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.
Giovanni Square redevelopment
A stalled project from its East Baton Rouge days gets new life — boundary adjustments and a private street approved so construction at Airline and Highland can finally be completed.
Live oak tree protections
The city wants to protect big live oaks by requiring permits and replacement plantings before they can be cut down. Local tree experts and residents say the draft is too broad, could amount to a property-rights overreach, and needs input from licensed arborists. It's on hold for two months while revisions are made.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.