Parish council upholds P&Z bunkhouse denial

Members of the St. Mary Parish Council upheld a Planning and Zoning Commission ruling Wednesday denying the location of a bunkhouse on the outskirts of Baldwin.
The commission earlier had turned down the request by Kevin Rodriguez of Rodriguez Brothers Farm Partnership for a specific use permit to locate the bunkhouse at 1100 La. 83 for residence by up to 10 sugar cane farm workers. The property consisting of two lots is in an agricultural zone, which allows for bunkhouses after specific use permits have been approved.
The decision was made after the commission heard opposition to the plans by surrounding neighbors during a Feb. 23 meeting.
Rodriguez told the council Wednesday that he has since modified his plans to conform to permitted use in the agricultural zone. Those plans include moving a single family into the modular structure that would have served as the bunkhouse or “living quarters” on one lot and setting up a mobile home on the other lot for three workers.
According to zoning regulations, a bunkhouse is defined as having four or more people who are not related living in a residence, according to Planning Director Tammy Luke.
Rodriguez was told that he will still need to obtain building permits for both structures.
Nearby neighbors who reiterated their objections to the bunkhouse included Linda Gash, Wayne Caesar and Scott Blanchard.
They were assured that the planning office would be diligent in seeing that all regulations are being followed and should be notified if the neighbors notice they are being broken.
In other business the council:
—Adopted proposed ordinances rezoning property owned by Hebert Management & Land Co. at 401 Arlington St., Bayou Vista, from an existing neighborhood zone to general commercial for location of storage units; and property from the Shelia Tauriac, Diane Salone and Ada Pellerin estate at 879 Verdunville Road, Centerville, from a single family residential zone to existing neighborhood zone to allow for a mobile home.
—Adopted an ordinance declaring certain real property in the area of Bollard Street in Baldwin as surplus. A public hearing on all proposed ordinances will be called at 5:45 p.m.
—Introduced ordinances rezoning property owned by Marnie Vaughan at 103 Big Bear Lane, in Franklin, from an existing neighborhood zone to general commercial; and granting specific use permits to Craig Walker for a pond installation at 10222 La. 182 W, Franklin, and to the Veeder estate for a 15-lot RV park in the vicinity of the Charenton levee.
—Passed resolutions on an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Franklin on the installation of Franklin Fire Department’s communication equipment at the courthouse, and with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness on phase 2 of the Bayou Vista drainage project.
—Passed resolutions approving applications for Governor’s Community Water Enrichment Funds to replace Water and Sewer Commission 2’s waterline in the Bayou Vista area south of Middle Road; to install mixers in ground storage tanks by Water and Sewer Commission 4; and to make improvements to Waterworks District 5’s water treatment plant sludge pond and replace its pneumatic pressure tank.
—Approved a request by Councilman Lionel “Butch” Metz for a $15,000 allocation from the gaming fund to the Town of Baldwin for park renovations; and by VFW 4201/10016 for $1,800 to fund a luncheon honoring first responders.
—Received a plaque recognizing the Bayou Teche as a nationally recognized paddle trail from Conni Castille of the Teche Project.