St. Tammany planners outline zoning map-change rules and public-notice practices; council presses for broader outreach

Ross Lyon, director of planning and development, presented the parish's procedure for zoning map-change requests, citing language from section 200 of the Unified Development Code. He said the UDC allows the parish council, the planning and zoning commission, administration or a property owner to initiate a map amendment and that the council, as the legislative body, makes the final decision because zoning is enacted by ordinance.

Lyon listed the standards planners must weigh when reviewing a request: consistency with the comprehensive plan and future-land-use map; promotion of public health, safety and welfare; compatibility with nearby uses; correction of errors or response to changing conditions; and protection of the natural environment. "The districts created and mapped under the authority of the unified development code may be modified or amended from time to time," he read from the UDC, adding that staff includes the code's language directly in staff reports so commissioners and the public see the review criteria.

Lyon explained procedural steps: planning staff reviews for completeness, the planning and zoning commission holds a public hearing (the commission should act within 60 days of application acceptance), the commission issues a recommendation to the parish council, and the council has 60 days to act on the commission's recommendation or the application is denied. He also noted that applicants or any member of the public may appeal a commission decision to the parish council within 10 days.

On public notice, Lyon said the parish goes beyond the state minimums. He described the parish's current practice: mailed notice to property owners and residents within 300 feet (or 800 feet for rural developments), door-hanger notices for properties within 100 feet, posted on-site signage for at least 14 consecutive days before the hearing, and published notice in the official journal starting 30 days before the hearing and running once a week for three weeks. "We go above and beyond what's required by state law," he said, noting staff also posts materials online and distributes staff reports to stakeholders.

Council members pressed staff on whether those distances provide adequate public awareness. Councilman Smith said residents sometimes miss mailers or cannot see small signs and urged broader mailed notice: "I would like to see us consider 800 feet across the board for the mailed notices," he said. Lyon and other staff cautioned that expanding door-hanger coverage or mailed-notice radii increases staff time and operational cost; Lyon said door-hangers currently require substantial staff time and that increasing them parishwide could require raising fees or hiring more staff.

As a compromise, staff suggested expanding digital outreach (email blasts and encouraging residents to check the planning and development website) and continuing to document physical notices (staff photographs of posted signs placed into staff reports). Lyon said staff will consider amendments to clarify ambiguous code language (for example, whether the council's "taking action" includes introduction) as part of a forthcoming round of UDC housekeeping amendments.

The meeting did not include formal action on any zoning cases; the discussion focused on improving notice and clarifying code language. The committee moved on to subdivision topics and adjourned after approximately one hour.