Parish President Mike Cooper Still Has Veto Power Over Rezoning That Could Pave Way For Nearly 800 New Homes

Parish President Mike Cooper Still Has Veto Power Over Rezoning That Could Pave Way For Nearly 800 New Homes

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — The controversial rezoning that could ultimately pave the way for nearly 800 new homes in the Covington area cleared the St. Tammany Parish Council Thursday night, but the issue may not be over yet.

Parish President Mike Cooper has the authority to veto ordinances approved by the St. Tammany Parish Council.

The two rezoning requests involve nearly 300 acres around Ronald Reagan Highway and Louisiana Highway 1077 in Parish Council District 3.

The proposals have generated significant opposition from residents who say infrastructure in the area is already struggling to keep up with existing growth.

Traffic along the Highway 1077 corridor is already a major problem. Nearby schools are overcrowded, and residents have repeatedly raised concerns about flooding and drainage.

Those concerns have led many residents to question how the existing infrastructure could possibly accommodate the demands created by nearly 800 additional homes when they say it already cannot adequately handle the population living there today.

The proposals were originally denied by the St. Tammany Parish Planning and Zoning Commission before those decisions were appealed to the Parish Council.

During Thursday night’s meeting, residents turned out in significant numbers to voice their opposition. Some waited approximately four hours for an opportunity to speak, with much of the opposition centered around traffic, overcrowded schools, flooding, drainage and the strain continued development is placing on parish infrastructure.

Despite the overwhelming response from citizens asking the council not to approve the rezoning, the measure passed Thursday night by an 8-6 vote.

Voting YES: Cazaubon, Seiden, Burke, Tanner, O’Brien, Binder, Corbin and Strickland.

Voting NO: Rolling, Phillips, Impastato, Smith, Cougle and Laughlin.

There were no abstentions.

The approval does not mean nearly 800 homes will immediately be constructed. Additional subdivision approvals, infrastructure requirements and permitting would still be necessary. However, the rezoning clears a significant regulatory hurdle that could allow the development to move forward.

Now, attention turns to Parish President Mike Cooper, who still has veto authority over the ordinances.

For residents who believe St. Tammany Parish’s roads, schools and drainage systems already cannot keep pace with current demands, the possibility of nearly 800 additional homes has made this one of the area’s most contentious development battles. Thursday night’s vote was a major step forward for the proposed development, but it may not be the final word.

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