St. Tammany planning commission approves several minor subdivisions and waivers amid resident concerns about access and drainage

The St. Tammany Parish Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday approved a series of minor subdivisions and related waivers, and heard multiple residents raise concerns about road access, stormwater and trash pickup for a private drive proposed as Narrowgate Road.

Commissioners approved naming and subdivision items across the agenda after staff presentations and public comment. Item 9, a minor subdivision and an access name shown on the plat as "Dewott Lane" for property on LA 40, was approved with a waiver after Commissioner Robert asked whether the intended family name spelling was DeWitt. "Is the name supposed to be DeWatt, w-a-t-t? Because I know your last name is DeWitt," Commissioner Robert said during the discussion.

Several subdivision requests were approved largely on staff recommendation: Item 2 to reconfigure a tract in Mandeville; Item 3 to divide an 18.144‑acre parcel into Lots A and B in Pearl River; and Item 4, a 52.935‑acre parcel into five lots near Peters Road, where commissioners granted waivers for proposed flag lots and frontage requirements. Staff flagged the need for waivers when parcel frontages, flag lot widths or private‑road lengths exceeded Unified Development Code standards and recommended conditions to satisfy drainage and platting requirements.

Item 5, a 41.95‑acre subdivision off Pamela Drive (Terryland LLC), included a 1,050‑foot proposed private road. Developer representative Eddie Powell of Kyle Associates told the commission the lots will be estate‑scale (one about 10 acres, others about 8 acres) and that the team had submitted servitude and maintenance agreements and would provide enlarged insets on the plat to clarify no‑cut buffers. "We intend to build the road and cul de sac and everything else in accordance with parish requirements," Powell said.

The most extensive public comment focused on Item 6, a re‑subdivision (Glendale Heights / Narrowgate Road) brought by Paul Hodge. Neighbors including John Price and Terry Joiner said the connecting section of Lotus Road is in poor condition, that heavy equipment may strain a narrow right of way, and that drainage and trash collection could be affected. "I'm concerned about that when the cement trucks start coming there, the lumber trucks...Who's gonna maintain that?" John Price asked.

Parish staff and public‑works personnel responded that a public right of way exists between Lotus Road and the proposed Narrowgate Road and that bringing it into the parish maintenance system would make it eligible for maintenance funding, though it would not automatically be reconstructed to a higher standard. "We already have maintenance rights to it...when they're crossing it they must provide engineering documents as far as sizing of the crossing to make sure we maintain 100‑year flow," a parish public‑works representative said.

Commissioners also addressed regulatory floodplain constraints. Commissioner Robert explained that portions of the northern parcels approach regulatory floodway areas and that building in those zones would require a no‑rise certificate, hydrology studies and other FEMA processes. "They do have plenty of space outside of the regulatory floodway on the southern portion of the parcel," he said, urging petitions to locate structures outside constrained areas.

Petitioners committed to practical measures to address concerns: Powell said the applicant would provide clearer mapping and servitude language, and Hodge said his family would maintain garbage cans and work with neighbors. Commission motions to approve the subdivision items, commonly with waivers for road length, flag‑lot width or frontage requirements, were made and carried for the items heard.

The commission also approved other planning items later in the meeting, including a concept plan for Vincent Heights and another minor subdivision at Williamsburg Drive; engineering and staff conditions were attached to approvals.

The Planning and Zoning Commission concluded these items with motions approved by voice vote; no formal recorded roll‑call tallies were read aloud for the item approvals. Further engineering and plat conditions remain to be satisfied prior to final plat recordation or issuance of building permits.