This chapter is intended for the comprehensive regulation, by districts or zones, of the location, height, bulk, number of stories and size of buildings and other structures, the percentage of the lot which may be occupied, the size of yards, courts, and other open spaces, the density of population, and the uses of buildings, structures, and land for trade, industry, residence, recreation, civic activities and other purposes. Pursuant to this purpose the zoning ordinance and zoning map attached thereto as a part thereof create and divide the affected areas into districts; regulate the use of land, building, and structures, provide for uses by right, uses requiring planning commission approval and special exception uses, regulate the erection and alteration of buildings and structures, regulate building site areas and the size of front, rear and side yards, within the districts, provide for policies, conditions and procedures in connection with planning building groups; establish certain off-street parking and off-street truck loading regulations including minimum required areas, define and regulate nonconforming uses and structures; provide for administration and enforcement including the requiring of permits, licenses, and certificates of occupancy; provide for penalties for violation of the ordinances; establish the office of zoning administration and regulate its powers and duties; and establish an amendment policy and procedure.

(Ord. No. 6-91, intro. ¶, 5-15-1991)

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Accessory structure means a detached subordinate building located on the same building site with the main building, the use of which is incidental to that of the main building.

Accessory use means a use customarily incidental to the principal use of a building site with the accessory use.

Alley means any public space or thoroughfare 20 feet or less in width which has been dedicated or deeded for public use.

Alteration means any structural change in the supporting or load-bearing members of a building, such as bearing walls, columns, beams, or girders.

Boardinghouse means a building where, for compensation and by prearrangement, five or more persons other than occasional or transient customers are provided with meals.

Building means any covered structure intended for the shelter, housing, or enclosure of persons, animals or chattels; the term "building" shall be construed to include the term "structure."

Building site means the land area occupied or to be occupied by a building and its accessory buildings and including such open spaces, yards, minimum area, off-street parking facilities and off-street truck loading facilities as are required by this chapter; every building site shall abut upon a street.

Building site boundary means any line separating a building site from a street, an alley, another building site, or any land not part of the building site.

Church means a building, together with its accessory buildings and uses, where persons regularly assemble for religious worship, and which building, together with its accessory buildings and uses, is maintained and controlled by a religious body organized to sustain public worship.

Clinic, dental or medical, means a building in which one or more physicians and/or dentists are engaged in carrying on their profession; the clinic may include a dental or medical laboratory, but it shall not include inpatient care or operating rooms for major surgery.

Community home means any place, facility or home operated for the purpose of providing residential care, supervision, lodging, and maintenance of mentally and or physically handicapped individuals on a regular basis (subject to any and all applicable federal and state certification and licensing procedures).

Completely enclosed structure means a building enclosed by a permanent roof and by solid exterior walls pierced only by windows and customary entrance and exit doors.

Dwelling, multiple-family, means a detached building containing three or more dwelling units and used by three or more families living independently of each other; the term "multiple-family dwelling" includes apartment house.

Dwelling, one-family, means a detached building containing one dwelling unit and used exclusively by one family.

Dwelling, townhouse, means single-family attached dwellings on individual lots for sale; served by servitudes of access and providing common open spaces in lieu of typical single-family yards.

Dwelling, two-family, means a detached building containing two dwelling units and used by two families living independently of each other.

Dwelling unit means one or more rooms in the same structure, connected together and constituting a separate, independent housekeeping unit for permanent residential occupancy and with facilities for sleeping and cooking.

Family means one or more persons, living together as a single housekeeping unit, including not more than four lodgers or boarders.

Gross floor area means the sum of the gross horizontal areas of the several floors of a building, including interior balconies and mezzanines; all horizontal dimensions shall be measured between the exterior faces of walls, including the walls of roofed porches having more than one wall. The gross floor area of a building shall include the floor area of accessory buildings on the same building site, measured the same way.

Home occupation means an occupation for gain or support conducted only by members of a family residing in a dwelling and conducted entirely within the dwelling, provided that no article is sold or offered for sale except such as may be produced by members of the family residing in the dwelling and further provided that the occupation is incidental to the residential use of the premises and does not utilize more than 25 percent of the floor area of the dwelling. Home occupations shall include, in general, personal services such as are furnished by a musician, artist, cosmetician, or seamstress when performed by the person occupying the building as his private dwelling, and not including the employment of any additional persons in the performance of such services.

Hotel means a building containing guest rooms in which lodging is provided with or without meals for compensation, and which is open to transient or permanent guests, or both, and where no provision is made for cooking in any guest room; the term "hotel" includes the term "motel."

Lot of record means a lot which is part of a subdivision, the plat of which has been recorded in the office of the clerk of court and recorder, or a lot described by metes and bounds, the description of which has been recorded in the office of the clerk of court and recorder.

Mobile/manufactured home means a movable or portable dwelling built on a vehicular chassis, frame or undercarriage which is equipped with or capable of being equipped with axle, wheels or towing tongue and/or capable of being towed or moved from one site to another without the use of additional support such as a trailer or skids.

Nonconforming structure means a building or part thereof lawfully existing on the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived and which does not conform to all of the regulations of the district in which it is located.

Nonconforming use means a use which lawfully occupied a building or land on the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived and which does not conform to the use regulations of the district in which it is located.

Official map means the map established and adopted by the president and parish council, showing the streets existing and established as public streets and the lines of planned new streets or street extensions, widening, narrowing or vacations.

Off-premises outdoor advertisement means any outdoor sign, display billboard or other device which is designated, intended or used to advertise or inform, any part of which advertising or information content is visible from any place on the main-traveled way of the interstate or main highways.

On-premises advertisement means any outdoor sign, display, billboard or other device which advertises activities conducted on the property on which they are located (business signs) or signs of noncommercial nature placed on the premises by the owner or occupant thereof; such on-premises advertising or identifying structures shall not be considered "outdoor advertising" structures.

Permitted structure means a structure meeting all the requirements established by this chapter for the district in which the structure is located.

Planning commission means a group consisting of nine members, each appointed by the president and parish council to five-year terms, whose responsibility is to regulate and manage the orderly development of the parish through the use of zoning ordinances and other restrictions.

Roominghouse means a building, other than a hotel, where, for compensation and by prearrangement, five or more persons other than occasional or transient customers are provided with lodging.

Street means a public right-of-way which provides vehicular and pedestrian access to adjacent properties.

Street line means the line or boundary separating the public right-of-way from the land or property adjoining.

Structure means anything constructed or erected which requires location on the ground or attached to something having a location on the ground; provided, however, that utility poles and fences and walls (other than building walls) shall not be considered to be structures.

Yard, front, means an open, unoccupied space on the same building site with a main building, extending the full width of the building site and situated between the street line and the front line of the building projected to the side lines of the building site. The depth of the front yard shall be measured between the front line of the building and the street line.

Yard, rear, means an open, unoccupied space on the same building site with a main building, extending the full width of the building site and situated between the rear line of the building site and the rear line of the building projected to the side lines of the building site. The depth of the rear yard shall be measured between the rear line of the building site and rear line of the building.

Yard, side, means an open, unoccupied space on the same building site with a main building, situated between the side line of the building and the adjacent side line of the building site and extending from the rear line of the front yard to the front line of the rear yard. If no front yard is provided the front boundary of the side yard shall be the front line of the building site, and if no rear yard is provided the rear boundary of the side yard shall be the rear line of the building site.

(Ord. No. 6-91, § I, 5-15-1991; Ord. of 9-17-1997)

In interpreting and applying the provisions of this chapter, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the public health, safety, and general welfare. Whenever the provisions of this chapter require a greater width or size of yards or other open spaces, a lower height of buildings or less number of stories, a greater percentage of lot to be left unoccupied, or other higher standards than are required in any other applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation, the provisions of this chapter shall govern; whenever other applicable statutes, ordinances, or regulations require higher standards than the provisions of this chapter, such other applicable statutes, ordinances, or regulations shall govern.

(Ord. No. 6-91, § IX(A), 5-15-1991)