Maurice creates zoning map, table

MAURICE — Zoning of the Village of Maurice has now taken one of its biggest steps.
The Maurice Board of Alderman voted 3-0 at its regular meeting Wednesday to amend the zoning ordinance to include both a zoning map and a table that lists the zoning districts. Alderman Phyllis Johnson made the motion, while Alderman Darin Desormeaux offered a second.
“Approval of this accomplished what we started out eight or so months ago,” Maurice Mayor Wayne Theriot said. “It protects our health care, education facilities and government facilities from being exposed.”
Theriot brought to the table last year the idea of creating a limit as to how close businesses that produce chemical waste could be located to certain buildings that house large gatherings. Research into the subject led to the creation of the zoning commission, and now the map and tables.
The map designates the entire corporate limits of the village as light industrial. The three separate districts within that will be light industrial, commercial and residential. There is a grandfather provision for properties already in the village.
“Activities are set forth in this table,”
Village Attorney Scott Dartez said during Wednesday’s meeting. “If it is not on the table, it is not allowed. From this point, if there is an oil field disposal pit that wants to come in, it is not allowed because that is not listed on the table.”
Anything that is not on the table can be granted a variance. Any potential variances will have to be granted by the board of alderman. The board will hear recommendations from the zoning commission, which will first review requests.”
The board of alderman voted in earlier this year to officially create the zoning commission, which served as one of the initial steps to the ultimate goal of zoning.
The five-person zoning commission comprises citizens John Suire, Chris Simon, Nicholas Hebert and, John Thibeaux, as well as Alderman Gary Villien. Theriot appointed two to the commission, with Desormeaux, Johnson and Villien each appointing one member. Villien is one of Theriot’s appointees, with the idea that an alderman will always serve as one of the commission’s members. After Wednesday’s approval of the map and table, the commission can now move forward.
“With this approval,” Theriot said, “the zoning commission will take the table and determine what can be placed in certain area. For example, they can say corporate limits on Highway 92 for 1.2 miles will be designated as commercial. Or it could be designated as residential
“As they go through it and as those things are recommended by the zoning commission and accepted by the board (of alderman), it will be colored on the map.”
The zoning commission meets at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at Maurice City Hall. The next scheduled meeting is May 1.
“I think this is a very positive thing for the village,” Maurice Mayor Wayne Theriot said. “It’s a plan of how we are going to move forward.”