ST. MARTIN PARISH (BREAUX BRIDGE) — Tensions ran high Tuesday night during a Board of Adjustment meeting in Breaux Bridge, as board members once again denied an appeal to build a proposed RaceTrac gas station in the northwest corner of Exit 109 off I-10.
It’s the second time the board has rejected plans to develop the site, located at the northwest corner of the exit. The ongoing dispute has now escalated into a legal battle between the city and the property’s owners.
“Tonight’s meeting went about as well as we could’ve hoped,” Councilman Eddy J. LeBlanc said, following a heated exchange between legal representatives.
According to LeBlanc, RaceTrac first filed an appeal in November 2024 after the city denied its request to develop the site due to a 2017 ordinance that prohibits the construction of additional 18-wheeler truck stops in Breaux Bridge. That appeal was denied in January.
On Tuesday, the property owners filed a second appeal, claiming the original decision was flawed and that new facts warranted reconsideration. However, after reviewing the evidence, the board determined that no substantial new information had been presented.
“It’s the same issue, it’s the same queries, it’s the same developments, it’s the same property—nothing has changed,” city attorney Chester Cedars argued.
Loren Kleinpeter, a private attorney representing the property owners, argued that refusing to hear the new appeal—or voting against it—could raise constitutional questions about the ordinance.
“We’ll be in court over the constitutionality of the statute if you decide you’re not gonna hear this, or if you hear it and determine that you’re going to vote against the appeal," Kleinpeter said during the meeting.
Despite the warning, the board voted to deny the appeal.
Kleinpeter and his clients said they plan on taking the matter to the district court.
“We’ve denied what they’re asking already, and we’re just caught right now,” LeBlanc added, underscoring the city’s position.
The 2017 ordinance was initially passed to reduce 18-wheeler traffic in the city, which officials argue remains a priority.
“We have denied three to four different companies that have asked to come into Breaux Bridge with truck stops,” LeBlanc said. “But this is the first one we're getting pushback from.”
KATC will continue to follow this developing story.
