INDReporter

Rural land use ordinance before council

by Walter Pierce

Pending a cancellation of the meeting due to tropical weather, the City-Parish Council on Tuesday will vote to make final a comprehensive land-use ordinance for unincorporated Lafayette Parish.

Pending a cancellation of the meeting due to tropical weather, the City-Parish Council on Tuesday will vote to make final a comprehensive land-use ordinance for unincorporated Lafayette Parish. The ordinance is similar to one adopted in Carencro a couple of years ago. It would place restrictions on developments in rural areas, requiring developers to include fencing and green buffers around certain types of business developments; standardize signage for businesses; and establish protocols for obtaining zoning changes.

The ordinance passed unanimously on Aug. 7 as part of a batch of introductory ordinances, although there will likely be much discussion by council members about particulars in the ordinance. Home builders and Realtors have expressed concerns over the ordinance. Likely of concern to council members is a caveat in the ordinance that moves approval of three types of developments - general business, industrial and intense land use - directly to the council, bypassing the Planning Commission.

The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in the council auditorium.

To read the rural land-use ordinance, click here.