Changing fees: The Metro Council Zoning Commission unanimously approved fee changes to some Planning Commission applications at its meeting Wednesday. The changes come after Planning Commission staff studied the application fees at several peer cities in Louisiana and across the south and found some discrepancies. The new fees take effect in 2017. The most significant revisions are the applications for a local landmark designation will drop to $50, and those for a district designation will cost $100, down from $500. Council members also signed off on the rezoning of two tracts of roughly 14 acres in the Baton Rouge Health District—one tract to light commercial; the other to heavy commercial—and rezoned nearly 48 acres in the 3800 and 3900 blocks of 72nd Avenue for future multifamily housing.
Digging deep: Helis Oil & Gas of New Orleans is set to begin drilling on an exploratory well for a proposed fracking project near Mandeville. The Associated Press reports that project manager Mike Barham says the company plans to begin moving a 100-foot-tall drilling rig onto the site on June 29. Barham says once the rig is in place, the drilling is expected to last about 30 days. The project’s first phase involves drilling a 13,000-foot-deep vertical well. The announcement comes as the Louisiana Supreme Court considers whether to hear an appeal from St. Tammany Parish and a citizens group opposed to the project. Some residents and officials say the drilling could pollute the air, the ground, and the aquifer that supplies St. Tammany with drinking water. Helis officials have said they’ll drill safely and safeguard the environment.
At checkout: Walmart is offering Louisiana customers a new avenue to pay for groceries, home goods and other items. The conglomerate announced today that it has introduced Walmart Pay to Louisiana customers. The app for iPhone and Android allows customers to pay with their smartphones at any register. Customers must open the app once they are at a register, activate their camera and scan the barcode that is displayed at the register. Louisiana customers are among the first to use the app, which is available in each of Walmart’s more than 115 stores in Louisiana. Daniel Eckert, senior vice president of Services for Walmart U.S, says the service was built to make shopping easier and faster. Read the full announcement.
