CITY OF PORT ALLEN PROCEDURES FOR APPLYING TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS FOR A VARIANCE OF SETBACK REQUIREMENTS
The City of Port Allen is a community governed by zoning rules and regulations which have been established for the orderly development of our community.
Each type of land use is placed into a particular category or classification which regulates such things as uses, lot size, building size, parking requirements, height restrictions, and building setback requirements.
The building setback is the minimum horizontal distance between the building foundation line and the property line. On the street side of the property, the distance is measured from the building foundation line to the property line, not the street. In residential areas, these distances have been set in order for the property owners and their neighbors to enjoy some privacy and for the purpose of providing enough room for fire protection from neighboring dwellings.
We realize that there are occasions when a property owner wishes to expand an existing dwelling, add a carport, or build a new home in the older parts of our community where the lots are much smaller than what are now allowed. In these cases, this construction would exceed the setback requirements of our zoning laws. Appeals for variances to these setback requirements are provided by state law, R.S. 33:4727, which designates that all communities with zoning requirements shall provide for a Board of Adjustments to hear such appeals and to determine whether or not such variances should be granted. The Port Allen Board of Adjustments has been established for this purpose as set forth in Section 10.1. Appeals, in our zoning regulations.
The Board meets regularly, as required by law, on the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Council Meeting Room at City Hall, 375 Court Street whenever there is a variance request to consider. Notice of meetings are published in advance in the city’s official journal, the West Side Journal newspaper.
The following steps must be completed in order for a variance to be considered:
- Completely fill out variance form and return to City Hall along with other required information at least two (2) weeks before the next scheduled hearing.
- Pay $50.00 filing fee at the time that the variance form is returned. This fee covers the cost of advertisement of a public hearing on your request and the hearing notification sign.
- Place hearing notification sign on property at least one (1) week before hearing.
- Be present at the hearing to answer any questions that may be asked by the Board or by interested citizens.
If the variance which you are requesting is granted, you will then be required to apply for a building permit before you actually begin your project. If your request is denied, you will not be allowed to begin your project.
We appreciate your cooperation in this matter and hope that this better explains the variance process. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at City Hall, 225-346-5670, and we will be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Board of Adjustments Members
Mr. John “Jason” Caillouet
Address:1590 Court Street Lot #89
Port Allen, Louisiana 70767
Telephone: 225-276-1332
Term Expires: 12-31-2022
Mr. Richard Slaughter
Address: 1150 Michigan Avenue
Port Allen, Louisiana 70767
Telephone: 225-916-0872
Term Expires: 12-31-2025
Ms. Adrian Smith
Address: 517 Gladious Street
Port Allen, Louisiana 70767
Telephone: 225-223-6002
Term Expires: 12-31-2023
Ms. Loretta Isaac
Address: 1220 Court Street
Port Allen, Louisiana 70767
Telephone: 225-220-9056
Term Expires: 12-31-2024
Ms. Laura M. Paul, Secretary
Address: 2420 Commercial Drive Apt. #D-2
Port Allen, Louisiana 70767
Telephone: 225-678-0611
BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD TH ETHIRD THRUSDAY OF EACH MONTH (IF NECESSARY) AT 7:00 pm IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING – CITY HALL, THIRD FLOOR