THE ZACHA Y
SPRING AHEAD
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Set clocks forward Sunday, March 9
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, M a r c h 5, 2025
$1.00N
11TH YEAR, NO. 21
Zachary Council agrees to zoning changes BY OLIVIA MCCLURE Contributing writer
After months of debate that in recent weeks turned contentious, the Zachary City Council on Feb. 25 agreed to scrap a proposal to temporarily ban most new home construction in the city. The council also adopted changes to the city’s zoning regulations to mandate larger minimum lot sizes in some residential areas. Both the development moratorium and the zoning changes were proposed by council member Brandy Westmoreland, and the two items have been considered in tandem. Most discussions have centered on the zoning rules, which will now be updated to require lots in Zachary’s residential estate zone to be at least 3 acres; the minimum is currently 1 acre. The residential rural zone, which includes just a handful of properties in the city, will cease to exist and will be folded into the estate category. The council has gone back and forth on several variations of updates to the zones. The plan that was ultimately adopted had not been discussed at previous meetings; Westmoreland offered it at the Feb. 25 gathering just minutes before the council needed to take a vote. Westmoreland said her goal is to encourage smart growth in Zachary. “We don’t want to stop rooftops from coming because we all know the sensitivity to commercial developers,” she said. “We all know they count those rooftops in order to provide us retailers like grocery stores and things that we need in our city.” But Westmoreland said she also wants to honor concerns raised by her constituents. She said they frequently voice worries and frustrations about Zachary’s rapid growth, and many ask about what can be done to reduce the density of new subdivisions. The zoning item passed a split vote, highlighting fractures that have surfaced between council members recently. Westmoreland and her colleagues John LeBlanc and Ambre DeVirgilio voted for the changes while James Graves voted no and Jennifer Landry withheld her vote. Graves and Landry took issue with the fact that the council had not previously discussed the proposal that Westmoreland presented at the meeting. They had concerns about how many residential estate lots would no longer conform to the zone’s standards as well as what they said was a lack of communication about the plan. “There’s no way I can educatedly come up with any kind of vote or anything with … just now hearing about it at the council meeting on this agenda like five minutes ago,” Graves said. “I don’t think it’s in the city’s best interest for me even to discuss it without a staff report and doing some research and seeing how this is going to affect the different districts.” At the beginning of the meeting, Westmoreland requested to remove the moratorium item from the agenda. That motion passed unanimously.
PHOTOS BY SONYA GOSS
Kyrin Hardnett, senior; Javon Charles, junior; Charis Gaston, sophomore; and Christian Johnson, freshman; perform during the Zachary High’s Black History Celebration program. ä More photos. PAGE 3G
CELEBRATION in arts and commerce
Zachary High students celebrated Black History Month Celebration Feb. 27. Before the program, small businesses showcased and sold their products in the theater’s lobby. The Black History Program in the theater of the school’s Visual and Performing Arts Building included recitations, Candice Wheeler, owner of Nichelle Jewelry, who specializes in custom earrings, bracelets, necklaces performances and songs. and rings, is one of the business vendors at Zachary High’s Black History Celebration.
Zachary’s new fire truck, lifesaving equipment arrives BY OLIVIA MCCLURE
“It’s a 2024 model,” Kimble said. “It took us about two and a half years to get delivery of it. The The Zachary Fire Department cost of this truck and equipment has a shiny new truck with a va- is about $750,000, and it all came riety of lifesaving equipment on from funds from ARPA money.” ARPA refers to the American board. Fire Chief Danny Kimble told Rescue Plan Act, an economic the City Council about the depart- stimulus package that Congress ment’s newest addition at a meet- approved in 2021 as the country ing Feb. 25. The truck was parked recovered from the coronavirus PROVIDED PHOTO BY ZACHARY FIRE DEPARTMENT outside City Hall so council mem- pandemic. Engine 813 is the newest addition to the Zachary Fire Department’s bers and the public could see it as ä See TRUCK, page 3G they arrived. fleet. Contributing writer
Lane diaper drive continues through March 16 Lane Regional Medical Center is hosting a diaper drive through March 16. Donations of new or open packs of disposable diapers can be dropped off at the collection bin inside the first floor elevator lobby at Lane Regional Medical Center, or at any Lane clinic. As a partner agency of the Junior League of Baton Rouge’s Diaper Bank, the goal is to collect 1,000 diapers to distribute to families experiencing diaper need through Lane Pediatrics. Reasons to donate: n One in two families struggle
Rouge’s Diaper Bank disto afford diapers n Diapers cannot be tributes almost 500,000 diobtained through WIC or apers every year through SNAP partner agencies such as n Children who stay in Lane Pediatrics. dirty diapers have an inBreast imaging in town Leila creased chance of diaper Pitchford rash, viral illnesses, and Woman’s Hospital brings AROUND urinary tract infections lifesaving breast imagZACHARY n Most child-care cening to East Baton Rouge Parish with its mobile ters require a day’s supply mammography coach. of disposable diapers n Donations help babies have Physician’s orders are required and appointments are strongly a healthy start in life and are encouraged. making a difference in our comZachary United Methodist munity Church, 4205 Church St., Zachary, The Junior League of Baton
on March 12. Call (225) 924-8268 to schedule. It will also be at LPG Baker, 6516 E. Myrtle Ave., Baker, on March 19. Call (225) 774-9486 to schedule Appointments are available in Clinton and Greenwell Springs also.
Black history event Baker-Zachary Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority presents “Pearls of the Past, Pillars of the Future: A Journey
ä See AROUND, page 2G