For 11 months, new development in Ascension Parish was on hold. Now the subdivisions are moving again.
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, the Ascension Parish Planning Commission approved plans for two residential developments, adding 103 single-family home lots to the parish, WBRZ reported. The approvals follow the lifting of an 11-month moratorium on new development.
Daigle Point, with strings attached
The bigger of the two is Daigle Point, an 83-lot subdivision on 28 acres at the corner of Daigle Road and LA 929 near Prairieville. The commission approved its preliminary plan 3-1.
Commissioner Cross Marchand cast the only no vote after discussion about traffic, storm drainage and site access. No residents spoke against the project during public comment.
But the approval comes with conditions. The commission said a roundabout at the Daigle Road intersection has to be finished before construction begins. Construction on that roundabout is slated to start in early 2027. Commissioners also asked for a second entrance and exit, as parish code requires.
The developer's side pushed back. Attorney Cameron Miller, who represents the developer, said his client might not accept the conditions.
"I think my client's not willing to change the plat that complies with the code to make those accommodations," Miller said. "I don't know what the workable solution is if you were to pass that motion."
WBRZ did not name the developer or a builder for Daigle Point, so it's not yet clear who would build the homes, or when. With the roundabout not slated to start until early 2027 and the developer's attorney questioning the conditions, the timing for Daigle Point is still up in the air.
The second project is smaller but further along. The commission granted final plan approval for Black Bayou Estates, a 20-lot subdivision on 7.4 acres along Black Bayou Road.
Final plan approval is a later step than a preliminary plan, which puts Black Bayou Estates closer to shovels in the ground. WBRZ did not name its developer or builder either.
More lots in the pipeline
These votes aren't the only subdivisions moving in Ascension since the moratorium ended. WBRZ reported that the parish recently approved two other projects in Gonzales:
- Harvest Fields: a 115-lot subdivision along La. 44.
- The Farm: a 68-lot development north of La. 21.
Harvest Fields had a bumpy road of its own. In July, WBRZ reported that the Planning Commission approved it six months after the project was first denied. Neighbors packed that meeting with concerns about traffic and drainage, and said they had found through public records that an old oil well sits under the property. Developers told commissioners those concerns aren't required to be checked during the preliminary process, but said they had already done an environmental assessment of the site. As part of that approval, developers have to validate all environmental studies and permits before any construction can begin.
Add it all up, and these four projects account for 286 single-family lots across the parish: 83 at Daigle Point, 20 at Black Bayou Estates, 115 at Harvest Fields and 68 at The Farm.
If there's a pattern in Ascension's recent subdivision votes, it's that roads and water keep coming up. Commissioners talked traffic, storm drainage and site access before the Daigle Point vote, and tied the approval to a roundabout and a second entrance. Neighbors raised traffic and drainage at the Harvest Fields hearing.
For builders, that means recent approvals in Ascension have come with infrastructure conditions attached. Getting a plat approved is one thing. Getting through the conditions that come with it, from intersection work to environmental checks, can take longer.
Why it matters for Contractors
With Ascension Parish's moratorium over, lots are getting approved again. More than 280 single-family lots across four recently approved subdivisions means work for site contractors first, from clearing and grading to drainage, utilities and streets, and then a long run of homebuilding for framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC crews and finish trades. Road contractors should watch the Daigle Road roundabout, slated to start in early 2027. But builders should also plan for conditions. In Ascension, traffic and drainage concerns are shaping approvals, and the timing of Daigle Point may depend on whether the developer accepts the commission's terms. No builders have been publicly named for these subdivisions yet.