Livingston Parish planning commission approves several rezones, denies contested multifamily request on North Cafe Line Road

The Livingston Parish Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing Feb. 5 and voted on a string of rezoning requests across council districts, approving most staff-backed requests but denying some that commissioners said conflicted with neighborhood character and the parish master plan.

The meeting opened with a procedural adoption of the Jan. 13 minutes, which passed with one abstention. Commissioners then considered a sequence of zoning applications.

Case 26-13 (15025 Lewis Road) sought to rezone a 1.29-acre parcel in District 8 from R-1 to R-1.5. Department staff said the block contains primarily trailers and aging houses, but several commissioners raised concerns about establishing an R-1.5 precedent near large R-1 parcels and cautioned against issuing what one commissioner called a “blank check” without clearer intent for the property. After debate, a motion to approve failed on a 4–5 roll-call vote.

Case 26-14 (8805 Lockhart Road, District 3) requested rezoning from R-4 to AG so the owner could keep or add livestock. Applicant Nielsen Rizzuto said he wanted to return the lot to agricultural use; planning staff said the parcel had been included with nearby townhomes in error. The commission approved the rezoning on a unanimous roll-call vote.

On a small lot on Whitley Road (parcel 0.28 acres), commissioners considered a proposal to rezone R-2 to R-1.5 but staff noted the parcel was already a legally nonconforming lot and recommended allowing a nonconforming-use permit. The commission voted to deny the rezone while recommending that the parish council allow the lot to have a nonconforming-use permit for a mobile home.

Several other requests were approved with relatively little opposition: a C-1 to R-1 conversion on Strawberry Lane (applicant Chase Landry) to allow four one-acre home lots; a conversion from S&B to R-1 at LA Highway 22 (applicant Joseph Hannah) to permit house construction; a R-2 to R-1 rezone on Gaylord Road to allow a mobile home for the property owner’s son (applicant Terry C. Sullivan); and a request by Bob West to restore the frontage of his property to C-1 because of a prior mass rezoning. Planning staff explained in each case how the proposed zoning would align with surrounding uses and ordinance requirements.

A notable defeat for the applicant community came on Case 26-20 (North Cafe Line Road), where applicant Tywan Burgess sought to rezone a parcel from R-1.5 to R-4 for duplexes and what he described as assisted-living or senior housing. Councilman Joe (District 9) spoke to resident opposition and concerns about road access and density. Commissioners debated whether engineering and planning review would constrain any future development, but ultimately a motion to deny the rezoning passed on roll-call after an initial attempt to approve failed for lack of a second.

Throughout the meeting, staff repeatedly reminded the commission that zoning approval does not waive other requirements: any new structure must still meet setbacks, sewer requirements and all other parish ordinances. Commissioners also discussed the idea of drafting an ordinance to limit the age of mobile homes put on newly subdivided lots, a topic staff said the parish is exploring but has not yet adopted.

What’s next: Several approved rezonings will move to the parish council or administrative permitting steps as required. Applicants who received denials may revise proposals, pursue nonconforming-use permits where staff recommended them, or seek council consideration where eligible.

Votes at a glance
- Adoption of Jan. 13 minutes: Approved (one abstention: Mister Guidry).
- Case 26-13 (15025 Lewis Road, R-1 → R-1.5): Motion to approve failed, 4–5.
- Case 26-14 (8805 Lockhart Road, R-4 → AG): Approved (unanimous).
- Whitley Road parcel (R-2 → R-1.5): Rezone denied; recommendation to council to allow a nonconforming-use permit for a mobile home: Approved.
- Case 26-16 (Strawberry Lane, C-1 → R-1): Approved.
- Case 26-17 (LA Hwy 22, S&B → R-1): Approved.
- Case 26-18 (Gaylord Road, R-2 → R-1): Approved.
- Case 26-19 (Bob West Lane, R-1 → C-1 frontage): Approved.
- Case 26-20 (North Cafe Line Road, R-1.5 → R-4): Denied.

The commission adjourned the zoning portion of the meeting after those votes. Planning staff will prepare legal language and next steps for council where required.