Planning commission recommends $600 flat rezoning fee plus mailing costs, sends proposal to parish council

The Livingston Parish Planning Commission voted Jan. 13 to recommend that the parish council adopt a zoning-application fee of $600 plus certified-mail and related mailing costs, with exemptions for properties shown to be incorrectly zoned or changed by court order.

The commission opened a public hearing on an ordinance to amend Chapter 117 (zoning, administration and enforcement). Planning staff summarized comparisons with neighboring parishes and a draft fee schedule that, in its current form, would scale by acreage and could range from small starting amounts up to roughly $4,000 for very large parcels. Commissioners raised concerns about the proposed acreage-based scale and the potential impact on small owners and inherited parcels.

“Once we get these fees established, it doesn't matter if it's $50 or $1,000 — when someone has to start paying, they will do a little more research to make sure it's even possible,” said planning staff member Miss Didi, defending the practice of charging an application fee while acknowledging the department’s intent not to profit from the charges. Several commissioners pushed back that the proposed scale risked appearing punitive. One commissioner warned the draft “has the look of a profit center.”

Multiple speakers proposed an alternative: a single flat filing fee plus the variable cost of certified letters and postage. “I’m 100% behind a flat fee and a dollar amount on the letters that go out,” said a commissioner who identified himself during discussion, urging a modest flat rate and a one-year review. Another commissioner recommended that the application fee be refundable if an application is denied; staff noted that refunds were not part of the prevailing proposal.

Commissioners also discussed exemptions. Planning staff and commissioners agreed to preserve an exemption for property owners who can document that their property was improperly zoned and to consider waivers for court-ordered changes such as divorce or inheritance settlements. Commissioners asked that any recommended exemptions be included in the submission to council.

After deliberation, a commissioner moved to recommend adoption of the ordinance with the amended fee structure — a $600 flat fee plus mailing/postage costs — and to ask the council to adopt an effective date with a short grace period and to revisit the fee after one year. The motion was seconded and approved by roll call.

The planning department will forward the planning commission’s recommendation and the staff-identified exemptions to the parish council for final action. The commission also requested that the administration produce a clearer cost breakdown (mailing, signs, mileage and clerical hours) to support the recommended figure.