Residents push back as Livingston Parish council declines to advance private-servitude waiver on 4H Club Road

A developerrequest to change access and add lots on a private servitude off 4H Club Road triggered a lengthy public response Thursday night, with neighbors saying the land has been maintained and used as a private drive for years and objecting to added traffic, drainage impacts and insufficient notice.

The item asked the council to authorize a waiver permitting more lots on a private servitude and to accept a plat that would create a 60-foot right-of-way and a turnaround. The proposer explained the plan and said the design preserved a five-foot buffer against future tie-ins. The councilmember sponsoring the item initially made a motion to grant the waiver, but the motion failed for lack of a second.

Eleven residents lined up to speak. Concerns included long-standing maintenance of the private drive by neighbors, the presence of an existing drainage pipe and servitude that must be protected, the lack of a cul-de-sac or proper turnaround for emergency responders, and an allegation that a developer representative used aggressive tactics during door-to-door outreach. Several witnesses said they were not given timely notice of the revised plat and that an earlier court action had left restrictions in place.

Planning and zoning and council members noted that an earlier approved plat did not require a waiver, and that the revised plat might represent a substantial change that should proceed through planning and zoning and full subdivision review if it increases lot count beyond the minor-resub threshold. Councilwoman Sanford emphasized safety concerns raised by fire officials and said a private servitude with more than five lots can create hazards for first responders.

After extensive testimony and debate, the council did not adopt the requested waiver. Councilmembers discussed referring the matter back to planning and zoning and clarifying notice and plat requirements before any future action. Several members said they would bring procedural clarifications to staff to avoid repeating the process with poor notice.

What happens next: The waiver request did not advance. Councilmembers said the item should be reviewed through the normal planning and zoning process and that the ordinance committee and staff should clarify procedural requirements for waivers and subdivisions. Residents were advised to submit written comments to planning and to track any future agenda if the developer re-files.