MANDEVILLE, La (WGNO) The Saint Tammany Parish Council will vote again on a proposed ban on certain residential zoning changes next month. The delay is required after the council voted Thursday night to amend the original proposal.
Initially, Parish President Mike Cooper pitched a six month ban that would require any residential zoning changes to allow no more than one unit (house) per acre of land. Cooper wants the parish to come up with ways to improve its growing pains which include increased flooding and traffic issues.
But during Thursday’s council meeting, many members were critical of the proposal.
“What we were originally presented was really dropped on us,” Councilman Chris Canulette said during the meeting. “And I do not appreciate that.”
Other members talked about construction moratoriums that are already in place. They said that they already know what’s needed to solve the problem, but they’ve been waiting years for the projects to begin.
“If you would have talked to each councilman, you would have learned that their problems are being addressed. But the problem is in the timeline that it takes,” Councilwoman Martha Cazaubon said.
“And I did some research,” Councilwoman Cheryl Tanner added. “To my surprise, this was not going to accomplish anything.”
The council voted to pass amendments to the plan that would reduce the ban on zoning changes from 6 to 3 months and to allow for a couple more homes per acre. The council’s legal team said that by law the proposal must wait at least until the next meeting before it can be voted on with the new language added.