St. George · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in St. George public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Comprehensive plan adoption
The city's new comprehensive plan is almost done. Commissioners will review it in a September workshop, and they're the body that has to adopt it — expected in November — setting the city's growth, housing, and street priorities for years.
St. George Civic Complex at Long Farm
The Long Farm development's potential civic/commercial area jumped nearly 690%, from about 4 acres to over 31 acres, near Airline Highway and Antioch, with some residential density trimmed. It shapes what gets built in one of the city's biggest mixed-use developments.
Economic Development District No. 1
The council is moving toward creating a 55.5-acre economic development district near Airline Highway and Antioch Road, where new taxes collected in the district would fund development projects. Public comment happens at the October 13 meeting.
Country Manor cut-through traffic and speed bumps
Country Manor became a major cut-through after a nearby development got a through street, bringing speeding, crashes and safety fears. The council approved the city's first-ever successful speed bump petition.
Pending litigation over rezoning and Baton Rouge annexations
Two lawsuits went behind closed doors: one by LRK, LLC challenging a proposed rezoning, and the long-running fight with Baton Rouge over annexations after St. George's incorporation election.
Uber ride subsidy partnership
A tentative August 19 public meeting will explore an Uber pilot ride-share program — an early step toward public transportation in St. George.
Gas station regulations in the Unified Development Code
The council denied a change that would have let gas stations go into more mixed-use districts and removed the four-pump cap. Critics warned gas station sites are permanent and the city already has enough of them.
Perkins Road residential-to-commercial transition
A contractor wants to rezone 2.33 acres at Perkins and Piku Lane from residential to business for a two-story office. Neighbors fear flooding from mostly concrete coverage, sewage capacity, traffic, and a commercial building overwhelming their residential street — and they want binding agreements like they've negotiated with past developers.
Riga Road/PQ Lane subdivision and neighborhood impacts
Neighbors of the LRK LLC subdivision near the VA clinic site pushed to delay approval until the new master plan is ratified, citing cut-through traffic, drainage, and lost buffering protections. The commission approved it anyway, noting drainage and traffic studies come with future plat and site plan reviews.
Rezoning of LRK, LLC tracts for planned VA clinic
Two parcels near Pecou Lane and Reiger Road were rezoned so a Veterans Administration clinic can be built there. The landowner had sued to block the citywide zoning map change, but agreed to this specific rezoning. It's a win for veterans services in St. George.
September 30 special meeting on LRK VA clinic tract zoning
After executive session on the LRK lawsuit, the council called a special meeting to consider zoning the proposed VA clinic tract and its detention pond — a major development decision arriving fast.
Southern Shenandoah flood control project
Council members touted a stormwater summit August 13 and noted that newly dug drainage ditches are holding water as designed — progress on flood mitigation for a flood-prone area.
2026–2027 Budget and Public Hearing
Good news for taxpayers: August closed with roughly a $2.3 million year-to-date surplus, spending is under pace with the budget law, and last fiscal year finished $19.6 million in the black.
Transfer of parish roads to city ownership
The city officially took over all parish roads inside St. George, meaning your potholes, ditches and drainage now handled by city crews rather than East Baton Rouge Parish. Public Works has been maintaining them since October 2025 and has filled roughly 1,000 potholes since January.
First-year results of on-scene services and homelessness initiative
One year in, the city's on-scene services have handled over 2,000 crashes, freeing sheriff's and state police for proactive work, while the homelessness program has helped 155 people — 91 into recovery — and cleared 42 encampments.
State funding for Manchac Fountain detention and Jefferson Highway drainage projects
State dollars allocated in the last legislative session can now flow to two projects — a detention pond preservation and a Jefferson Highway widening and drainage project — once the mayor signs the cooperative endeavor agreements.
Municipal library system ordinance introduced
Councilman Murrell's ordinance to create a city-run library system and Library Board of Control was formally introduced — it heads to a June 9 public hearing. This is a big step in St. George standing up its own services after the breakaway from Baton Rouge.
First two reserve police officers appointed
St. George appointed Tucker Sharer and Charles Robinson as its first-ever reserve officers, a milestone in building the new city's police operation from scratch.
The Preserve at Harveston concept plan revision
The largest development item on the agenda — the fifth revision to the Harveston PUD changes open space, land uses, and adds four new access points to surrounding roads. Developers must now complete updated traffic and drainage studies before the plan coordinates further with city staff.