New rules for industrial zoning in Jefferson Parish will be the subject of two public hearings this week.
It's the second set of public hearings for the proposals, part of a study that began in the summer of 2021. The first draft, which came out in November, called for forbidding businesses to open new bulk storage sites for hazardous materials, and for requiring existing sites to submit an odor control plan and provide a 24-hour hotline for the public.
Since then, the draft has been revised. Read the latest version and see maps of focus areas.
This week's public hearings are scheduled from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on:
- Tuesday -- Parish Council chamber, second floor, General Government Building, 200 Derbigny St., Gretna
- Wednesday -- Parish Council chamber, second floor, Joseph S. Yenni Building, 1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., Elmwood.
Both meetings will be livestreamed on JPTV (Channel 6 on Cox and Channel 99 on AT&T Uverse) and the parish government website.
Jefferson has long been home to heavy industry, especially along the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Big oil depots, chemical plants and grain elevators employ hundreds of residents, pay millions of dollars in taxes and draw complaints about safety and air, water and ground pollution.
The Planning Department and Chicago-based consulting firm Camiros Ltd. are conducting the study. The final decision on zoning rests with the Parish Council.
"The goal of the Jefferson Parish industrial zoning district study is to evaluate the current industrial district structure and associated regulations to create a set of new, modern districts and standards that work with existing industrial development patterns," Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng's administration said. "This holistic evaluation will address the broad spectrum of issues and opportunities related to industrial development in Jefferson Parish."
At the public meetings, planners will present the latest changes to the draft regulations and zoning maps, and field questions.
