Abita Springs council hears business pleas over zoning rewrite, delays vote

The Abita Springs Board of Aldermen on Wednesday spent more than two hours debating a proposed rewrite of the town’s planning and zoning code before agreeing to delay a final vote.

The council opened a public hearing on instrument 2026-0202, a comprehensive update to Part 9 of the town code tied to the 2022–24 master plan and the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation. Alex, a planner with Desire Line who led the presentation, said the work aimed to balance small-town character with measured commercial growth and to add two overlays — a historic overlay and a flood-resilience overlay — designed to limit the impacts of new development in flood-prone areas.

“The idea was we want to encourage folks to come in and move to Abita Springs to redevelop property…and we don’t want them to do that at the expense of the people who live here,” Alex said, describing proposed measures such as limiting fill, requiring elevated structures where appropriate and lowering the intensity of uses in flood-prone commercial districts.

But business owners and long-time residents told the board the proposed map would convert many long-standing commercial parcels into adaptive mixed-use or mixed-use zones, leaving existing businesses technically “nonconforming” and risking future financing and resale problems. Steele McDaniel, who said he recently purchased the Dollar General property, told the council that rezoning “would be devastating to me and my family” if the store later closed and the building was left nonconforming.

Several speakers made similar points. Brenda Lanier, who said she owns 3.22 acres within the town limits, warned that new size limits and prohibited-use lists would make her parcel difficult to sell or redevelop: “If this zoning map is passed…I can only build a building that is 4,000 square feet or smaller on 2 acres,” she said, arguing that the restrictions would eliminate commercial buyers.

Veterinary clinic owners raised separate concerns about kennel rules. Dr. Furman and Emily Edwards of Vida Veterinary Practice said kennels are integral to their operations and that existing uses should be preserved; the consultant responded that clinics with kennels would be a conditional use under the proposed code and that currently established uses would be grandfathered.

Council members also questioned the justification for some reclassifications, with at least one member noting the town collected roughly $463,168 in property taxes and about $1.39 million in sales tax in 2025 and warning that losing major taxpayers could cost the town an estimated $400,000 in annual revenue.

After extended discussion the council indicated broad agreement to preserve or return a set of existing businesses to commercial zoning: Abita Lumber, the Dollar General parcel, the Ochsner clinic parcel, the Abita Brewpub property, Abita Veterinary Clinic, the Abita Full Serve/Junior Mart/Texaco site, Frabilelli’s/Artig’s/Rosie's/Brewpub block and Mama D’s (the fruit stand and similar core commercial parcels were also listed). The board voted to postpone action and asked staff to prepare an amended ordinance and an updated map reflecting those changes before the next meeting.

Mayor/Chair noted the administration will post the revised materials before the next meeting and the council directed staff to file written amendments for consideration: “We’re going to update the map, bring it to the next meeting, and you’ll see that updated map,” Alex told the room. The board set no final vote date beyond planning to resume consideration at the council’s next regular meeting; staff said the updated materials would be distributed at least a week before that meeting.

The meeting also included routine municipal announcements: town attorney Carlyn Fitzmorris introduced herself and recommended clearer agenda descriptions for oral reports to comply with open meetings law, staff promoted the weekend Busker Fest at Trailhead Park, and public works staff gave an update that the town’s wastewater replacement project is on schedule and that the primary well is on an emergency connection while crews inspect the well casing.

The council closed the public hearing and continued the ordinance to its next meeting to allow time for revised materials and targeted amendments to be circulated for public review.