By SUE ELLEN ROSS – Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – More than two dozen residents left Monday’s meeting of the St. John Planning and Zoning Commission more confused than when they arrived.

They were there to protest the rezoning of property along Airline Highway from R-1 AND C-1 to Industrial allowance for the construction of a truck stop/casino/convenience store/restaurant.

The agenda item was listed third on Monday’s agenda. But due to the large crowd that came to hear the project’s fate, the commission moved it up to the first slot.

The commission told the audience that developer Gus Treme had recently sent a letter to the Planning and Zoning Department. In that letter, he asked to withdraw his request and cancel his application for the development.

Before taking any action, the commission had to bring the request back on board, since it had been tabled from last month’s meeting.

Once it was again on the table, there was a motion to accept Treme’s withdrawal. Commissioner Connie Powell said there was precedent to follow. “We have to allow him to withdraw,” she said.

Commissioner Lester Millet asked his fellow members whey they didn’t vote on the request. If they had, and it was denied, the developer would have to wait one year before resubmitting, he said. “Now he can come back in 30 days,” he added.

Treme would still have to follow the mandated guideline if he decided to do so. This includes presenting another application and placing proper advertisements.

Commission members were asked if they wanted to go the route of taking a vote for the request.

A motion was made and the majority of members said they didn’t want to take the time to vote on Treme’s request. The acceptance of the withdrawal stood.

After the decision, Councilmen Sean Roussel and Joel McTopy talked with residents outside the council chambers. “I don’t like what happend here,” said Roussel. “I think they should have voted.”

Roussel also questioned the procedure that just occured at the meetings.

The consensus among the dozens of residents outside the council building was that they wanted to know if the commission followed proper procedure regarding the withdrawal and to know what they can expect next.

Roussel told the group he and McTopy would check into the legalities of the withdrawal decision to see everything that just went on in the commission was the usual scenario.

McTopy added he would ask legal council regarding the validity of the commission’s course of action.

This request must first go through the District Attorney’s Office before it is sent to the Attorney General’s Office, he added.

“We will let the residents know what we find out,” he told the crowd.

Treme said on Tuesday, “I have no intention of tearing down Airline Motors Restaurant. We may try to do something with it.”

He added that he has been trying to buy property surrounding the land, as well as an area across Airline Highway.

As for re-submitting his request for the rezoning, he said he has no specific plans at this time.

“I would sitll like to meet with the leaders of the (residents) group,” he said, and added that he is going to call Roussel to possibly arrange the meeting.