St. Charles Parish Council rejects rezoning request for Lakewood West after contested public hearing

On Dec. 16, 2024, the St. Charles Parish Council voted to deny a rezoning request from Robert V. Gilbert Jr. to alter zoning on a roughly 44.5-acre parcel in the Lakewood West area of Luling, following a lengthy public hearing in council chambers in Hahnville.

The request would have rezoned part of the land to allow an office/warehouse component for Gilbert’s business and designated the rear portion as open land for two home sites. Planning staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended denial; council members centering their remarks on the ordinance criteria and neighborhood compatibility ultimately sided with that recommendation.

Planning department staff explained the proposal and the department’s recommendation. Applicant Robert V. Gilbert Jr. told the council he wants to move his long-running business and establish two family home sites on the rear portion. "We're just outgrowing it," Gilbert said, arguing the site would let his company remain in St. Charles Parish and that wetlands on the property would be left largely intact.

Dozens of residents spoke during the public hearing. Supporters — many noting Gilbert’s local ties and past community contributions — urged the council to approve the rezoning as a way to keep the business in the parish. Rob Parker, who said his home backs the parcel, told the council the proposed plan would preserve trees and was preferable to a large subdivision.

Opponents voiced concerns about wetlands, drainage, school capacity and long-term land use if ownership changed hands later. Aaron Walker, whose property backs the site, said he bought his home because of the wooded rear yard and told the council, "I want to live there till I die," urging protection of the wooded/wetland area.

Council members debated the application’s fit with Saint Charles Parish zoning rules and the parish comprehensive plan. Councilwoman Skiba cited the ordinance’s criteria for rezoning and noted the application’s failure to meet multiple factors. Other members said the parcel’s lack of direct access to required transportation modes and the potential for future, more intensive development weighed against approval.

After discussion, the council voted on File No. 2024-0405. The motion to approve the rezoning failed.

The decision leaves the property under its existing zoning. Planning staff and several speakers noted that, because parts of the parcel are mapped as wetlands and a Corps of Engineers delineation has been discussed in public testimony, any future change of use that would require mitigation or Corps permits would involve a separate process and additional approvals.