Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Development Permit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee holds Racetrack convenience store and fueling station proposal pending mitigation review
Summary
Racetrack Inc. requested a permit for a convenience store and fueling station on a 2.25-acre site at Westside Boulevard Extension and ML King; the advisory committee put the application on hold while awaiting a mitigation determination from the state Office of Coastal Management.
The Coastal Zone Management Restoration Advisory Committee agreed to hold a Racetrack Inc. proposal for a convenience store and fueling station on the northwest corner of Westside Boulevard Extension and Martin Luther King Boulevard until the Office of Coastal Management completes its mitigation determination.
Mr. Black (staff member) described the 2.25‑acre site as originally wooded, with roughly half the tract already cleared by a prior owner. The application includes a wetland value assessment that has been sent to OCM; Black said he is awaiting OCM's response to determine the mitigation amount and expects mitigation could be “substantial.”
Committee members asked about stormwater and runoff. Black said that when Racetrack applies for a coastal impact certificate, the application will be circulated to parish departments including public works and engineering and any stormwater requirements would be made permit conditions. He also said the applicant indicated awareness that mitigation would be required and that Racetrack has agreed to pay it before receiving a permit.
Why it matters: the conversion of previously wooded acreage to a fueling station and paved surface raises stormwater and coastal mitigation issues and triggers OCM review under the parish's coastal permitting process.
Supporting details: Black noted the site will likely have two vehicle entrances and a canopy over fuel pumps. Committee members moved to hold the application pending OCM mitigation guidance and then voted; the motion carried on voice vote.
What’s next: parish staff will notify the applicant after OCM replies to the WVA and will include any mitigation and stormwater conditions as part of the coastal impact certificate process.
