By T. Scott Boatright
Approving an ordinance amending the Zoning Code of Ruston relating to recreational vehicle (RV) parks was a primary order of business Monday evening as the Ruston City Council held its July 2026 meeting inside the courtroom at City Hall.
City Zoning Administrator Jim Hays gave a summary explaining the decision to amend the ordinance. The matter was introduced during the July City Council meeting, with amendments to the ordinance introduced last month being approved before the amended ordinance itself was approved.
“We’ve had numerous calls in recent months, actually for almost a year, from folks who had questions about RV parks,” Hays said. “Of course, we’ve got one at the (Ruston) Sports Complex. We got input from our zoning advisors, we got input from several members of the community. We feel that we could use another RV park. We have the one at the Sports Complex, but we have no code for it, so if it had been developed it would have had to meet the closest thing we can think of, which is a mobile home park.”
But Ruston has not allowed new mobile home parks for years, with only one existing park grandfathered in.
“So, we did a lot of research and put together a bunch of information, sifting through it for months and months, and this is the final product,” Hays said.
Hays said the new RV park code requires a “pretty good” landscape buffer that has to be completely surrounded, with sidewalks along the public road frontage, and encourages sidewalks running throughout.
“We’ve got a pretty good green space in a centralized area that people can use,” Hays said. “We think we’ve got a pretty good setup, but until we get one we won’t know for sure.”
In the case of what are called tiny mobile homes, those would be limited to 10% of the property within any new RV park, and they would have to be true mobile homes with wheels.
Hays said RVs will not be allowed to stay in the park long term.
“The spaces can be rented by the day or by the month, but they cannot be there year-round and considered a permanent residence,” Hays said.
That amended ordinance passed unanimously.
Also approved was an ordinance amending Chapter 29 of the Code of Ordinances for the city of Ruston by changing certain zoning district boundaries, approving a preliminary plan and approving a preliminary plat for the planned Hillcrest Haven subdivision where the old Hillcrest Elementary School once stood.
“The applicant owns approximately 5.2 acres located west of and adjacent to Coushatta Street, north of and adjacent to Lamar Avenue, east of and adjacent to North Monroe Street and south of Lee Avenue,” Hays said. “The applicant proposes to develop the property as a planned unit development referred to as Hillcrest Haven subdivision. The applicant proposes to build the development in two units.
“Unit 1 is proposed to be five single-family residential lots that will be accessed from Lamar Avenue. Future Unit 2 plans to construct a new public roadway extending Goode Avenue to North Monroe Street. It will add 10 additional single-family residential lots and will have one lot for commercial development.”
The City Council also discussed abatement of a blighted property located at 1012 Arlington St., giving owner Dileep Sule 30 days to demolish or repair the property or have it demolished.
Sule said he had tried two or three contractors to make repairs without success and brought a new contractor to Monday’s meeting to explain the planned repairs, which would include cleaning up the yard and lifting the structure 2 feet off the ground. He said he is ready to start that process today.
The contractor, Steve Woodall, said he believes he can level the home and bring it up to code at an estimated cost that Sule declined to disclose.
City Attorney Bill Carter asked Public Works Director John Freeman if he had discussed the potential renovation with the building official and the code enforcement officer and whether those officials had reviewed the repair cost estimates submitted by Sule.
“Both state emphatically that the dollar figure — that amount — is unrealistic to bring that house up to code,” Freeman said. “Just to raise the home above the flood zone and do plumbing and electrical would probably well exceed that dollar limit.
“Additionally, any work proposed would need to be done through a general contractor, and we haven’t found a general contractor on file. But yes, both the building official and the code enforcement officer feel that cost is unrealistic.”
When asked by Council Member Carolyn Cage, whose district includes Arlington Street, Sule said, “Don’t worry about cost. I will take care of it. I have plenty of money.”
Also approved was the review and application of Oliver Road Investments LLC for participation in the Louisiana Restoration Tax Abatement Program.
Oliver Road Investments is working to renovate the old Federal Building into the future home of a Delta Biscuit Co. restaurant.
The City Council also introduced a pair of ordinances that will likely be discussed and potentially acted upon during next month’s meeting. The first would authorize the city to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA) with Reaper Boats, LLC, and sell property to that corporation, while the second would authorize the city to enter into a CEA with Highrise Property Holdings LLC for the same purpose.
As Monday’s meeting concluded, it was announced that the City Council will hold another meeting Aug. 27 to discuss the budget.
