A homeowners association is asking the city-parish to defer all zoning decisions on actions falling within the boundaries of St. George until the voter-approved city has its own planning commission.
Bill Gibson, president of the Audubon Terrace/Morning Glen RHOA, requested the pause from Planning Director Frank Duke and Councilman Matt Watson yesterday, who forwarded the request to the Parish Attorney’s office for a legal opinion.
The request stems from the HOA’s concerns regarding plans to develop land near the corner of Siegen Lane and Interstate 10 for an office building. The Planning Commission partially approved plans earlier this year to redevelop vacant residential lots and undeveloped land near that intersection. The Metrailer family, which owns the property, are expected to make a request in November to have nearly 12 acres rezoned.
Arthur Metrailer, who submitted the application, says he hasn’t heard from the city-parish yet but that it doesn’t matter what his opinion is regarding the matter.
“I’m waiting to see what the reality of the situation is,” Metrailer says.
Such a deferment of planning applications would essentially be a moratorium, says Duke, adding his concern is that the city-parish has multiple cases within the St. George boundaries that are currently pending.
“We need to treat these all the same way, otherwise it comes off as very arbitrary,” Duke says, adding he doesn’t know how long it will take the Parish Attorney’s office to release an opinion.
For the incorporation of Central, Duke says there was a transition agreement that allowed the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Commission to continue processing cases until the city had its own planning commission and development code in place.
Watson is also unsure how the request will be handled, declining to speculate, but says if the moratorium is put in place it could cause uneasy feelings with business owners or residents.
“I’m not sure how property owners will feel having a freeze on any development in that area,” he says.
Parish Attorney Andy Dotson was unable to be reached for comment before this afternoon’s deadline.
