to recommend that the parish council extend WSP’s contract deadline for additional public input on the parishwide zoning maps, after residents and a master-plan committee urged more outreach.

The commission’s vote followed testimony from the master plan review committee and several residents who said many parishioners — especially older residents and those who do not use social media — had not seen notices about the zoning proposals. The master plan review committee earlier voted 4–3 to ask the planning commission to request a council extension for WSP to gather more comments.

Ralph Burgess, chairman of the master planning committee, told the commission the committee “would like to see if…y’all would make a recommendation to the administration and council to allow this submittal to be extended further out,” saying the zoning changes “do affect their…property.”

Multiple residents said published notices and Facebook posts had not reached many people. Jeremy Glasscock, who gave his address to the commission, said, “I’ve talked to guys at work probably in their sixties. They don’t do Facebook.” Ralph Philpott and Richard Erwin urged direct mail or other outreach; Erwin cautioned, “Just because you put something on [Facebook] doesn’t mean everybody on your friends list is gonna see it.”

Parish staff told the commission the current schedule tied to a moratorium extension: the council had extended the moratorium and, staff said, the parish is operating under that timeline (staff referenced an April 9 moratorium expiration). Staff also said the consultant WSP had a deadline to submit map changes to the parish for consideration on Feb. 27 and that the deadline was intended so the council would receive materials in time to review them before its meeting.

Commissioners debated whether another delay would be productive. One commissioner said repeatedly moving the deadline would prevent the parish from ever adopting zoning: “If we keep moving the finish line, we’re never gonna have zoning in place,” the commissioner said. Another commissioner and several members of staff said there are other processes for property owners to request changes after zoning is adopted.

When the planning commission voted on the master plan review committee’s request, the motion “not to recommend” the extension passed by a 6–1 margin. The commission recorded yes votes from Commissioners Engler, Clemons, Wax, Dana, Farris and Long; Commissioner Burns voted no. As a result, the commission did not forward a recommendation to the parish council to extend WSP’s period for gathering public comments.

The discussion underscores persistent questions about outreach methods for the zoning process and how the parish balances adopting a long‑planned zoning framework with offering additional time for public input. The council will ultimately decide whether to change the schedule or extend any contract with the consultant; the planning commission’s action means it will not forward a recommendation to the council asking for an extension.

Item provenance: discussion of the request to recommend an extension began when the commission took up agenda item 4 (recommendation from the master plan review committee) and concluded with the vote that the commission “will not make the recommendation to the council.”