Planning and Zoning Commission — Gretna, LA
Date: 2026-04-24

THE CITY OF GRETNA
 PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION
 MEETING
 740 Second Street, Gretna, LA 70053
 Council Chambers, 2nd Floor
 January 7, 2026 - 5:30 PM
 AGENDA

 AGENDA ITEMS:

 1. Call to Order/ Roll Call.

 2. A. 99 Westbank Expressway (Wal-Mart, proposed remodeling)

 The Planning and Zoning Commission to review the Major Site Plan application for
 proposed remodeling at 99 Westbank Expressway (Wal-Mart, Louisiana 5102, Daniel
 Cardoso) revise site and signs, parking lot, painting of exterior signs and landscaping.
 (District 2)

 A. The Planning and Zoning Commission to review the Major Site Plan application for
 proposed remodeling at 99 Westbank Expressway (Wal-Mart, Louisiana 5102, Daniel
 Cardoso) revise site and signs, parking lot, painting of exterior signs and landscaping.
 (District 2)

 3. Other Matters:

 4. Meeting Adjournment.
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 1

City of Gretna
 Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting
 January 7, 2026 – 5:30 PM
 The Planning & Zoning Commission of the City of Gretna, Louisiana held the meeting scheduled for
  Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at 740 Second Street, Gretna City Hall, Gretna, LA 70053.

 Notice for the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting was duly posted as law requires on the bulletin
  board, at Gretna City Hall main entrance, 740 Second Street, Gretna, Louisiana 70053.

1. Call to Order and Roll Call:

 Roll call taken; Commission members present James Rolf, Rory Cadres, William Tomasak, and Tommy
Tingstrom.

 Chairman, James Rolf was in the chair, and the City Clerk was present. A quorum of four members
  being present, Chairman Rolf, called the meeting to order at 5:35 PM. Member William Tomasak entered at
  5:38 AM.

 City Staff present: Norma Cruz, City Clerk; Amelia Pellegrin, Director, Planning and City Development
  and Qudsiyyah Noorulhaaq, City Planner. District Council Members Rudy Smith and Mike Hinyub attended
  the meeting.
 

 -Chairman Rolf recapped on the matter for review this evening—a major site plan review for 99 Westbank
Expressway and a variance request for #36 Gelbke Drive to install a generator in the front yard, concealed by
plantings. The commission will consider the staff recommendation. Reports will be provided by the Director of
Planning and City Development; consider public comments on each item will publicly deliberate the items; and
based on the reports and evidence provided, and publicly either for or against the requests or with further
conditions. Questions may be raised by the applicant and Staff. Recommendations will be made to the City
Council for their final approval at the January 14, 2026, Council Regular meeting.

2. Major Site Plan:

 1. 99 Westbank Expressway (Walmart Neighborhood Market, proposed remodeling)

 The Planning and Zoning Commission to review the Major Site Plan application for proposed remodeling
at 99 Westbank Expressway (Walmart, Louisiana 5102, Daniel Cardoso) revise site and signs, parking lot, painting
of exterior signs and landscaping. (District 2)

 Chairman James Rolf informed that the Planning and Zoning Commission members were meeting tonight
to review the request for a major site review request of the property at 99 Westbank Expressway by Walmart
Neighborhood Market, Applicant.

 Miss Amelia Pellegrin, Director, Zoning and City Development informed packets were available on the
table and proceeded to review staff report. The applicant proposes to redevelop the property to have additional
signage and a pickup addition. This will expand the building’s footprint.

 1. Parking changes—meets UDC requirements, no comments. Minor reduction in parking by 8 stalls does
 not affect compliance per square footage for retail.

 2. Traffic access and circulation plan for construction period and post construction- change in rear west
 side access, transforming from 2-way to 1-way (in only), will reduce cut-through traffic. Addition of
 striping to reduce width. No physical hindrance to emergency service access. Trucks will be able to access
 at all times. Mayor reiterated that trucks should be using Westbank Expressway, never Willow Street.
 Andrew Harris confirmed that existing drive aisle width will not be affected by pickup addition.

 3. Landscaping changes- square footage of landscape areas are missing, plant schedule does not meet
 Section 58-274 of UDC. Irrigation/maintenance of landscape will need to be included in plan.

 4. Signage changes- reduction in attached signage area, like for like changes to detached.

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 P & Z Commission Meeting (January 7, 2026)

 Update post meeting from Walmart: The existing fuel station only has the Walmart sign on one side of the
canopy. Our drawings are proposing to update the branding to include the Walmart sign on all 4 sides, a clearance
sign on two sides, and adding a sign to the fuel station building for Checkout. The fuel station signage square
footage would be 79.9 square feet.

 The following highlighted UDC sections are not currently in compliance and must be revised in the sign
plan:

 58-194 (a) Directional signs limited to four (4) square feet in area or less, limited to three (3) feet in height
from grade when detached, and conforming with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

 58-197 (e) (12): Pole Sign Design. Pole signs shall have permanent decorative cladding of brick, stucco,
or other durable material approved by the Planning Director that extends from grade to twenty (20) feet or the
bottom of a secondary sign face. The decorative cladding shall extend at least four (4) inches and no more than
twelve (12) inches beyond the outside diameter of the pole. Pole Sign Landscaping. The base of the sign shall be
located within a landscaped area not less than one hundred (100) square feet, with a minimum depth and width
of not less than five (5) square feet. Pole sign landscaping may not result in the reduction of required parking for
a site. Plantings shall include at least one (1) class B tree and four (4) shrubs and comply with applicable
provisions of Division 9 of this Chapter.

5. Exterior lighting & photometrics—one new parking lot light is non-compliant with UDC. Photometrics
 calculations provided exceed requirement of 0.5 footcandles at residential property line, plans show 0.7-1.9.

6. Utilities- meets UDC requirements, no comments.

7. Shopping cart management plan- will be required to be submitted to Licensing Officer per 2022 letter and
 in place before a new permit is issued. Mr. Daniel Cardoso stated that he is working on a cart management
 plan and will provide local contact at store.

8. Public / neighborhood comments- shopping carts in neighborhood and canals are an ongoing issue, as is
 trash/litter around property. Multiple complaints have been received by the City.

 Miss Pellegrin recommended approval of the major site plan review, subject to compliance with the
Unified Development Code (UDC) requirements for signage, lighting, and submission of a shopping cart
management plan. Specifically, these requirements include cladding the existing pole sign up to 20 feet, providing
additional landscaping, including a plant schedule and square footage of planting areas, ensuring proposed
directional signs for pickup meet height limits, and installing new exterior lights that comply with the 0.5
footcandle illumination standard.

 Chairman Rolf proceeded to call on comments from the Commission members. Commission members
raised several questions. The questions raised by the Commission members were answered in depth by Miss
Amelia Pellegrin, Director.

 -Chairman James Rolf asked if the proposed development was enough to trigger the creation of a
stormwater management plan. Miss Pellegrin replied no.

 -Member William Tomasak asked about safety provisions due to the increased amount of cars arriving to
use pickup services. Miss Amelia explained that rear west side access will be transformed into a 1-way to reduce
cut through traffic. Additional striping and signage will also be provided.

 -Chairman James Wolf asked about the age of the survey and what use permitted in C-1 would require the
most cars and parking. He also expressed concern about zoning and spillover effects into nearby R-1 zoned
properties. Miss Pellegrin responded restaurant and gym, if parking is available.

 Chairman James Rolf asked the members for a motion for consideration prior to public comment.

 Chairman Tomasak made a motion for approval based on the conditions put forward by City Staff, to
include re-subdivisions and sight-obscuring fence, as written by Staff. This motion was seconded by Member
Elizabeth Strohmeyer.

 Chairman James Rolf opened the floor to applicant for comments.

 - Mr. Andrew Higgins and Mr. James Black introduced themselves, stating they will bring landscaping
and plantings up to code. They stated they would address all issues brought up and are working on solutions.


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 P & Z Commission Meeting (January 7, 2026)

 Chairman James Rolf asked if they could meet all conditions proposed by Staff. Applicants replied to the
affirmative and that they were working on a cart management plan. They also provided samples of potential
cladding for the pole to the Council.

 Chairman James Rolf opened the floor to public comment.

 -Mrs. Edna Hepting, a Gretna resident, questioned if there will be new signage blocking her view; and
wanted clarification about existing pickup parking. Applicants replied.

 Chairman James Rolf asked for further comments, hearing none, closed the floor to public comment.

 On a motion by Member Willliam Tomasak and seconded by Member Tommy Tingstrom, IT WAS
RESOLVED to favorable recommend the major site plan request, with Staff recommendations for cladding the
existing pole sign up to 20 feet, providing additional landscaping, including a plant schedule and square footage
of planting areas, ensuring proposed directional signs for pickup meet height limits and installing new exterior
lights that comply with the 0.5 footcandle illumination standard. The same was approved by the following vote:

 Yeas: Members James Rolf, Rory Cadres, Tommy Tingstrom and William Tomasak
 Nays: None
 Absent: Member Elizabeth Strohmeyer
 
5. Meeting Adjournment.

 There was no further business to conduct, and on a motion by Member William Tomasak and seconded
by Member Tommy Tingstrom, the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting for Wednesday, January 7, 2026,
adjourned at 6:26 PM, and the same was unanimously approved.

 Respectfully submitted,

 Amelia Pellegrin,
 Director, Planning and City Development




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