Baton Rouge Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting – May 18, 2026

The Baton Rouge Planning and Zoning Commission met on the evening of May 18, 2026, at City Hall, with Chairman Washington presiding and a quorum present. The commission approved prior minutes, acted on a consent agenda, and agreed to reorder its agenda to hear a pulled consent item and a wireless tower application before the Plan Baton Rouge 3 small area plan.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes of the April 20 meeting were approved by motion of Commissioner Boyd, seconded by Vice Chairman Grout, with no objections.
• The commission approved consent items 4, 6, 7, and 8: Item 4 (Beaumont Lane street name change to Eliza Beaumont Lane), Item 6 (Johnny W. and Sabert G. Turner Track flag lot subdivision), Item 7 (Jesse L. Webb property flag lot subdivision), and Item 8 (Jerry B. Noble Track flag lot subdivision). Staff certified all items as consistent with the comprehensive plan and the Unified Development Code.
• Item 3 (M CUP 126, a proposed sand and gravel mining operation at 7740 and 9400–9500 Pettit Road) was deferred by the planning director to July 20.
• Item 5 (CUP 810, St. Joseph’s Academy) was pulled from the consent agenda because a public speaker card was submitted, and it was heard in regular agenda order.
• The remaining consent agenda was approved on a motion by Commissioner Addison, seconded by Commissioner Ellender, with no objections.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Michael Atkinson, a resident directly next to St. Joseph’s Academy, opposed CUP 810. He said the parking expansion would push institutional development deeper into the Garden District, add pavement in an area where he has documented flooding and runoff, worsen traffic congestion, and continue the school’s expansion into a residential neighborhood. He argued that alternative parking options exist and asked the commission to reject the proposal.
• Michael Grace, an attorney at Taylor Porter, opposed Plan Baton Rouge 3 on behalf of two clients. He stated that Girod REO LLC, owner of a $12 million property north of the Queen Casino, objected to any proposed rezoning of that property for recreational use, and that First Presbyterian Church, which recently purchased a block for millions of dollars between the interstate and the existing church, objected to any proposed rezoning for residential use.

Discussion Items

• Item 5 – CUP 810, St. Joseph’s Academy Additional Parking (2927 and 3015 Broussard Street): Thomas Taylor of Wright Landscape Architecture, representing St. Joseph’s Academy, presented a plan to connect two existing campus parking lots, remove a disused building, repurpose another building as an office, and add about 28–29 parking spaces. He said the property is already on campus and no zoning change was requested. Staff certified that the request meets the minimum criteria for a conditional use permit. The commission approved the item on a motion by Commissioner Ellender, seconded by Vice Chairman Grout, without objection.
• Item 9 – Wireless Tower 226, Verizon Wireless Facility (4354 South Sherwood Forest Boulevard): Chip Lines, representing Verta Wireless/Verizon, proposed a 125-foot wireless communication tower on a 110-foot-wide lot in an area zoned rural but surrounded by commercial uses. The applicant requested waivers from applicable setback requirements; the tower would be about 170 feet from commercial structures to the north and west, and the nearest residence is about 850 feet away. The tower would accommodate Verizon plus up to two additional carriers. No speaker cards opposed the item. The commission approved it on a motion by Commissioner Maxie, seconded by Commissioner Addison.
• Item 2 – Plan Amendment 2-26, Plan Baton Rouge 3 Small Area Plan: Eric Dexter of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Joshua Brooks of Sasaki presented the downtown small area plan, covering the area bounded by the Mississippi River, Oklahoma Street, Nicholson Drive/Myrtle Avenue, the Canadian Pacific/Kansas City Railroad corridor, and Choctaw Drive. They described roughly 12 months of engagement with thousands of residents through workshops and surveys, and noted that Plan Baton Rouge 1 and 2 had leveraged about $3 billion in investment. The plan includes six guiding principles, about 80 recommendations, two miles of activated riverfront, 5,000 new residential units, an estimated 7,000 new downtown residents, and about $1.5 billion in early investments, with projections of $10 million in additional sales tax revenue and $27 million in annual property tax revenue. The document length was cited inconsistently: Dexter described it as about 148 pages, while Brooks referred to a 180-page document. After the public hearing, a Sasaki representative said the plan is conceptual, illustrative, and not prescriptive. Director Holcomb clarified that adopting the plan as a small area plan does not change zoning or existing property development rights. Commissioner Boyd asked whether a fallback location exists for the proposed sports and entertainment complex near the casino; Sasaki representatives said they would seek partnership with property owners rather than direct their investments. Commissioner Coleman expressed strong support for the collaborative process, and the commission approved the plan amendment on a motion by Commissioner Coleman, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, without objection.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the April 20 meeting minutes.
• Deferred Item 3 (Pettit Road sand and gravel mining CUP) to July 20.
• Approved consent items 4, 6, 7, and 8.
• Approved CUP 810 for St. Joseph’s Academy additional parking.
• Approved WT 226 for the Verizon wireless facility as requested, with the application including the requested setback waivers.
• Approved Plan Baton Rouge 3 as an official small area plan and amended FutureBR to incorporate it.
• Director Holcomb announced that staff will review and bring forward Unified Development Code amendments related to data centers in response to a recent Metropolitan Council resolution.
• The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for June 15, 2026; the planning office will be closed May 25, 2026, for Memorial Day.