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Morgan City Council adopts changes to residential setbacks, corner‑lot rules
Summary
The council unanimously approved Ordinance 26-06 to align corner-lot widths with standard lot widths and to allow one interior side-yard to be reduced to a 7-foot minimum while keeping the combined side-yard total at 20 feet; staff said the change aims to improve subdivision layouts and permit RV pads off the street.
Morgan City Council on June 23 approved Ordinance 26-06, a package of modest changes to the city's residential zone regulation chart (10.14.070) intended to simplify lot layouts and provide more usable side-yard options.
Jake Young, the city planner, said the first change removes an additional width requirement for corner lots in several zones (R120, R112, R110 and RM15) so corner-lot widths match the standard zone lot width. "We found that it will help subdivisions lay out a little bit nicer and provide a little bit more flexibility," Young said. He told council the change does not affect front setbacks or utilities and that planning, engineering and building staff vetted the change; planning commission held a public hearing with no opposition and recommended approval.
The ordinance also revises interior side-yard rules: the combined minimum side-yard distance remains 20 feet, but one side may be narrowed to as little as 7 feet, allowing configurations such as 13 feet on one side and 7 feet on the other. Young explained the flexibility lets homeowners place RV pads or parking on one side and keeps the same total separation between buildings. "If you did seven on one side of your house, it means the other side would be 13 and that would give you enough room for a little concrete pad or a gravel area so that you could have a trailer on the other side," he said. Young added that building and fire officials reviewed the proposal and said it meets code.
A third, smaller provision requires that a home's street address be placed on the same side of the lot as the building front and main entrance. Young said the change grew out of a few cases in which owners put address signage on garage sides, creating potential confusion for emergency responders and deliveries.
Councilors praised the planning commission's review and supported adopting the ordinance with an immediate effective date. The ordinance passed on a unanimous voice vote. No public comments were recorded opposing the change during the planning or council hearings.
Next steps: the ordinance takes effect as adopted; future building permits and subdivisions will be processed under the updated chart.
