Local land use controversies often speak to larger issues about the way things roll in a city, state or region.
“Such is the case with Aztek Cove, a proposed 61,700-square-foot development that would comprise two, 2 1/2-story buildings of office, multifamily and retail space on some 6.4 acres of rural zoned land on Highland Road near the Country Club of Louisiana,” writes Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel in her latest column. “That a commercial project could be approved on rural land is just one of several curiosities that make this parochial story interesting—and troubling—on a broader level.”
Aztek Cove is the brainchild of local businessman Nitin Kamath, who received approval in March from the East Baton Rouge Planning Commission staff—the staff part is important here—for his proposed development: A 32,000-square-foot office building, 29,700-square-foot multifamily building with 18 units and ground floor retail space, and more than 250 parking spaces.
“Metro Councilman Chandler Loupe caught wind of the project in early May, nearly two months after its approval, and was more than a little alarmed, as were his constituents,” Rigel writes. “The chronically gridlocked, two-lane Highland Road is already overtaxed. Besides, the area is zoned rural and no one in the surrounding neighborhoods had even been informed the project was in the works, much less asked for input.”
As it turns out, Kamath was planning to relocate the headquarters of his software companies from Gladstone Avenue, off Bluebonnet Boulevard, to the Highland Road site, and was working with Louisiana Economic Development and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber to qualify for state tax credits, according to what BRAC and LED officials told Loupe.
Read the full column. Send your comments to editor@businessreport.com.
