Baton Rouge council approves a series of rezonings, defers two Florida Boulevard requests to March 18

The Baton Rouge City Council on Jan. 21 approved a slate of rezoning requests and a canal right-of-way revocation recommended by the planning commission, while deferring two Florida Boulevard land-use requests to March 18.

The meeting opened with a quorum confirmation. The council took items 1 and 2 together: a comprehensive-plan amendment to change land use from agricultural/rural to industrial and a separate rezoning request for property on the north side of Florida Boulevard, south of Riverside Park Drive in Council District 4. The planning commission had previously recorded a motion to defer to Jan. 26 and carried 8–0; at the council meeting staff requested further deferral to the March 18 council meeting. "Motion by Councilman Mote, second by Councilman Dunn Jr.; is there any opposition? Motion carries," the presiding speaker said, and the items were deferred.

Most remaining items were approved without extended discussion. Items 3 and 4 (Joy Crossing, 6601 Joy Road, Council District 5) — a comprehensive-plan amendment from residential neighborhood to compact neighborhood and a PUD rezoning — were taken together. The planning commission recommended approval, 8–0. Eric Piazza spoke briefly during the item and indicated no substantive objection; the council moved to approve on a motion by Councilman Hudson, seconded by Councilman Harris, and the motion carried.

Item 5 (Case 51-258261, Ned Avenue, Council District 3) to rezone from rural to limited residential was approved following a planning commission 8–0 recommendation; the council motion was moved by Councilman Goday and seconded by Councilwoman Amoroso.

Item 6 (Case 52-25683, 709 East Airport Avenue, Council District 7) to rezone from transition to light commercial 3 was approved after a planning commission 8–0 vote. David Patterson was present but declined further comment; the council motion was made by Councilwoman Harris and seconded by Councilwoman Amoroso.

Item 7 (Case 54-2512201, Corsi Boulevard, Council District 8) to rezone from rural to light commercial 2 for property identified as Lot 49 A 1 A of Corsi Village was approved following the planning commission recommendation (8–0). Item 8 (Case 55-25555, South Kenilworth Parkway, Council District 12) also was approved on an 8–0 planning commission recommendation. For both items the council recorded motions (movers and seconders noted in the official record) and the chair indicated the motions carried.

Item 9 (RB-7-25), a request to revoke 60 feet of Bocage Canal and a 120-foot right-of-way on the north side of Corporate Boulevard west of Commerce Circle (Council District 11), was presented with the note that the Unified Development Code (UDC) does not require a planning commission hearing for this type of revocation. The council approved the revocation on a motion by Councilwoman Adams, seconded by Councilwoman Harris.

The meeting concluded after Councilwoman Amoroso moved to adjourn. The council did not hold public hearings on items that had not yet been before the planning commission; several items' planning commission actions were recorded as "carried 8–0." Where the transcript records only "motion carries" the council's roll-call tallies were not specified in the record provided.

Next procedural steps: the two Florida Boulevard items (items 1 and 2) were deferred to the council's March 18 agenda; other approved items proceed per standard permitting and implementation processes.