Meeting Summary

The St. Charles Parish Planning & Zoning Commission met to consider two subdivision requests, a home occupation permit, and two ordinance amendments proposed by Parish President Matthew Jewell's Department of Planning & Zoning. The most consequential discussion centered on a resubdivision request tied to Bayou Gauche Island, where several longtime residents spoke about their decades-long leases with the Simoneaux family and voiced deep uncertainty about whether the land might eventually be sold out from under them. The commission also approved two zoning ordinance changes affecting flood-zone construction rules and wetland development standards.

Watch Items

Residents on Bayou Gauche Island, several of whom have lived there for decades under lease arrangements with the Simoneaux family, raised concerns about a lack of direct notice regarding the resubdivision of a portion of Section 38 and about unconfirmed rumors that the family may eventually sell the land. Commission staff and the family's representative, Andrew Lemon, clarified that the current request does not involve the parcels those residents live on and does not address any future sale, but residents asked to be kept informed as further resubdivisions move forward. A related resubdivision request for another portion of the island is expected to come before the Commission at its June 5 meeting.

The Department of Planning & Zoning noted that two upcoming requests before the Board of Adjustment will seek variances to exceed the new residential accessory building threshold using wet flood proofing, a development residents may want to follow given the ordinance changes approved at this meeting.

Commissioners were also told that the Parish Council has formally established them as the Coastal Zone Advisory Board, with training materials expected to be provided before the next meeting. The enabling ordinance was amended to shorten the window for removing an appointed commissioner "for cause" from eighteen months to six months.