Council adopts rezoning for 31-acre Goodby parcel after hours of flood and traffic concerns

The St. Tammany Parish Council on Aug. 6 voted 10–4 to adopt an ordinance that rezoned a roughly 31-acre parcel near the Ronald Reagan Highway/LA 1077 corridor from R‑1 rural residential to S‑1 (suburban) zoning, following several hours of public comment and expert testimony.

Opponents — including neighborhood residents, a former planning commissioner and environmental experts — urged the council to deny the change, saying the site is wet, contains hydric soils and lies within a critical drainage area and flood hazard zones. Biologist Nelwyn McInnis told the council the project area ‘‘is very wet’’ and highlighted Bay Head Swamp habitat, while North Shore River Watch director Matthew Allen cited the UDC flood‑hazard provision (Section 906.7.c.4) and urged the council to base its vote on the administrative record rather than future promises of mitigation.

Developer and project representatives said the rezoning merely allows the project to proceed to subsequent engineering and hydrology review and that construction cannot start without passing those site‑specific and basin studies. Paul Marrone, speaking for the applicant, told the council the adoption would permit the project to move into later review stages where engineering, drainage, traffic and hydrology plans will be required and scrutinized.

After hearing both sides, the council adopted the ordinance on a recorded vote of 10 yays and 4 nays. The council’s action changes the parcel’s zoning classification and allows the applicant to submit conceptual and subsequent plans for staff and commission review; any required hydrology, drainage or traffic approvals will be assessed in later development phases.