JOHN E. SETTLE JR.
The new year will bring in a big change in Caddo Parish zoning and land use planning.
Caddo Parish will no longer be subject to the jurisdiction of the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), which then becomes the Shreveport Metropolitan Planning Commission. Additionally, the parish will no longer be a party to Great Expectations: Shreveport-Caddo 2030 Master Plan.
Presently, the MPC regulates and enforces zoning and land use planning in the city of Shreveport and within the five-mile zone in the parish adjacent to the city limits.
The Shreveport Unified Development Code is the comprehensive ordinance that encompasses property uses and building permits within the city limits. The Caddo Parish Unified Development Code controls the five-mile zone adjacent to the city limits.
Legislation sponsored by State Rep. Danny McCormick removes the parish from the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission and the 2030 Master Plan on Jan. 1, 2022. Thus, the MPC will not automatically have jurisdiction over the parish UDC and the five-mile zone
The Caddo Commission has not determined what agency, if any, will provide the enforcement and regulatory functions of the parish UDC presently handled by the Shreveport-Caddo MPC.
The commission's 2021 budget appropriated $280,000 to the Shreveport-Caddo MPC. The 2022 budget has budget line items of $325,000 for the Metropolitan Planning Commission.
The commission could contract the Shreveport MPC, another municipal planning commission or establish an in-house planning office.
The commission's last scheduled regular meeting of the year was Dec. 9. Thus, there will be no enforcement officer/agency for the parish UDC unless a special meeting is called to address this issue.
Any MPC funding in 2022 should be preceded by the execution of a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the parish.