Special to
L’Observateur

HAHNVILLE — The St. Charles Parish Zoning Code is getting a makeover, and there is plenty of time for parish residents to participate in the process.

Adopted in 1981, the St. Charles Parish Zoning Code represented the parish’s first set of rules with regard to land use and planning, including zoning districts, special use permitting, flood plain management and more.

The ordinance’s stated purpose is to promote the health, safety, morals, convenience, order, prosperity and welfare of the people of St. Charles Parish.

The Parish Council approved a cooperative endeavor agreement in August with the University of New Orleans’ Planning and Urban Studies Department to update the code to reflect modern-day needs at a cost of $75,000.

“The existing rules have been updated over the past 33 years on a case-by-case basis in reaction to current issues, and that has created some inconsistencies within the code as a whole,” Michael Albert, St. Charles Parish planning and zoning director, said. “With this project we will create a coherent and up-to-date set of regulations that will work for both the residential and business communities and further improve our quality of life.”

Eight community meetings are planned to solicit input from the public and stakeholders, with final adoption of zoning code changes slated for May 2015.

Residents can get more information on meetings by monitoring the parish’s website, stcharlesparish-la.gov/calendar.

Timothy H. Jackson, a senior research associate with UNO, will lead the project on the college’s end, working closely with planning and zoning staff members.

To view the current code, log on to stcharlesparish-la.gov and click on “Code of Ordinances.”

The zoning ordinance is labeled Appendix A.