PORT ALLEN — The West Baton Rouge Parish Council held two regular meetings in May, blocking an attempt to convert 84 acres of agricultural land near River Road into moderate industrial zoning, while approving a scaled-back industrial equipment storage yard on the east side of Highway 1 South.

The council also authorized a federal grant application to replace aging gas lines in the northern part of the parish, approved a new pile driver for the parish drainage department, and updated the parish employee handbook to formalize retiree insurance coverage in writing.

River Road rezoning blocked unanimously

The council voted 8-0 at its May 14 meeting to deny a request by TMI Enterprise LLC to rezone approximately 84 acres from agricultural to I-2 moderate industrial. The property includes several parcels along the North River Road corridor in Port Allen.

Brandon Bourgoyne, the parish's director of public works, told the council the Planning and Zoning Commission had already recommended denial by a unanimous vote. He noted that while the parcels border existing I-2 zones to the southeast, they abut residential areas to the northwest.

The property owner's representative, Court Bradford, told the council his client, Louis Vielee, had no specific development plans but was exploring options. He said Vielee intended to plant a 50-foot vegetated buffer along the residential side regardless of the council's decision.

Two residents pushed back.

Gerard Allain, who has lived on North River Road for nearly 40 years, told the council the existing industrial activity along the highway already generates noise, light pollution and dust that reaches homes a quarter mile away. He said he could not imagine the impact if heavy industrial use moved to within a few hundred feet of his neighborhood.

Amanda Rodrigue, owner and director of River Road Daycare at 5521 North River Road, told the council her facility serves about 230 children a year and is the only Type 2 daycare in the area. She said the daycare was purchased in October 2024 based on the surrounding zoning and that an I-2 designation, even with a buffer, could change overnight.

"The heavy industrial zoning brings increased truck traffic, noise, the potential for environmental and safety concerns," Rodrigue said. "The children in our care, infants, toddlers and school-age children, are especially vulnerable."

The council denied the request without discussion. Council member Daryl "Turf" Babin made the motion, seconded by Kenneth Gordon. The vote was 8-0, with Alan Crowe absent.

Equipment yard approved on Highway 1 with limits

The council approved a separate rezoning at 4021 Highway 1 South, allowing BSC Industries LLC to operate an outdoor equipment and truck storage yard, but with significant restrictions the company had not originally requested.

The property had been operating under a temporary special use permit. BSC Industries sought to formalize the arrangement by rezoning approximately 2.93 acres from agricultural and community-scale commercial to C-1.4 industrial transitional commercial, with a special use permit for a laydown staging yard.

The application initially requested 60,000 square feet of outside storage. Parish code caps laydown staging yards at 30,000 square feet, and Bourgoyne told the council that exceeding that limit would require full industrial zoning, which does not exist anywhere on the east side of Highway 1 other than the shuttered Cinclare plant.

The company's representative, Steve LeBlanc, told the council the 60,000 figure had resulted from calculating the full usable area of the parcel and that the company was prepared to accept the 30,000 square foot limit.

The council debated at length. Chairman Carey Denstel, in whose district the property sits, said he was comfortable with C-1.4 zoning for the area but wanted to contain the footprint. Council member Katherine Andre raised concerns about the proximity to an assisted living facility roughly 192 feet from the proposed storage area and the fact that the business operates on a 24-hour on-call basis for railroad derailment response.

Percy Simms, whose property sits directly behind the yard on Alayna Lane, told the council he did not believe a wood or metal fence would adequately buffer sound and that two acres was not enough distance from neighboring properties.

The council ultimately approved two acres, rather than the full 2.93 acres requested, with a 30,000 square foot storage limit and no fence waiver. The company will be required to install compliant commercial fencing as required by code, and any future waiver requests would require a return to the council.

Denstel made the motion, seconded by Kirk Allain. The vote was 8-0, with Crowe absent.

Parish pursues 100% federal funding for gas line replacement

The council voted 8-0 to authorize the parish to apply for a federal grant through the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to replace aging PVC and steel gas lines in the northern part of the parish. Adrian Genre, the parish's director of utilities, told the council the grant covers the full cost with no local match required. SHK Inc. and McKim and Creed Inc. were contracted to assist with the application.

Other business

The council adopted an updated employee handbook formalizing retiree insurance eligibility in writing, a change recommended by the parish's reinsurance carrier after the parish moved to a self-funded health structure.

The council also approved a $156,000 bid to Crawler Supply for a pile driver, coming in under the $180,000 budgeted. The equipment will handle sheet pile work, I-beams and utility poles.

Drainage updates

At the May 14 meeting, Chief of Administration Phillip Bourgoyne reported that Port Allen received 11.73 inches of rain the prior weekend, with six inches falling in the first three hours. Addis received 8.27 inches and Brusly 8.69 inches. Bourgoyne said he was unaware of any homes that took on water and that new culverts at Loup Lane appeared to be helping.

At the May 28 meeting, Manola reported that DOTD plans to adjust the Lukeville Lane traffic signal in June, that the parish's new canal drainage study returned promising numbers with a public outreach meeting planned for residents near St. Francis Street and the Coulee Canal, and that Union Pacific is looking at adding two 36-inch culverts under the railroad near Lynndale Drive, with UP handling permitting and construction.

The West Baton Rouge Parish Council meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Government Building, 880 North Alexander Avenue, Port Allen. Meeting agendas, minutes and video are available at wbrparish.org.