Overriding the Zoning Commission, the St. Tammany Parish Council has approved a rezoning request for a 214-lot residential development along the Tchefuncte River south of Covington. Plans for the 150-acre River Club subdivision, south of Interstate 12, call for homes on three different lot sizes.

A cut would be made into the bank of an oxbow along the river to create a canal and some waterfront lots in the subdivision, the plans show.

Despite some opposition, the Parish Council voted 12-2 Thursday night to add a Planned Unit Development zoning designation to the property, which is currently zoned MD-1 (medical residential district), A-3, (suburban district) and A-4, single-family residential.

Paul Mayronne, a lawyer representing land owner Delta Land Holding Co., asked the council to override the Zoning Commission, noting that the project received a favorable vote of 4-2 from the commission on Aug. 7 but needed six votes to gain approval.

The plans call for 123 homes on 100-foot by 150-foot lots, 68 homes on 60- by 120-foot lots, and the rest garden homes on 45- by 65-foot lots. About 55 acres of green space is included in the plan. Under the existing zoning, 232 lots would be allowed.

The zoning staff’s report said the proposal meets the objectives of the parish’s future land-use plan and would create an “excellent transition” between the different abutting developments while preserving the natural environment. The staff had recommended approval of the rezoning request.

But Rick Wilke, representing the Association of Associations umbrella organization over parish homeowner associations, asked the council to uphold the Zoning Commission’s denial.

Wilke said he objected to the creation of the canal and said the plan calls for crowding as many homes as possible in the buildable area. He noted that of the approximately 55 acres of green space in the plans, much of it is canals and wetlands that are not usable.

“In my opinion, the design is poor,” he told the council.

Barbara Dodds of the League of Women Voters of St. Tammany, also voice her opposition, saying the group had objected to the proposal when it first surfaced in 2008.

In a written statement, Dodds said, “… digging canals … and then cutting a large hole in the river bank to access the river is a highly questionable way to justify this project.”

Flooding may worsen because of the project, and the Tchefuncte’s water quality will be adversely affected from runoff from the canals, she said.

In response, Mayronne said, “With all due respect, we like the design. We think the design works.” He said the development cannot proceed without state and federal permits.

The developer has secured a water quality permit from the state Department of Environmental Quality, as well as a coastal use permit from the state Department of Natural Resources, Mayronne said. They are awaiting a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.

It remains unclear whether the project requires a scenic rivers permit from the state, he said.

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