Land Rezoning for Manufacturing and Logistics in St. Tammany
St. Tammany Parish Council approved the rezoning of a part of the Wadsworth property at the intersection of La. 1088 and Interstate 12 for an advanced manufacturing and logistics development. The land, close to Mandeville, is around 800 acres and sits just north. Many residents are not happy with the rezoning because residents are afraid of environmental and traffic concerns, and more developments that will come from the influx of well-paid jobs from the development.
The new zoning will allow the site to hold large distribution centers such as Target, Amazon or FedEx. There will be around 15-20 sites with the smaller being housed on around 25 acres. The buildings themselves will be designed to look like office buildings.
Many feel that St. Tammany parish is not ready for such a big development right in their backyard. A development with such a massive scale is a big deal and many want to put it on hold or disapprove it all together. The Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany group is still up in the air on whether to support the pro
“We don’t really know what we’re looking at,” said Carl Ernst, representing the Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany group.
The Wadsworth Property is a locally known collection of properties that encompasses 92-acres. Currently, the land is under a mix of residential and planned business zonings. They want to change the zoning because it has not attracted any developers to the spot.
Still, opponents worry about the damage millions of feet of new construction will cause to the environment. It will permanently change the area’s drainage and ecology.
“We’re in uncharted territory,” Joan Simon of Covington told the council, saying the approval process has been “rushed.”
“Why no traffic studies?” she asked.
