Proposal calls for rural streets to be paved

LAFAYETTE — Developers in rural areas of the parish might soon be required to pave streets in new subdivisions of 15 lots or more.

The regulation, which is still in the draft stage and would need approval of the City-Parish Council, is meant to raise the bar on quality for subdivisions in unincorporated areas of the parish, said City-Parish Councilman Jay Castille, who has pushed the requirement.

Castille said he routinely hears complaints from rural constituents who bought into subdivisions with private gravel or dirt roads under the mistaken belief that city-parish government would take care of the upkeep.

“We can’t do anything about it,” Castille said.

He said that requiring developers to pave streets in new rural subdivisions will ease the upkeep obligation for residents and help ensure access for emergency vehicles.

Setting the trigger for paved streets at more than 15 lots is meant to keep the new regulation from applying to families who subdivide land for relatives, Castille said.

“The target is for subdivisions,” he said.

The proposed regulation also requires some form of aggregate, such as gravel or limestone, for private streets in developments of 15 lots or fewer.

The proposed regulation would not apply to existing subdivisions.

“It’s a discussion we need to have,” said City-Parish Councilman William Theriot, who represents rural areas in southern Lafayette Parish.

Theriot said the constituents he has spoken with have mixed feelings on the issue, with some in support of strengthening road standards for rural subdivisions and others questioning the need for new regulations in unincorporated areas of the parish.

Castille said he expects the proposal to come before the council in March.

The proposed regulations for paved roads come after the council approved stricter sewer regulations in August for rural subdivisions, requiring that developments of more than 15 lots be served by a large community sewer system rather than individual septic tanks for each home.

Before the council approved that regulation, the only requirement was a state law that mandated community sewer systems for developments of 125 lots or more.

The city of Lafayette already has zoning and strict subdivision regulations in place, but there is no comprehensive set of regulations addressing growth and development beyond the city limits.

Under the current city-parish regulations, developers of mobile home parks in rural areas of the parish generally face stricter requirements than developers of conventional subdivisions.

The council in 2008 approved a series of mobile home park regulations that mandate paved roads, sidewalks, buffer zones and sight-proof fencing.