The St. Tammany Parish Planning Commission on Jan. 8 recommended approval of a zoning amendment to Highway Commercial 2 (HC2) for a parcel on Bayou Liberty Road to accommodate site work needed for a proposed 10,640-square-foot Dollar General and a 1.7-acre detention pond. Jeff Shane, attorney for prospective developer Dorsey Development, told commissioners the rezoning request is limited to the rear parcel for detention and that the store footprint and parking are already situated within an HC2 area.

Shane said the company holds a state permit for the driveway connection and that peak traffic from a typical Dollar General is expected to be low — "probably not more than 1 car per minute" — and that parish engineering did not require a traffic study for the zoning change. On drainage he told the commission the detention area would capture most runoff from the 1.7 acres and discharge through a 24-inch culvert into an existing roadside ditch before running to the bayou; he also cited a local coastal staff finding signed by Sabrina Schenck on 05/06/2025 that the project would have no direct and significant impact to coastal waters.

Nearby residents said they were not satisfied with those assurances. "There's also a drawbridge right there on Bayou Benfuca," said resident Brandon McKeown, who lives across Highway 433 and Bayou Liberty, citing a recent head-on collision that required an airlift and asking for turn lanes or a blinking light at the site. Michelle Dubik, who also lives in the same subdivision, emphasized flooding risks in the Bayou Liberty drainage basin and warned of a potential "domino effect" of commercial development along Highway 433, adding concerns about litter and loitering at a convenience store.

Shane used his rebuttal time to reiterate that engineering and the state had reviewed access and drainage; he said a drainage impact study and parish engineer review would be required to obtain a building permit and asserted that the project must meet parish standards, including reducing runoff rates by 25 percent after development. Commissioners discussed whether the rezoning was solely for detention and confirmed that platting and engineering review would follow.

Commissioner Robert moved to approve the request "as amended" and Commissioner Truxillo seconded. The commission voted to recommend approval to the parish council.

Next steps: the recommendation moves to the St. Tammany Parish Council for final action; engineering review, any required drainage study and any conditional-use permit requirements will be handled during permitting and subdivision review.