Terrebonne council stalls plan to shift nonconforming-use decisions to zoning administration amid sharp proposed fee hikes

The Terrebonne Parish Council opened a prolonged discussion on an ordinance to move decisions about "legal nonconforming" uses from the Board of Adjustment to the Office of Zoning Administration and to raise application fees for planning and variance reviews. After more than an hour of questions and exchanges, council members did not move the ordinance to public hearing and directed staff to return with additional data.

Councilmember concerns centered on two linked changes: shifting administrative authority for confirming whether an existing, grandfathered use remains lawful, and increasing dozens of application fees that the planning office says were last set in the 1970s. Planning staff (Chris) told the council the administrative change would allow faster, routine handling of legal nonconforming-use determinations without repeatedly putting those matters on the Board of Adjustment agenda. Staff said variances and special exceptions would still go to the board.

Members repeatedly pressed staff for concrete cost and volume data before acting. Mr. Hardy and others questioned how often the board currently hears nonconforming-use matters and how many applications a $150 setback-fee (proposed up from $20 for single-family) or $250 commercial fee would affect. Planning staff said the increase was intended both to cover rising administrative costs and to deter ‘‘frivolous’’ applications; the office provided a rough estimate that, if every proposed fee increased and one such administrative review occurred daily for a year, total gross receipts could reach roughly $255,000—but staff agreed the estimate depended on application counts and mix.

Several council members asked for alternative fee proposals that would raise revenues more gradually or keep residential fees lower than commercial fees. Mr. Pledger and others requested the planning commission’s 2025 annual report showing counts of variances, special exceptions and administrative approvals. Multiple members suggested splitting the ordinance—moving the administrative-power change forward while pausing fee increases for later consideration—so that the narrower governance change could proceed on a shorter timeline.

The council did not adopt the ordinance or set a public hearing. Members asked staff to deliver: (1) the planning commission’s annual application counts, (2) several alternate fee schedules, and (3) a clearer explanation of what would remain with the Board of Adjustment (variances, special exceptions, interpretations) versus what would be handled administratively. The item will return to committee after those materials are provided.

The postponement leaves current board practice unchanged: variances and special exceptions continue to be heard by the Board of Adjustment, and administrative staff will continue to process routine approvals until the council decides on formal changes.