Meetings for Master Plan Revision Begin

The first meeting of the Master Plan Subcommittee to review and revise the Ascension Parish Master Plan was held on April 11th at 6:00 p.m. at the Department of Public Works Auditorium on Churchpoint Road.  All appointees from business, government and the public sectors were present as well as six Commissioners.  Rules for public comment were adopted. Any citizen wishing to address the Subcommittee will be given three minutes at the beginning of a meeting prior to discussion. 


Good progress from the diverse group was made reviewing the purpose and guiding principles with all members participating. Discussion for the next meeting will begin on page eight of the present document and proceed as time permits.
  
Review and Revision Meeting Schedule


Monday, April 25, 2011  6:00 p.m. at DPW Auditorium 
Monday, May 9, 2011 6:00 p.m. at DPW Auditorium
Monday May 23, 2011 6:00 p.m. at DPW Auditorium  


All Ascension residents are welcome to attend. The current thirty-nine page Master Plan is placed here for your reference and review.  

Public Hearing to Consider Abolishing PUD & TND Ordinances

The Planning & Zoning Commissions will meet and have a public hearing on Wednesday, April 13th at 6:00 p.m. at the Gonzales Courthouse.  Up for consideration will be recommendations to the Parish Council for the PUD & TND ordinances to be abolished. Changes in the zoning tables will also be considered. The Commission is proposing lowering the present twenty units allowed per acre in Mixed Use to ten.


The clip below is from the April 7th Ascension Parish Council meeting held in Donaldsonville.  Ascension Parish Planning Director, Ricky Compton, is giving the definition of what a PUD is.  After listening to his description you will understand how the PUD is a loophole that circumvents current parish Zoning Codes and Subdivision regulations. 


Citizens are encouraged to attend.  

Budget for Master Plan To Be Discussed

On Monday, April 4th at the Gonzales Courthouse the Planning Commission will meet after the 6:00 p.m. Drainage Board meeting. Their discussion will center around the proposed budget of $28,000 for the Master Plan review and revision.


Councilman Chris Loar has refused to place the budget for the Master Plan on the Finance agenda later this month. All items requiring appropriation of funds must go to the Finance Committee first before being considered by the Parish Council.  By State law, the Council is responsible to provide all assistance necessary for the updating of the Master Plan.  Commission Chairman Michael Marchand is hoping to clear up any confusion on Monday, asking the Council to consider the Master Plan Budget this month as meetings for review begin on April 11th. 


Read the recent Advocate article.

Master Plan Subcommittee Formed

On March 23rd representatives where chosen from business, government and the public to work with the Planning Commission on a review and revision of the current thirty-nine page Master Plan.  These representatives will take part in discussion, but will not vote.  Only the nine appointed Commissioners on the Planning Commission will vote.  The following were chosen by citizens who attended meetings from those nominated:


Business Sector: Wes Ashworth, Clint Cointment, Roy Domangue, Mike Eades and Gary Fontenot


Government Sector: Scott Duplechin and Brad Walker


Public Sector:  Kathryn Goppelt, Cindy Quick, John M. Robert Sr., Tim Theriot and Samantha Thibodeaux  


The first meeting is set for April 11, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. in the DPW Auditorium.  Citizens are welcome to attend and make public comment while monitoring the progress of the subcommittee. 

Planning & Zoning to Begin the Master Plan Process

Meetings to begin the process for the review and revision of the current Master Plan will start on March 21, 2011, 6:00 p.m at the Gonzales Courthouse.  This first meeting will be to give an overview which was missed by the community when the February P&Z meeting was not aired on Channel 21.  


On March 23rd the Master Plan Subcommittee will meet at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for representatives of government, business, and the public respectively. At each of these three meetings, five individuals will be chosen to represent their segment of the community on the subcommittee. The nine members of the Planning and Zoning Commission will be the voting members.


WE ENCOURAGE CITIZENS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED IN THE PROPOSED MASTER PLAN TO ATTEND THIS MEETING AND INVITE OTHERS ON MARCH 23RD, 6:00 P.M. AT THE GONZALES COURTHOUSE!

Commission Subcommittees Meet

On Wednesday, March 16th the subcommittees of the Planning & Zoning Commissions will meet at 5:00 p.m. (Subdivision) and 6:00 p.m. (Zoning) at the Department of Public Works on Churchpoint Road.   Five amendments to the PUD, SPUD and TND ordinances which the Parish Council sent on March 3rd to the Commission will be discussed at the Zoning subcommittee. Citizens will continue to attend these meetings in hopes that the ordinances related to the PUDS will not just be amended, but abolished. 

Public Hearing for Abolishing PUD, SPUD, & TND Ordinances

The Planning & Zoning Commission has set a public hearing on Wednesday, April 13th at the Gonzales Courthouse at 6:00 p.m. to consider a recommendation to the Parish Council to abolish the PUD, SPUD and TND ordinances. Changes to zoning tables are also being considered that will reduce residential density. The Zoning Subcommittee has recommended abolishing all three ordinances and strengthening the Subdivision Regulations in order to address development issues.