Here's what will affect development in Ascension Parish

OPEN FOR DISCUSSION TONIGHT!  

Dear Members,

There are many items that cause concern on tonight's Ascension Parish Council Agenda. No final action will take place in tonight's discussion; however, highlighted below are a few things that I feel will affect development the most in Ascension Parish. Links are provided below. 
Drainage Impact Study Procedure:
 

  1. Pre-Development Map:  This will now require an existing topographic survey to go along with the Drainage Impact Study.

  2. Section 4. f.:  This section requires that you get fill mitigation credits from the peak 100-year water surface to the Base Flood Elevation.  The pond sizes in some cases are increased greatly, as you are basically providing fill mitigation for two 100 year storms.

Appendix V:

  1. Section 17-507: Limitation of fill to 3 feet maximum. This does not matter if you are in a flood zone or not.  This is total fill above and below the Base Flood Elevation, you will essentially be only able to fill 2' below the Base Flood Elevation.

  2. Section 17-509:  This section requires the HOA or developer to post a bond in perpetuity for the maintenance of all privately owned stormwater items and the amount will be arbitrarily set by the Parish. Please let your questions and concerns be known to the council members.

It's Back! UPDATE ON METRO COUNCIL'S FEBRUARY 13, 2019 MEETING ON LANDLORD RETALIATION ORDINANCE

It's Back! 


UPDATE ON METRO COUNCIL'S FEBRUARY 13, 2019 MEETING ON LANDLORD RETALIATION ORDINANCE 

Dear Members,

The Landlord Retaliation Ordinance was deferred last week at the Metro Council Meeting and will be back for consideration on Wednesday, February 27th. There has been numerous drafts of the ordinance, but nothing acceptable to the apartment owners association. We continue to meet with various council members in an attempt to reach some agreement.  If you are involved in the residential rental market, you need to be aware of the substantial change that creates a rebuttal presumption against the landlords. Please reach out to the council members.

This matter will be heard on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, at 4:00 PM.

Below is a link of the last draft, and contact information for the council members.

LIVINGSTON PARISH PROPOSES DRAINAGE IMPACT AMENDMENTS

LIVINGSTON PARISH PROPOSES 

DRAINAGE IMPACT AMENDMENTS

Dear Members,

The Livingston Council will consider changes to the Drainage Rules and Required Impact study. Attach is the link for the proposed changes. A public hearing will be held in Livingston on January 24, 2019 at 6:00 pm., at the Parish Council Chambers, 20355 Government Boulevard, Livingston, Louisiana


If you are doing any development in Livingston Parish, you need to be aware of these proposed changes.



PLANNING COMMISSION REQUESTING COMMENTS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

Frank Duke, with the Planning Commission has requested feedback from our members on two issues. First being the Chapter 4 - Site Plans and Plats. Please see Frank's message and link to the proposed changes below.
We have been internally (Planning Commission and Development Department staff) trying to clean up Chapter 4 for most of the past 18 months; the current version has multiple inconsistencies with the version of Chapter 11 recommended by the former Zoning Advisory Committee in 2017 as well as numerous internal inconsistencies. We finally have a draft (attached) that is ready for external review. The majority of the changes eliminate duplication, resolve inconsistencies, clean up references to other provisions of the UDC, and attempt to locate items in chronological order.

There are a few substantive changes, as follows:

  • Notification requirements are expanded to be uniform across all processes

  • Approval process for expansions of multi-family projects are clarified

  • Specific scale requirements for preliminary plats are eliminated in favor a legibility requirement

  • References to Chapter 12, Open Space, are added

  • Period of validity of a preliminary plat extended to three years

  • Extension of preliminary plat for six months after construction plan approval made automatic

  • Planning Director authorized to extend preliminary plat by one year in extenuating circumstances

  • State requirements regarding the approval or disapproval of major subdivisions are incorporated into the UDC

  • Provisions for flag lots recommended by ZAC in 2017 are incorporated

  • Provisions for townhome developments recommended by ZAC in 2017 are incorporated

***Please provide to our office any comments concerning these proposed changes***.

Secondly, please find attached the final version of the revisions to Chapter 12, Open Space, (a markup and a clean version) that were agreed to by the working group in December. Frank Duke wanted to ensure that the Members of the Growth Coalition had another chance to get further feedback on the changes before we go to public hearing. Duke would like to give the text of the proposed revisions to the Planning Commission on January 22 for hearing on February 18, so if you have comments/ want to propose additional changes, I need to know no later than the close of business on January 15.

***Please direct any comments to the Growth Coalition office.***