The parish effort to devise a comprehensive zoning and land use plan has caused confusion and a flurry of activity in the southwest region of the parish.

Specifically, the Interstate 12 and Louisiana Highway 21 intersection has once again become a hotbed of controversy pitting neighboring residents against the proposed plan.

A zoning change to an H-C highway commercial designation would allow up to 200,000-square-foot stores and has been proposed in the zoning plan for the tract on the north side of I-12 between the Colonial Pinnacle project and the Tchefuncte River. The Colonial Pinnacle Nord du Lac project, at a virtual standstill for the past several months, was the center of a yearlong protest citing infrastructure and traffic woes.

The concerns revolved around what areknown as “big box” stores such as Wal-Mart and Sam’s Wholesale Club. These stores traditionally have a higher square footage and derive their revenue by providing discount prices and selling at a volume rather than price points.

The original agreement reached with the landowner, Bruce Wainer, led to a deed restriction prohibiting the development of the land for any “big box” store, said Lisa Condrey, attorney for Smart Growth Tammany in March 2008.

It is unclear whether the parcel in question is owned by Nord du Lac or if the restrictions would apply if someone else wanted to develop the parcel.

The original agreement stated Nord du Lac must be built as proposed, as an upscale lifestyle center. Even if the economy declined, they were supposed to adhere to the original proposal and not build a strip mall made of steel.

Currently, the project is on hold.

Across I-12, another parcel of land behind the Stirling Covington Center is also mired in controversy as a change is proposed to make the area A-8, high-density multi-family. The parcel is currently approved as a conditional use on commercially zoned property for a specifically designed project consisting of 196 units. The new zoning would make up to 240 units possible.

In an e-mail statement, St. Tammany Parish Councilman Marty Dean writes, “I am not going to support big boxes on that piece of property. Contrary to what you have been hearing or reading, there is absolutely nothing underhanded or politically crooked that occurred on my part when I placed the commercial request on the map.

I am the same guy who attempted to fight ... the WalMart/Sam’s development back a couple of years ago. I am the same guy who has decreased the density all around the District during this rezoning process. There are many A-6, A-3, A-4’s that have been downzoned; but no one has noticed that. What a shame. I haven’t changed in 50 years, and I’m not now. Please let the process work through, and I promise by Thursday night, you will be pleased.”

Dean did not respond to repeated phone calls on Friday.

A meeting between he and members of one of the subdivisions was supposedly scheduled for yesterday morning; however, the other parties involved could not be contacted so the time and place of the meeting could not be determined.

The entire rezoning matter will go before the Parish Council Thursday night at 6 p.m. on Koop Drive. Citizen groups are urging concerned residents to voice their opinions to their councilman and at the meeting.