Council waives curb‑and‑gutter requirement for proposed three‑lot Schmidt Properties subdivision, requires plat note that road remain private

Youngsville City Council voted Jan. 9 to waive the city's curb‑and‑gutter requirement for a proposed three‑lot subdivision on Schmitt/Schmidt Metairie Road, allowing a private open‑ditch roadway for the development. The motion passed unanimously.

Kevin Carter and partners, who said they bought the ten‑acre tract as three families intending to live on the parcels, told the council curb and gutter would add substantial cost (the applicant cited an estimate in the order of $300,000). Carter said the group has maintained the existing gravel drive for several years and would continue to maintain the private road. He said the applicants "have no intention to sell it to anybody else" and offered to accept conditions tying future adoption of the road by the city to compliance if ownership changes.

Staff gave several cautions about private open‑ditch sections: an open‑ditch road is recorded on the plat as private and is typically not eligible for later adoption without meeting city road standards; closing ditches later can be complex because drainage geometry and pipe sizes differ; and emergency service access and water supply for firefighting are materially improved by hydrants and hard surface access. The fire department noted that hydrants provide an instantly available water source: "When we do pressure testing of the year, we'll have to call Terry now to boost the pressure up... If it's not meeting the requirements of what we need, then it's just less flow at the pump," and staff recommended hydrant installation if feasible.

Councilmember Lindy Bolgiano moved to waive the curb‑and‑gutter requirement for this private road; the motion passed on a roll call vote: Lindy Bolgiano yes, Blake Romero yes, Mr. Nylund yes, Miss Champine yes. Planning staff said the waiver would be recorded on the plat as a condition noting the road remains private and would not be eligible for adoption by the city; drainage and utility tie‑ins (water/sewer) will still be required at the time each lot seeks building permits.

Applicants said they will proceed to preliminary plat with the waiver in mind and that they are prepared to comply with required drainage studies, sewer and water connections when each lot develops.