Lafayette, LA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Min lot size (Option 1)
- 20 acres
- Max lot coverage (Option 1)
- 2 percent
- Setbacks (Option 1)
- 30' front, 10' side, 40' rear
- Conservation option
- No min lot size, 50' frontage
- Conservation density cap
- 1 dwelling unit per 5 acres
- Conservation area baseline
- 60% of site preserved
- District status
- Voluntary, by owner request or area plan
Summary
Lafayette's "A" Agricultural zoning district, created at a property owner's request under Sec. 89-8, protects rural land with a 20-acre minimum lot size, 2 percent maximum lot coverage, and 30/10/40-foot front/side/rear setbacks -- or a conservation-subdivision option that drops the lot-size floor if 60 percent of the site is preserved as open space.
Purpose: the "A" Agricultural district implements the Rural/Agriculture future land use category of PlanLafayette by creating a district for land that is principally agricultural or natural in character. The area has low residential densities, and commercial areas are small in scale and either buffered from residential uses or integrated with a conservation design development. This district is applied on a voluntary basis at the request of a property owner, or as part of an area plan. Property owners have the option to build on a lot by lot basis, or to use a conservation subdivision option.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 89-8's purpose clause states the "A" Agricultural district implements PlanLafayette's Rural/Agriculture category for land "principally agricultural or natural in character," with low residential densities and small-scale commercial uses buffered from or integrated with conservation design. " Under the standard Option 1 dimensional table, minimum lot size is 20 acres, maximum lot coverage is 2 percent, minimum frontage is 100 feet, and setbacks run 30 feet front/corner, 10 feet side, and 40 feet rear, with a bulk-plane limit near RS district boundaries capping height at three stories within 200 feet of the setback or development-boundary line.
Option 2, the conservation design alternative, drops the minimum lot size and coverage requirements entirely, requiring only a 50-foot minimum frontage and 20/5/20-foot front/side/rear setbacks. A conservation subdivision caps density at one dwelling unit per five acres and must preserve at least 60 percent of the site as conservation area, a baseline adjusted upward or downward using conservation-unit multipliers for woodland, floodplain/wetland, agricultural land, riparian corridor, and other open-space types. Lot size, coverage and frontage standards do not apply to Public/Civic/Institutional uses. Sec. 89-3(a)(1) separately requires that no building be erected, altered, or used unless it conforms to the applicable district's regulations, making the "A" district's numbers mandatory once a parcel carries that zoning.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 89-3(a)(1) bars using land or erecting/altering a building unless it conforms to the applicable district's standards, so a lot platted or built below the 20-acre/2-percent/setback thresholds -- or outside the conservation-design alternative -- cannot get a permit from the Development and Planning Department. Code violations otherwise default to Sec. 1-9's general penalty: a fine up to $500.00 or imprisonment up to six months, charged per day for a continuing violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "A" Agricultural zoning automatic for rural land in Lafayette?
How big must a lot be to build under the standard option?
What if I want smaller lots?
Do commercial or institutional buildings follow the same lot rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lafayette
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