Proposal would clarify how developers calculate density in planned and marina districts
Planning commission voted to recommend ordinance
MANDEVILLE — The Mandeville City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday, March 12, on a proposed amendment to the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Regulations Ordinance that supporters say would clarify how development density is calculated on mixed-use sites.
Ordinance 26-03, sponsored by Councilmen-at-Large Jason Zuckerman and District II Councilman Kevin Vogeltanz, would amend several sections of the CLURO related to lot area definitions and site-development regulations in Planned District and marina zoning districts.
The measure received a favorable recommendation from the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission with minor technical revisions before advancing to the council for final consideration.
Clarifying density calculations
The ordinance focuses on how density, building area and other site-development standards are calculated when multiple uses are proposed on a single property.
Under the proposal, only the portion of a site designated for a particular use could be counted when calculating allowable building area, the number of residential units and other development criteria. Areas dedicated to other uses on the same property could not be used to increase density for a separate portion of the site. 
The ordinance also specifies that portions of property that extend into Lake Pontchartrain or other water bodies — as well as wetlands or areas subject to periodic inundation — cannot be included in those calculations. 
City officials said the changes are intended to reinforce existing regulations governing mixed-use developments in the Planned Marina (PM-1 and PM-2) districts and Planned District zoning category.
Sponsor says measure prevents “overdevelopment”
In a public statement posted ahead of the vote, Zuckerman said the ordinance clarifies what he believes the CLURO already requires regarding mixed-use developments.
“When calculating allowable building areas for new developments, the number of residential units allowed, and other site development criteria, only the area of the site designated for each use within the mixed-use site can be used in those calculations,” he wrote.
Zuckerman said the measure is intended to prevent situations in which developers might attempt to increase density for one part of a project by using the total acreage of a mixed-use property — even when much of the site is devoted to other uses.
“This ordinance is aimed to prevent overdevelopment when multiple uses are proposed on a single piece of property by using the entire property size … to increase density beyond what would be allowed by the CLURO if a single use was proposed for the entire site,” he said.
No change to existing marinas
Zuckerman also emphasized that the proposal does not alter the operation of existing marinas within the PM-1 zoning district.
According to the sponsor, the amendment would apply only when new mixed-use developments are proposed in marina or planned districts and would simply clarify how site-development calculations must be performed.
The measure follows the adoption of the city’s Mandeville Thrives 2045 Comprehensive Plan in December, which identified challenges related to mixed-use developments, including land-use compatibility, density and traffic concerns. 
Part of broader CLURO update
Ordinance 26-03 is one of several proposed updates to the city’s land-use regulations discussed in recent months as officials review how the CLURO applies to complex mixed-use projects.
If adopted Thursday, the ordinance would formally amend definitions and site-development provisions within multiple sections of the CLURO governing marina districts and planned developments.
The council meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening at Mandeville City Hall.
-30-
Mandeville Daily 