Council concurs with planning commission on Piney Ridge concept despite flood concerns

The council heard an appeal from Matthew Allen of North Shore River Watch who urged members to overturn the planning commission’s conceptual approval for Piney Ridge Estates, arguing the conceptual plan proposes more than 70 homes in a mapped flood-hazard area and called for DEQ modeling and explicit sewage permits before the council approved any later stage.

"This river has exceeded the 100 year flood...6 times," Matthew Allen said, pressing the council to require a DEQ approval before moving beyond concept.

Developer representatives told the council the submission met the Unified Development Code requirements at the concept stage, that a traffic impact analysis had been submitted to DOTD, and that a "will-serve" letter from Magnolia Water Systems had been provided for sewer service while final engineering and DEQ permitting remain part of later stages.

Planning staff explained the concept stage permits a developer to advance to detailed engineering and that H&H and agency permits (FEMA, DEQ) must be obtained before construction. After discussion, Councilmember Casabon moved to concur with the planning and zoning commission’s approval of the concept plan; Councilmember Burke seconded and the council recorded the motion as unanimous with three members absent.

Council members and the public were explicit that later-stage H&H studies and DEQ permits remain required; the council’s concurrence allowed the developer to proceed to engineering, not to construct without required state and parish approvals.