re: Ascension Parish Planning Commission Denies New Subdivision

Council members are spineless and corrupt just like our state and federal legislators are.

Here in Central if it makes it to planning committee you just as soon not even bother to show up to oppose. The contractor already has greased enough palms to get it approved.

I’m sure it’s the same as other communities around Baton Rouge.

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People need to pay more attention to the zoning part if they really want to stop development.

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This is what the average citizen doesn’t understand. Once a property gets the necessary zoning, it now has the right by use to be whatever the zoning allows.

If the developer follows all the necessary steps they can’t be denied and will win the lawsuit against the commission

Zachary’s new neighborhoods are a perfect example. No matter how bad they wanted to deny, they couldn’t because the proper steps were taken. All those large tracts that got rezoned for residential development years ago so they’re coming whether they want them or not.

Down here the planning commission is all realtors. Every new development gets approved with the quickness. No thought is put into extra traffic, electricity, water, drainage, etc.

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I once lived on Bertville Road

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Bertville residents were about to be pummeled in a few ways

-increased traffic at 44
-Bertville was going to see increased cut through traffic
-this development is going to build up dirt in the drainage canal flood zone creating a narrower, higher channel. This means the natural drainage from Bertville area will take longer to drain off and create back flooding.

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Many commissioners cited the traffic and flooding concerns as their reasons for denial.

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If they would have only been this concerned a few decades ago, then perhaps it would make more sense. Instead, they built all of these subdivisions to bleed off of old country roads and the infrastructure is not able to keep up.

It’s the same old story for the greater BR area, overbuild without the infrastructure to support it and it becomes a logistical nightmare. All this place runs on is dollar signs. There is no plan but to collect.

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How about Dantin Bruce? Where does he live?

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That is the name of the company. The two owners are neighbors, residing in Bocage.

Finally!

Well, let’s see if I can set the stage. Land seller is good friends with parish president and has donated about $3800 to his campaigns, including help campaigning and building signs. Nephew is on P&Z. The broker for the deal is on parish Board of Adjustments and politically connected. Land seller also donated $1000 to recently elected council woman in same district. Chairman for P&Z, who negotiates with developer ex parte.

11/2024- 1st post moratorium subdivision plat Gateway farms passed but never built because 36’ cap on fill requires many homes to be built on pier and beam, killing feasibility.
5/2025- Dantin Bruce puts property under contingent contract despite several homes that would require pier and beam construction because low elevation
12/25- new fill ordinance passed by council that provides loophole that circumvents 36’ cap on fill for subdivisions.
1/14/26- Harvest Fields plat postponed because of “technical error” when media shows up. Chairman knows they didn’t have the votes needed to pass. Same day, broker who is also on board of adjustments goes in front of the board of adjustments and gets a ridiculous variance approved to allow 5 dwellings on some non conforming lots in a conservation zone (1 dwelling per acre allowed), all lots below minimum frontage and lot size.

Now- subdivision denied because traffic study abysmal and density is way above what should be allowed since 70% of the property is residential medium intensity but being developed at mix use clip because of some creative calculations not supported by code.

I guess maybe this will help some figure it out for themselves. Why does Dantin Bruce put land under contract that would not be feasible to develop under the exiting fill ordinance, and spend hundreds of thousands on studies and plans unless they know that is about to change just before they present it to P&Z for approval. ??

You would be correct. You should watch the part where one of the P&Z commissioners takes the Planning director to school. She questions his calculations and he responds “that’s the way I’ve always done it.” The audiences bullshite meter pegs out and laughter erupts.

Also, I'm surprised to see the family sold that land."

Money- plain and simple. Too much of it to pass up. It's similar to much of what has happened in AP. The owners of land that has been in family for multiple generations simply realize they cannot raise enough cattle on the property in ten generations to compete with the money from simply selling the land now and taking the money.