The Youngsville City Council declined to grant a variance request that would have allowed a limestone (gravel) access drive around the east side of Southside High School’s stadium.

Architects and school representatives described the driveway as an access route intended to accommodate visiting-team buses and crowd circulation for an approximately 5,000‑seat stadium. Project representatives said the gravel drive would be temporary until funding was available for a paved lot; they estimated paving could be scheduled in the next fiscal year but did not provide a firm timetable.

Council members pressed for a definite schedule before granting a permanent variance allowing a non‑hard surface. “I wouldn’t want to say that, and then 2, 3 years down the road, being that they just asked for a variance on the other building because they didn’t have funding,” Councilmember Nyland said. Councilmember Champagne said she would not support the waiver without a firm deadline because she cited past examples of unpaved areas remaining gravel for many years.

A motion to approve the variance (mover: Mr. Romero; second: Mr. Nylund) failed on the roll call. Council and staff agreed to regroup with the school and design team to explore alternatives, including a time‑limited temporary approval tied to a paving schedule or funding commitment.

Clarifications recorded in the meeting: planners said a concrete drive apron and about 30–40 feet of concrete approach would be constructed at the road entrance; the gravel segment beyond that would be the disputed element. City staff noted the ordinance generally requires hard surfaces for parking and access areas and that deviations are granted sparingly.

Next steps: project architects and school officials said they would return with additional information about bids and timelines for paving once more procurement and budgeting detail was available.