ZACHERY, La. (BRPROUD) – The City of Zachary held a meeting to discuss its updated comprehensive master plan to help spur economic development.

In 2010, the City of Zachary adopted a new comprehensive plan to help guide the future growth and development of Zachary.

Over the past several years, the City of Zachary updated many of its development regulations, including adopting a fully revised Unified Development Code (UDC) in 2022.

The original drafters, the project company, Villavaso, and Associates, recommended reviewing the plan every five years to ensure it fulfills the city’s needs.  

The company is in the early data-gathering stage involving the community to share what they would like to see happen for their city.

Zoning map of the City of Zachary, Louisiana

The President of Villavaso and Associates, Steve Villavaso, explains how the Master Plan hasn’t been updated in 13 years and needs updating.

“So we’re taking that plan and updating it and making it a 21st century,” says Villavaso, “2023 plan, will be good for the city for the next 20 years.”

According to the newly elected Mayor of Zachary, David McDavid, he wants to see the city have more commercial and recreational options for his city.

“Start aggressively going after these restaurants,” says Mayor McDavid, adding “grocery stores, clothing stores, fast food restaurants” all need to be added.

The updated master plan has new zoning for apartment complexes and subdivisions, street and road designs, and transportation and it even addresses flooding concerns.

Throughout the meeting, green and red stickers were placed on each table with a map of the city. Giving residents like Jason Floyd, a chance to label what works and what needs to be improved on in the city.

Red stickers are placed to show areas of improvement in the city of Zachery. While the green stickers are placed to show the desired areas within the city.

“It is my goal to come out and learn,” says Floyd, adding that he wants to learn the “structure of the process.”

COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN SCHEDULE:

September 2022 – January 2023: Data gathering/research, fieldwork, mapping, coordination with City Staff

February 1, 2023, Kickoff Meeting

February 2023-May 2023: Continued Stakeholder conversations and data gathering

Spring/Summer 2023: Community Planning Workshops

Fall 2023: Technical/stakeholder conversations, draft plan release public meetings, official city review, and public hearings

The next Planning and Zoning Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 6, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at City Hall, located at 4700 Main Street.

Any recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Commission will go before the Zachary City Council on February 28.