The Caddo Alliance has made many trips to Caddo Commission meetings objecting to the Unified Development Code (UDC) and its application to areas in the parish.
The Shreveport Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission has jurisdiction over properties in the parish in a zone that ranges from two miles to five miles adjacent to the city limits. The UDC, actually the parish version of the UDC, applies to those areas under the MPC's jurisdiction.
The Alliance has received assurances, many times, from both the Commission and MPC executive director Alan Clarke that the concerns of the Alliance had been heard and would be timely addressed. There have been several town hall meetings with citizens, commissioners, and the MPC staff to address the matters.
The Alliance has also objected to the Great Expectations Master Plan and its application to propety within the parish.
North Caddo House of Representatives member Danny McCormich has prefiled legislation to delete any participation by the parish in the MPC, to remove any parish property from the MPC jurisdiciton and remove any parish property from the master plan guidelines.
Clarke believes the legislation is premature.
“I strongly believe that House Bill 697 is premature and will present confusion in the Parish of Caddo and the City of Shreveport.
Even though there have been community meetings and there are still push back from citizens at these meetings, we still do not believe that we have attracted a fair representation of citizens in the MPC Planning limits (Caddo Parish). We are finding that in some cases persons are not verifying whether they live in the actual planning limits and they are complaining about issues that do not affect them.
Codes and Plans are fluid and are subject to change. Many of the concerns from these meetings are being addressed with proposed amendments to the code governing those areas in Caddo Parish.
The entire planning limits would be better served with patience and engagement rather than attempting a measure that may place citizens in a position of no land use protection.
We will continue to attend meetings that are hosted by Caddo Parish Commissioners but it is almost becoming ineffective if the same people are in attendance.
Both the UDC and Master Plan processes strived to engage citizens prior to adoption. If Citizens did not engage in the initial stages they truly could participate at this time and be involved in tailoring an ordinance that reflect the vision of Caddo Parish citizens”
McCormick’s bill does not repeal the UDC parish jurisdiction. Only the Caddo Commission has this legislative power, unless the commission enacts a new zoning ordinance.
If the proposed legislation is enacted, there will be no government agency to enforce the UDC in the parish.
This undesired uses of property such as pig farms, 24/7 business operations and heavy manufacturing plants could be located in the zone adjacent to the city limits. Such property uses would also adversely effect properties in the city limits that are immediately adjacent to or closely located near the city limits.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE March 13 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR.