Effective January first, the Caddo Shreveport Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) will no longer have zoning/planning jurisdiction over the five mile zone outside the Shreveport City limits.
State Rep. Billy McCormich from north Caddo sponsored legislation that was passed last year.
On the effective date, the MPC will only have jurisdiction within the city limits of Shreveport.
McCormick's bill was instituted by active lobbying of the Caddo Alliance for Freedom
The Caddo Commission will need to make several key decisions this year pertaining to the five mile contiguous zone.
Initially, is the controversial Caddo Unified Development Code (CUDC) going to remain in effect in 2022? The CUDC is similar to but not identical to the Shreveport Unfiled Development Code.(SUDC).
If so, who will administer the CUDC? Currently the MPC has that responsibility.
The Parish can either establish its own zoning/planning office or contract with the MPC to handle that function.
Currently the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) handles zoning cases under both the CUDC and the SUDC. The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) also has responsibilities under both codes.
Thus the Commission must also decide if the MPC and the ZBA will retain jurisdiction over the five mile zone. If not, then a parish MPC and parish ZBA will need to be legislatively created.
A related but very important issue for the Commission is what zoning, if any, will control the unincorporated areas of the Parish, which includes the five mile zone.
Caddo Commissioner Todd Hopkins is taking an active role in pushing the Commission to proceed with the legislative process to deal with these issues. Hopkins is the only commissioner who has a totally rural district, i.e. outside the Shreveport city limits.
The Commission will soon appoint a Citizen Advisory Committee of the Long-Range Planning Committee to study planning and zoning in the parish. Hopkins strongly recommended to the Commission at its last meeting that ALL of these committee members live in unincorporated areas of the parish.
Hopkins identified the issues the advisory committee, and ultimately the Long-Range Planning Committee and the Commission, should address:
1. Historical issues related to parish planning and zoning
2. Fiscal impact of proposed actions in regard to the creation of a new parish department for planning and zoning versus contracting with the MPC for these functions
3. Impact of any new parish legislation on parish areas not currently zoned and the need for any additional parish zoning in these areas
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These is no doubt that the Caddo Alliance for Freedom will be actively monitoring the actions of the citizens advisory committee, the parish Long-Range Committee and the Commission itself on these issues.
John came to Shreveport in January of 1977 when he was transferred to Barksdale AFB.
He’s been active in Shreveport politics since deciding to make Shreveport his home.
John practiced law for 40 years and he now monitors local politics. He regularly attends Shreveport City Council and Caddo Parish Commission meetings.
John is published weekly in The Inquisitor, bi-monthly in The Forum News, and frequently in the Shreveport Times.
He enjoys addressing civic groups on local government issues and elections.