Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rezoning Pz3901 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Industrial rezoning for Westbank overlay fails after narrow vote and abstention
Summary
A 150-acre request to change conservation land to heavy industrial (PZ3901) in the Westbank Industrial Overlay drew staff support but commissioner concern over the breadth of 'heavy industrial'; the motion to recommend approval failed on a machine vote (transcript reports one abstention and '3 nays, 2 yays').
MR Engineering and HNL Enterprises requested rezoning of roughly 150 acres near the Riverplex Megapark from conservation to heavy industrial, arguing the change aligns with the Westbank Industrial Overlay and would accommodate laydown yards and industrial support services.
Chad Stevens of MR Engineering said the rezone "is part of the Westbank Industrial Overlay zone, so this is consistent with the plan for that area." Staff recommended approval to reflect the overlay and the parish master land-use map.
Several commissioners questioned whether "heavy industrial" was the correct category for the applicant's near-term use, which the applicant described principally as a laydown yard and storage for construction equipment. "That's, like, up until including nuclear. That seems kinda overkill for a lay down yard," one commissioner said.
Commissioner Schexnayder moved to recommend approval and received a second. The commission used the voting machine; the transcript records that the motion failed, with one abstention by Villa, and states the result as "3 nays, 2 yays." The applicant was thanked and the meeting proceeded.
The item will return to the parish council only if the applicant pursues further action following the commission's non-approval.
