Natchitoches planners recommend withholding occupancy until church installs required fence amid drainage complaints

The Natchitoches Planning & Zoning Commission on Tuesday recommended that the director withhold a certificate of occupancy for Freedom Life Churchs new site until the church installs a zoning-required fence, following resident complaints about drainage and repeated sanitary sewer backups.

Commission members said the commissions research shows the church property was rezoned to B-3 during annexation and a 2008 proceeding, which removes some prior review requirements but carries a fencing condition for separation from adjacent residential property. The recommendation followed public testimony from nearby residents who said storm drainage and sanitary-sewer backups have affected their yards and homes since construction near the detention pond.

The vote came after an extended discussion of the parcels zoning history and infrastructure. Director Miss Fowler told the commission that the 40.64-acre property was annexed and that a front parcel had been rezoned to B-3 in 2008 while a rear parcel remained R-1. The applicants recent filing combined a 12.12-acre parcel and a 60-foot proposed right-of-way for a church site; the applicant is not proposing to develop the 24+ acre rear parcel at this time.

Residents described flooding and sewer backups. Kristen Carpenter, who said she lives at 113 Chinquapin Place and whose yard was shown in a submitted video, said, "It floods my yard every time it rains. I've actually had my sewer at my house back up into my house because of all of the backing up in that drainage ditch." Commissioners and staff agreed to refer her to the utility department for a sanitary-sewer inspection; staff said the city would contact its utilities staff and investigate the repeated backups.

Commissioners also discussed the detention pond placement and a 30-foot setback from the property line shown in the submission. An unidentified video narrator described the detention pond and an 8-inch drain pipe and large culvert carrying stormwater to a larger ditch near Saint Maurice; commissioners noted the engineering firm Rambo-Smoak of Shreveport designed the system and that the city engineers had previously reviewed the drainage plans.

After discussion, Commissioner Du Bois moved that the commission recommend the director withhold the certificate of occupancy until the church complied with the fencing requirement; the motion was seconded and adopted by voice vote with all present saying "aye." The commission clarified the recommendation was nonbinding and directed staff to communicate it to the director for administrative follow-through.

The commission also discussed the 24-acre rear parcel, noting the applicant currently indicated no plans to develop it and might sell it; commissioners said any future subdivision or access issues would return to planning and zoning.

The commission recorded several clarifications into the record: the property had been annexed and rezoned in 2008, the current application combined the 12.12-acre church parcel with a 60-foot right-of-way for access, the larger rear tract remains zoned R-1, and B-3 zoning includes specified uses and separation requirements. Commissioners asked staff to confirm the fence requirement in the B-3 provisions and to follow up with utilities on the sanitary-sewer backups.

The commission's recommendation does not itself withhold the certificate of occupancy; it asks the director to do so administratively if the fence is not installed.

The commission will not consider development of the rear 24-acre tract unless the owner returns with a separate subdivision or rezoning application.