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Planning commission clears family partitions; neighbors press drainage fixes
Summary
Commissioners approved three family partition plats (Duane Pack; George Valentine; Benton Frederick) after brief hearings; the Duane Pack item drew neighbor testimony about chronic drainage and erosion, and staff said required codes are met.
The Ascension Parish Planning Commission approved three family partition applications on July 8, 2026: the Duane Pack partition (11a), the George Valentine partition (11b), and the Benton Frederick Estate partition (11c). Each passed by voice vote after staff said the applications met code requirements.
At the Duane Pack public hearing, several adjacent property owners testified that longstanding drainage and erosion problems — they cited a failed bridge, clogged and undersized culverts, and multiple work orders with parish public works — have caused flooding on their properties and raised foundation concerns. One neighbor said, “Since Mr. Lincoln Pollard passed in 2019 ... the coverings are not enough to move the water through there, and so it’s causing extreme flooding.”
Applicant representative James Feige and Planning Department staff said the Pack parcel is in Flood Zone X and that the family partition is intended to allow a home to be split off without encumbering the entire parcel with a mortgage; Feige described plans to reroute surface discharge east toward the railroad tracks. Staff (Director Eric Poche) said all comments had been addressed and that the submission met the subdivision code criteria for a family partition.
Commissioners discussed drainage servitude acquisition in the area and reminded neighbors that future building permits will require the developer to satisfy drainage and building‑permit conditions; staff acknowledged the parish may need to obtain servitudes to perform major ditch or bridge work. Commissioner Villa moved to approve the Pack partition and the commission approved the motion by voice vote.
Shorter hearings on the George Valentine and Benton Frederick family partitions drew no public opposition and were approved on voice votes after staff confirmed the applications conformed to code.
Next steps: Family partitions approved at the preliminary hearing permit the applicants to record separate lots; any future building or site work will require separate permitting and compliance with drainage and construction standards, as enforced by Planning and the parish’s Engineering Review Agency.
