DENHAM SPRINGS - A controversial development in Denham Springs has been approved despite residents pleading to the planning commission to reconsider.

Residents packed the Livingston Parish Planning Commission meeting on Thursday evening to express their concerns over a new 2,000 home development in Denham Springs. The Deer Run development is planned to be built along a two lane road in a relatively quiet area where residents say they have enough infrastructure problems already.

"They're proposing building houses on 40-foot lots. You're basically trying to put a souped-up trailer park in district five," a resident said.

"Citizens have finally woken up and they're tired of being pushed around and having developments shoved down their throat when we can't handle it. We've grown 55% over the past few years and we can't continue to grow without letting infrastructure catch up. I mean there has to be a point where infrastructure has to catch up and it's just making our parish look bad," Livingston Parish Planning Committee member Bobbette Larkey said.

The development was approved by the planning committee in 2022 under old ordinances. Since then, new ordinances have been made to limit large developments in the parish. However, the planning commission decided to approve the development despite residents asking them to reconsider.

"I think it is very clear that it did not comply with the new ordinances, so I guess I'm puzzled into how the logic, considering the Parish Attorney made his position clear that they voted the way that they did," resident Bond Stevens said.

The motion to approve the Deer Run development was passed by the Planning Commission by a vote of 5-3. It will not have to be approved by the parish council.