The Zachary City Council and Mayor David Amrhein agreed on Tuesday, Sept. 27, that the Dollar General store should not have to provide connectivity between its potential new site and the Shell gas station located on one side and an undeveloped lot located on the other.

However, the site plans for the proposed new site, located at 20131 Plank Road, showed a shared access between the properties, and the City Council was required to accept the plans as they were presented.

A representative for Dollar General and the real estate agent for the property, Sam Evans, said Dollar General is not against a shared access, it just wants the plans to be contingent upon a shared maintenance agreement saying all parties would be responsible for the wear and tear of the access.

“General Dollar wants to do the deal," said Evans. "It's not about granting access, it's about managing a maintenance agreement.”

The council voted 4-1 to approve the plans with the shared access but would put the item back in the agenda for the next meeting.

Other City Council agenda items included:

PLANNING and ZONING: Lot 3-A of the L.W. Bond tract was re-subdivided into four new lots on Rollins Road and in a separate action, was rezoned from RE (Residential Estate) to RS (Residential Suburban).

The rezone paves the way for a new development by Donald Hunt and changes the lots from a required three-acre minimum to 12,000 square feet lots.

Hunt approached the Council asking for permission to connect the new development by building individual sewer treatment modules as opposed to tying in to the city's existing sewer lines through a lift station.

"The numbers don't add up to do a lift station for only four lots," said Hunt.

The agenda item brought protest from the development's neighbors. and Kevin Borneman, on Maple Street.

Charles Miller, who lives north of the proposed project, said he is against Hunt's development because it would lower his property value due to sewage and ditch maintenance issues.

Kevin Borneman, of Maple Street, spoke on its drainage issues.

“I’m at the low-end of drainage on Maple," said Borneman. "There are high-water and raw sewage concerns that come with with heavy rains."

Hunt said his developments have never been a detriment to Zachary.

SEWER and STREET REHAB:

The bid for the tree removal project on McHost Road was awarded, however, Mayor Amrhein said more money is needed for the project. "We need to get with City-Parish and get more more money committed to the project," he said. "I think I moved too fast on this project in thinking I could get it bid separatley."

City-Parish has asked the City of Zachary to relocate utilities on Barnett Road. The state needs 700 acres mitigated for the Diversion Canal project.

ORDINANCES and RESOLUTIONS:

An ordinance on junk cars was introduced, but City Attorney John Hopewell intends to amend it and streamline the language in the ordinance.

A resolution was adopted stating that Zachary has a Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The Zachary City Council will meet again on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 6:30 p.m.