The St. Tammany Parish Planning and Zoning Commission voted to forward six proposed amendments to the Unified Development Code (UDC) to the parish council after a lengthy discussion about timelines, accessory-structure thresholds and the commission’s authority during review.

Staff said one amendment would require the planning and zoning commission to issue a recommendation to the parish council within 90 days for zoning map change requests (or within three advertised hearings) to align the UDC with state law. Staff also proposed clarifying that detached accessory structures up to 200 square feet remain exempt from building-permit requirements, standardizing language across code chapters.

"Some section states one-story detached accessory structures are exempt provided the floor area does not exceed 200 square feet," staff explained, noting that the threshold had been 100 square feet in earlier codes but the UDC adopted 200 square feet in several chapters and this amendment aligns language across the code.

Commissioners debated the practical effects. Commissioner Carlo (Hernandez) asked why the 200-square-foot exemption was appropriate on small S-1 and S-2 lots; he argued that on a 7,500‑ to 11,000‑square‑foot lot a 200‑square‑foot accessory building combined with setbacks could overly consume yard area. Other commissioners proposed administrative waivers or buffers for small lots.

The commission also spent substantial time on the 90‑day recommendation requirement. Legal staff explained the statute exists so applicants do not remain indefinitely at the commission level and emphasized that postponements requested by staff or the applicant should pause the 90‑day clock. "If staff recommends postponement because key information is missing, that justification suspends the statutory clock," legal staff said.

Other amendments clarify that certain uses (such as body shops) may be allowed as conditional uses in specific commercial zoning categories, and that the planning commission retains authority at the concept-subdivision review phase to require reasonable conditions related to streets, buffers and recreation areas.

After discussion and requests for further clarifications on specific language (for example, how "detailing" and outdoor work are regulated for body shops), the planning commission voted to forward the package of UDC amendments to the parish council with staff recommendations and requested that staff prepare technical clarifications where commissioners requested them.

The vote moves the UDC amendments to the parish council for final action; several commissioners asked staff to prepare clearer language on accessory-structure size limits and reasonable conditions to reduce ambiguity.