Garden City rezoning goes back to P&Z commission

A controversial rezoning issue will be going before the Planning and Zoning Commission after members of the St. Mary Parish Council voted Wednesday to file application with that board.
The council had been slated to consider adoption of an ordinance that would rezone an 11-acre parcel of Garden City property from high-density residential to agricultural, but upon motion by Councilman David Hanagriff of Centerville, the proposed ordinance was removed from consideration.
Instead, Hanagriff received council support on a motion to file application with the P&Z board.
Rezoning the property would stymie efforts by developer Lloyd Harris to build a 168-unit gated apartment complex on the property located on La. 3215 at La. 182.
The P&Z board had recommended development approval in June but that recommendation was denied by the council later that month after it heard opposition from nearby residents based on concerns of inadequate infrastructure and a potential negative impact on nearby historic plantation homes.
Harris then filed for injunctive relief in 16th Judicial District Court before Judge Lori Landry.
After Landry ruled that the case should be heard in another arena, Harris said he would file suit in federal court.
He has since filed a fair housing discrimination complaint with the U.S. Housing and Urban Development that is under investigation.
The parish council spent an hour and 15 minutes in executive session Wednesday on the pending litigation and reconvened its regular meeting without comment.