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

8.101
Property owner(s) submits the form titled "petition for amendment of zoning ordinance," in quadruplicate, to the secretary of the department of planning and the zoning commission in the city department of planning no later than 17 calendar days prior to the meeting of the planning and zoning commissions at which it is first to be considered. The form must be properly completed, signed and notarized. Forms are available in the city department of planning.

8.102
Property owner(s) deposits with the Slidell department of permits the fees required by Appendix F. - Fees of this Code. This fee must be deposited no later than 17 calendar days prior to the planning and zoning commissions meeting at which the petition is to be first considered.

(a)

The planning and zoning commissions may suspend the 17-day deadline for a petition or deposit if in the opinion of the commission a delay to the following meeting would cause property owner(s) unusual hardship or expense. Late petitions must include all requirements as set forth in section 8.103.

8.103
When the request is for a change of the district map, the petitioner(s) must submit four copies of each of the following:

(a)

The "petition for amendment of zoning ordinance" (properly completed, signed, and notarized).

(b)

A map of the petitioned property drawn to a scale of one inch equals 200 feet or larger.

(c)

A legal description of the petitioned property.

8.104
City department of planning shall make a preliminary review of the petition.

8.105
City department of planning shall notify the petitioner(s) in writing of the date, time, and place of the commission meeting at which the petition will be presented for acceptance.

8.106
At least one of the petitioners, who shall be sufficiently knowledgeable of the petition to answer questions and who shall be empowered to make changes in the petition shall be present at the commission meeting at which the petition is presented for acceptance. If the petitioner is a corporation, the person representing the corporation shall be an officer of the corporation. Failure of a qualified petitioner to be present may result in the petition being rejected.

At this meeting, the commission shall be permitted to discuss the petition among themselves, with the petitioner, and with city officials. The commission shall have the privilege of making any comments or recommendations. However, the commission is specifically denied the right to direct or order the petitioner to change in any way the petition presented, or to deny holding a public hearing on a petition if a qualified petitioner is present at this meeting. The discussion at this meeting shall not replace a public hearing and no input from the general public shall be permitted at this commission meeting. However, experts requested by the commission or the petitioner(s) may be heard.

Should the petitioner(s) choose to modify the "petition for amendment of zoning ordinance," the petitioner(s) may do so at this meeting. Before the conclusion of the meeting, the commission shall set a date for a public hearing on the petition as presented or as modified by the petitioner(s) at the meeting.

8.107
There shall be a public hearing regarding the petition before the planning and zoning commissions at which parties in interest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be fully heard.

8.108
Notice of the proposed change and date, time and place of the public hearing shall be published in accordance with law.

8.109
A printed notice in bold type shall be posted for not less than ten consecutive calendar days prior to the public hearing, on signs not less than 1½ square feet in area; prepared, furnished, and placed by the Slidell building official on each block of each street adjoining the area proposed for a change in zoning classification. Said signs shall contain an accurate statement of the change(s) proposed and also the date, time and place of the public hearing as provided above.

8.110
Within 120 days dated from the introduction of a petition in its correct form, the planning and zoning commissions shall submit its final report and recommendations regarding the change(s) to the secretary of the city council. This report shall be made within ten calendar days of the commission meeting at which the final action has taken place. The city council shall not take action on the proposed change(s) until it receives the final report of the commission.

8.111
The city shall hold a public hearing on the petition.

8.112
Any amendment that has failed to receive the approval of the planning and zoning commissions shall not be passed by the city council except by an affirmative vote of the majority of the authorized membership of the legislative body.

8.113
A final yea and nay vote shall be taken on the proposal by the city council within 120 days dated from the introduction of the ordinance in correct form.

8.114
However, in case of a protest against such a change signed by the owners of 20 percent or more of the lots immediately adjacent, extending 200 feet from the nearest property lines of the lots proposed for change, or those directly opposite thereto extending 500 feet from the street frontage of such opposite lots, such amendment(s) shall not become effective except by favorable vote of at least the majority of the authorized membership of the legislative body.

8.115
After publishing notice required by section 8.1, the city council may hold any public hearing required by this article or the statutes of Louisiana pertaining to zoning jointly with any public hearing required to be held by the planning and zoning commissions, but the legislative body shall not take action until it has received the final report of the commission.

(Ord. No. 1309, 11-11-1980; Ord. No. 2280, 9-26-1989; Ord. No. 4155, § 1(Exh. A), 1-23-2024)