The St. Tammany Parish Planning & Zoning Commission on the evening of the hearing rejected a petition to rezone 22.32 acres in Lacombe from L-1 (large-lot residential) to S-2 (suburban residential).

Attorney Paul Marrone, representing petitioner Shelby P. LaSalle Jr., told the commission the S-2 designation matched the parish 2040 plan’s medium-density guidance and, under the applicant’s calculations, would produce about 3.3 units per acre (roughly 73–74 lots). Marrone said the property sits outside the floodplain (flood zone C), that the site could provide the required green space and retention, and that the petitioner would pay required traffic and drainage impact fees and perform any mandated traffic improvements.

Neighbors and nearby property owners urged denial. Janine Meads, who said she owns property immediately across Highway 190, told the commission the proposal “would be very detrimental to our quiet lifestyle” and said surrounding properties are large-lot homes rather than dense subdivisions. Other residents raised similar concerns about traffic safety on Pew Road and Highway 190, drainage and potential increases in property tax and local traffic.

Commission discussion centered on density, drainage and procedural history. Commissioner Robert moved to approve the request during deliberations, but Commissioner Narcisse moved to deny the application, citing incompatibility with the surrounding area and longstanding skepticism about S-2 in that neighborhood. Commissioner Barrios seconded the motion to deny. The motion to deny carried (recorded in the transcript as “motion to deny carries”) and the commission denied the rezoning. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally for the vote.

Why it matters: Opponents said the rezoning would increase traffic on a narrow, partly unpaved Pew Road and exacerbate drainage problems; the applicant said on-site retention would reduce runoff by 25% and that required road and drainage improvements would be the petitioner’s responsibility. The denial means the petitioner may appeal the commission’s decision to the St. Tammany Parish Council, as the chair noted during the meeting.

What comes next: The petitioner may appeal to the parish council. The commission’s record notes the parcel was previously in a moratorium that has since been lifted, which allowed the item to return to the agenda.