St. Martin Parish, LA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

The Schedule of Zoning District Regulations in the St. Martin Parish Zoning Ordinance (Appendix C) prints a Maximum Height of Main Building for each district. R-1 Single-Family Residential and R-2 Mixed Residential: 35 feet. R-1R Single-Family Restricted: 60 feet. R-3 Multifamily and R-4 Mobile Home Park: 50 feet. A-1 and A-2 agricultural: 35 feet. W-2 and W-3 Woodland/Floodplain: 50 feet. C-1 Light Commercial: 50 feet. C-2, C-3, I-1 and I-2: 100 feet. For I-3 and I-4 the department of planning and development sets height through the development permit process, and in W-1 the custodial authority does. Art. IV § 2 bars erecting or altering any building to exceed the height specified for its district.

Art. V Supplementary Regulations [Sec. 3] adds three rules. Public, semipublic or public service buildings, schools or institutions permitted in any district can be built to a height not exceeding sixty (60) feet when the required front, side, and rear yards are each increased by one (1) foot for each one (1) foot of additional height above the district's limit. The height limitations do not apply to church spires, belfries, monuments, tanks, water towers, fire towers, stage towers or scenery lofts, cooling towers, ornamental towers, spires, radio or television antennas, chimneys, elevator bulkheads, smoke-stacks, oil derricks, conveyors, or flagpoles, though all of those uses must still comply with any government jurisdiction height zoning ordinance. Accessory buildings shall not be built more than thirteen (13) feet in height.

Relief runs through the Board of Adjustment, which is the Parish Council. Under art. VIII § 6(c) it can vary height restrictions for exceptionally irregular, narrow, shallow, or steep lots, but only on findings of special circumstances, necessity for reasonable use, and harmony with the ordinance. Art. VIII § 8 charges no fee for a variance petition. On a planned unit development lot exceeding ten (10) acres, the Parish Council can alter height limits under art. VI § 2.