ST. MARTIN PARISH (BREAUX BRIDGE) — A proposal to bring a new RaceTrac gas station and convenience store to Breaux Bridge has been put on hold following a City Council meeting Tuesday evening, where legal and zoning concerns took center stage.
The developers, who are looking to sell property at the northwest corner of Exit 109 along Interstate 10, are also seeking to establish a RaceTrac at the site. However, city officials say the proposed location falls within the I-10 Commercial Corridor and Gateway District — a zoning area that explicitly prohibits certain types of development.
Under current zoning regulations, truck-related services such as 18-wheeler infrastructure, truck stops, truck washes and truck stop casinos are not allowed within the district.
“The zoning ordinance, as it applies to RaceTrac and the C-5 Gateway District, is vague,” said Loren Kleinpeter, a Baton Rouge-based attorney representing the developers. “We really need to get to the substance of the matter.”
Kleinpeter argues the development should not fall under prohibited uses, while the city maintains the ordinance is clear and enforceable.
City Attorney Chester Cedars said the matter is further complicated by ongoing litigation that began last spring, involving the same parties and the same development site.
“It’s still active litigation that involves the same parties, the same type of development and the same issues,” Cedars said. “Any decision by the Board of Adjustment tonight would’ve just complicated the whole legal process.”
Citing Louisiana law that prohibits concurrent legal proceedings on identical issues, the Board voted to postpone the appeals hearing until the litigation is resolved.
“It wasn’t much of a meeting,” said Cedars. “What we saw tonight is a bunch of poppycock.”
The City Council is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 6:00 p.m.
