The Calcasieu Parish Planning and Zoning Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. today to consider a zoning exception for Rosie’s Place, a facility that would house temporary women workers.

The Calcasieu Police Jury unanimously agreed Feb. 19 to rezone 19 acres of vacant property on the 3200 block of Opelousas Street from agricultural to light industrial at the request of the property’s owner, Mount Olive Baptist Church.

If approved by the planning board, the exception would allow for residential use on the property. The item will not go before the Police Jury.

Rosie’s Place would include up to 492 rooms, with 150 units built initially. Amenities would include a cafeteria, a recreation center, shuttle services, laundry and 24-hour security.

The Lake Charles-based Kingdom Logistics SWLA would fund the construction of Rosie’s Place.

Braylon Harris, with Kingdom Logistics, said if the zoning exception is approved, construction on Rosie’s Place would begin later this year or early in 2016. Zoning stipulations would require the property to be developed within one year of approval.

District 2 Police Juror Marshall Simien represents the area where Rosie’s Place would be built. He said last month that having such a facility would help the parish because the housing market wouldn’t be overburdened by more people coming to the area.

The planning and zoning board will also consider a zoning exception to allow for a men’s temporary worker facility on 11.7 acres at 1323 J. Clophus Road, near the Mossville area.

Police jurors on Feb. 19 agreed to rezone the property from agricultural and general commercial to light industrial. As with Rosie’s Place, the zoning exception will not go before the Police Jury.

Wes Crain, parish planning and development director, said the facility will be built in phases and will have 625 rooms at its peak. It will also have a cafeteria, medical staff, shuttle service and public water.

Along with the zoning exceptions, the planning board will also consider two rezoning requests to allow for temporary worker facilities. One request is by Mac and Dusty Royer to rezone property on the 4700 Block of La. 27 from agricultural to light industrial.

The other is a request by Krause and Managan Lumber Company LLC to rezone property on the southwest corner of La. 27 and Royer Loop from agricultural to light industrial. The rezoning would allow for a temporary worker facility and an RV park on the property.

If approved by the board, the rezoning would be considered by the Police Jury. After that, both rezoning items would have to have a zoning exception approved by the planning board.

(MGNonline)