St. Charles Parish Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting - February 19, 2026
St. Charles Parish Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting - February 19, 2026
The St. Charles Parish Zoning Board of Adjustment met on Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers of the Courthouse to consider four variance requests. The meeting began with a procedural debate on administering oaths for testimony, which was tabled to the next meeting. All four variances on the agenda were approved after public hearings.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Walter Pillier (115 Dukay Drive, Destrehan) spoke on case 2026-2-ZBA, stating that the property in question had previous DEQ restrictions due to hazardous materials. He urged the board to thoroughly review the property's conveyance restrictions and expressed skepticism about whether DEQ approval had been properly obtained.
Discussion Items
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Point of Order – Administering Oaths: A board member moved to require all testimony to be given under oath, citing Louisiana Revised Statute 33:140.57. After discussion about legal weight and procedure, the board voted to table the matter until the next meeting to allow review by the parish attorney. The motion to table passed unanimously.
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Case 2026-2-ZBA – Murray Architects Inc. (404 W. Alpha Drive, Destrehan): Applicant Joey Murray requested a waiver of landscaping requirements due to DEQ restrictions that prohibit deep-rooted trees on the capped former industrial site. Discussion focused on whether DEQ had approved the plans and the adequacy of documentation. A motion to table the case failed (vote not recorded). The board then approved the variance as written on a motion by Mr. Maddox, seconded by Mr. Lorrio. The motion passed.
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Case 2026-5-ZBA – NANO Architecture & Interiors (598 W. Alpha Drive, Destrehan): Applicant Christine Cobilla requested a waiver of the required five-foot planting buffer because a slab was poured with a minimum setback of two feet four inches due to a surveyor-contractor miscommunication. The applicant noted that additional green space (3,275 sq ft) was added elsewhere on the property. The board approved the variance as written on a motion by Mr. Maddox, seconded by Mr. Lorrio. The motion passed.
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Case 2026-6-ZBA – Troy Barrios (306 St. Anthony Street, Luling): Applicant requested a reduction in minimum building elevation from 6 ft NAVD88 to 12 inches above the centerline of the street for a single-family home. Barrios explained that a miscommunication between the parish and his surveyor led to confusion between two FEMA flood maps (Zone X vs. a higher elevation requirement). He signed an acknowledgment and indemnification agreement. Board members discussed the issue of inconsistent flood elevations. The variance was approved on a motion by Mr. Maddox, seconded by Mr. Martin. The motion passed.
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Case 2026-7-ZBA – Troy Barrios (308 St. Anthony Street, Luling): Identical request for the adjacent lot. Barrios stated the situation was exactly the same. The board approved the variance as written on a motion by Mr. Maddox, seconded by Mr. Martin. The motion passed.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to administer oaths was tabled to the next meeting for further study by the parish attorney.
- Case 2026-2-ZBA (Murray Architects) was approved. The applicant must coordinate with planning and zoning.
- Case 2026-5-ZBA (NANO Architecture) was approved.
- Case 2026-6-ZBA (Barrios – 306 St. Anthony) was approved.
- Case 2026-7-ZBA (Barrios – 308 St. Anthony) was approved.
- Minutes from January 15, 2026 were approved as written (motion by Mr. Maddox, seconded by Mr. Lorrio).
- The meeting adjourned on a motion by Mr. Maddox, seconded by Mr. Jeremy.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Calling to order the zoning board of adjustments meeting on February 19th, 2026 at 6 p.m. to order. Please rise for the pledge. All right. We have four cases on the docket this evening. When I call your name, please come up. Please state your name, your address, and what you're about to say is true. Let's see. And we have a uh a point of order. Point of order, Mr. Chair. Is this microphone on it? Okay, thank you. I'm not used to all this new faggot technology of us of screaming. Um I'd have I'd like to ask that uh I pass around copies of revised statute 33140 57 with that with present of the chair. Yep, you have permission. Yeah, no, yeah, yeah. Okay, I'd like to uh ask that we please look at section B uh three lines from the bottom. It says chairman may administer oaths and compel attendance of witnesses. Uh this is my third meeting and I used to chair this all this body years ago, and I think we have a real issue right now in case something ever happens. And with the chair has the option that says chair may administer oaths. I I think we need to administer oaths for all testimony, and I'd like to ask that the chair consider doing that, please. Yeah. I say we uh vote on it as a uh make a motion and we vote on it as a move that we uh that we administer oaths from this point forward. All right for everybody who speaks. All right. Can we have a vote on it? All right. So that was a motion. So make a motion right here. There you go. All right, so a motion that we uh that we administer oaths for each representative coming up pro revised statute 33 140 57. All right. We have a second. Uh before we uh vote on this item. Uh I'm not against it, but I like the opinion of uh planning and zoning. Hold on, it's like a point of order. A second hand motion. Okay, motion is seconded. And then now you could call for discussion. All right. All right, we can call for discussion now. If you have a question for the for the parish, you can ask it. Yes, do you all have an opinion on this either way? Uh this hasn't been something we've done in the past. Like I said, I don't have an objection to it. I just want some clarification. No one nothing really about it. I no, we don't have an opinion on it.
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