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Council approves rezoning, code changes and flood-control contracts in unanimous votes; one rezoning draws a lone dissent
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Summary
The St. Charles Parish Council on Oct. 6 approved multiple rezoning petitions, code and subdivision amendments, professional services agreements for pump-station and T-wall projects, a road change order and an industrial tax exemption; most measures passed unanimously, with one rezoning (File No. 2025-0287) recorded with a single nay vote.
The St. Charles Parish Council approved a package of ordinances, resolutions and contracts at its Oct. 6 meeting, including multiple zoning changes, code amendments, engineering contracts and a contract change order for road work.
Zoning and code actions - File No. 2025-0286: Rezone Lot 4-11-A-5 (Plantation Business Campus, 13080 River Road, Destrehan) from M-1 to C-2; applicant Edward Veil spoke in support and the council approved the rezoning unanimously. - File No. 2025-0287: Rezone two parcels in Ellington Gardens from C-2 to C-3 (applicant Richard Whitney). Planning recommended approval despite a department recommendation of denial; council discussion focused on permitted special uses in C-3 (including certain special-permit uses such as bars, nightclubs, warehouses) and concerns about spot zoning and adjacent institutional uses. The rezoning passed, with Councilwoman Fonsia recorded as voting nay. - File Nos. 2025-0288 and 2025-0289: Additional residential rezoning requests were presented and approved unanimously. - File No. 2025-0203: Amendment to exempt off-street parking paving requirements for manufactured and mobile homes in R1AM districts; staff revised the draft and the council approved it. - File No. 2025-0291: Amendment to increase the minimum accessory-building setback from 3 to 5 feet to reduce building-separation conflicts; approved unanimously. - File No. 2025-0293: Ordinance codifying a waiver process for private sewer systems in subdivisions; council approved and discussed the need for additional future refinement.
Contracts and budgets - File No. 2025-0296: Professional services agreement with Berk Klein Peter Inc. for Ellington Structures / Cousins Pump Station T-wall engineering (not to exceed $1,583,635); staff said $678,566 had already been expended under an earlier task order and the new contract covers the remainder; approved unanimously. - File No. 2025-0297: Professional services agreement for Sunset Drainage Pump Station Rehabilitation (not to exceed $1,095,840); approved unanimously. - File No. 2025-0298: Geotechnical services agreement with Eustis Engineering LLC for the Ellington Structures / Cousins pump station T-wall (lump sum $118,000); approved unanimously. Parish president Jewell noted updated geotechnical is needed and cited roughly $16 million in related CPLA funding to help the project. - File No. 2025-0299: Change Order No. 1 with Barrie a Construction Company LLC for road maintenance 2024–25 to increase contract by $626,929.15 (bringing total to $3,350,185.15) and add 20 calendar days; approved unanimously.
Other actions - File No. 2025-0307: Council approved an Industrial Tax Exemption (ITE) application for W.R. Grace (project ID 20230486-ITE) in Norco after committee review; vote was unanimous. - File No. 2025-0301: Annual resolution permitting Knights of Columbus fundraising activity; approved unanimously.
Several measures were supported by staff presentations and brief public hearings; most passed with unanimous votes. One notable non-unanimous outcome was the 0287 rezoning, where one council member recorded a nay vote after discussing permitted uses and community impact.
The meeting included announcements of upcoming public hearings on the FY2026 consolidated operating and capital budget.
