Sucette Harbor killed, 5-0

Seven amendments further strangled ordinance before defeat

Multitude of ‘wrecking amendments’ forced ardent supporters Kreller, Danielson to reject

Every vote against project was unanimous

Updated September 6, 2023, at 6:01 a.m. — Expands coverage on amendments and voting.

MANDEVILLE — The long-debated, often-criticized Sucette Harbor project was rejected tonight (September 5th) by the City Council after a months-long process that generated a groundswell of opposition to building a hotel, events center, and apartment complex in the middle of a residential area at the west end of the Mandeville Lakefront.

A heavily amended Ordinance 23-16 was rejected, 5-0, by a City Council that seemed to sense the proposal’s imminent defeat as Councilman at Large Jason Zuckerman and District III Councilwoman Jill McGuire teamed up for a whopping seven amendments that further constricted the proposal beyond an amendment adopted July 12th that cut the number of apartment units from 178 down to 90.

From removing a blanket stipulation granting “all variances and departures from the CLURO (Comprehensive Land Use Regulation Ordinance)” to prohibiting any use not specifically listed in the ordinance itself, the “wrecking amendments” signaled the end was near.

Each of tonight’s (September 5th) seven amendments were adopted 5-0, as the other council members offered no opposition, other than asking for clarifications, leading to a total of nine amendments, dating back to the July 12th special meeting.

Even the project’s two stalwarts — Councilman at Large Rick Danielson and District II Councilman Dr. Skelly Kreller — agreed to each new amendment and ultimately conceded defeat, joining the majority in killing the proposal.

Only weeks ago Kreller had attempted to break the 90-unit limit placed on the ordinance by Zuckerman’s July 12th amendment but was ruled out of order under parliamentary rules. Twice in the last month, Danielson put the brakes on further votes on the ordinance when it appeared defeat was imminent.

But tonight, nothing could save the ill-fated proposal. Every vote was unanimous.

Developer Bill Hoffman opened the meeting by flatly telling the City Council that they could not conform to the 90-unit amendment, insisting that 170 units was their floor.

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