By MARIE ORY Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – A planning and zoning meeting will take place today at 6:30 p.m. at the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office Council Chambers across from Wal-mart.

According to Michael Madere, a concerned resident, Airline Motors and the surrounding property is in danger of being changed from a Commercial 3 zone to an Industrial 1 zone, and the houses behind the resturant could be changed from a Residential 1 zone to an Industrial 1 zone. The zone change would enable a truckstop casino to be placed in this area.

“There are three truckstop casinos in the parish already and allowing this to happen would mean a fourth truckstop casino in the area,” Madere said.

According to Madere, this area was not zoned for this type of business and the only protection that the residents have is to try to stop the change. “We currently have 309 signatures on a petition that we passed to residents on old Highway 51 and people that live along Airline Highway,” he said. This petiton was formed by a group of concerned residents in the area who are against the zoning change.

All residents are invited to attend this zoning meeting to give input and suggestions.