The mayor and board of aldermen may, from time to time, amend, supplement or change the regulations, restrictions, or boundaries herein or subsequently established. Such amendment, supplement, or change may be initiated:

(1)

By action of the mayor and board of aldermen itself by introduction of an ordinance or by adoption of a motion.

(2)

By recommendation of the planning commission.

(3)

By petition of property owners.

Petitions by property owners for the amendment, supplementation or change of the zoning ordinance shall be filed with the mayor and board of aldermen through the planning commission. In filing such petitions, the following rules shall apply:

(11.201) No petition for a change in the classification of property shall be filed unless such petition is duly signed by the owners or authorized agents of not less than fifty (50) per cent of the area of land for which a change of classification is requested; provided, however, that where any lot located in the aforesaid area is owned in indivisum, all co-owners must sign the petition for that lot to be included in the fifty (50) per cent area provision.

(11.202) Each petition for a change in the classification of property shall conform to such standards and requirements as the planning commission shall adopt.

(11.203) For each petition for a change in the classification of property or a portion thereof for which a change of classification is requested, regardless of the number of acres or size of the parcel, the fee shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). Under no conditions or circumstances shall said sum or any part thereof be refunded for failure of said request to be adopted by the mayor and board of aldermen. The petitioner or property owner shall also pay the direct cost of recording and transcribing the hearing to writing of all testimony given at the public hearing held by the zoning commission.

(11.204) Whenever a petition is filed requesting a change or amendment to this ordinance, and said petition has been finally acted upon by the mayor and board of aldermen, or when said petition has received no action on the part of the mayor and board of aldermen within ninety (90) days from the date of submission of the report of the planning commission, or when said petition has been officially advertised for public hearing, but has subsequently been withdrawn either before or after said public hearing has been held, then the mayor and board of aldermen shall not consider any further petition requesting or proposing such change or amendment for the same property within one year from the date of the mayor and board of aldermen's final legal action on said petition or from the expiration of the aforesaid ninety (90) day period in case action has not been taken by the mayor and board of aldermen, or from the date of withdrawal of said petition; provided, however, that said petition has been officially advertised. This provision shall not apply in cases where the mayor and board of aldermen wish to consider a petition involving a comprehensive zoning revision of an area larger than twenty (20) acres.

(Ord. No. 1433, § 3, 12-13-11)

No amendment, supplement or change of the zoning ordinance or zoning district map shall become effective unless and until:

(11.301) There shall have been held a public hearing in relation thereto before the planning commission at which parties in interest and citizens shall have had an opportunity to be fully heard.

(11.302) Notice of the proposed change and of the time and place of the hearing shall have been published in accordance with Louisiana Revised Statutes, section 33:4726, or any statute amendatory thereof.

(11.303) After the public hearing as provided above, the planning commission shall have submitted its report and recommendations upon the proposed change and amendment to the mayor and board of aldermen. The mayor and board of aldermen shall not take official action upon the change and amendment until the report of the planning commission has been received; provided, however, that if the report has not been filed within forty-five (45) days after the date of the public hearing, the mayor and board of aldermen may then take official action upon the change or amendment.

(11.304) A final yea or nay vote shall have been taken on the proposal by the mayor and board of aldermen within ninety (90) days from date of receipt of the recommendation of the planning commission or from the lapse of forty-five (45) days from the date of the public hearing, whichever is longer.

(11.305) The provisions of this section do not apply in cases where there is a proposal to enact an entire new ordinance to change the test as a whole, or to change all of the zoning district map, or both, in which event the procedure set out in the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, sections 33:4721 through 33:4730 shall be followed.

All applications for all variances, including trailer petitions and request for home occupancies, shall be thirty-five dollars ($35.00) and for requests for conditional use(s) permits or zoning variances an additional one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00).

(Ord. No. 1433, § 4, 12-13-11)