PORT ALLEN — The West Baton Rouge Parish Council voted to approve the rezoning of land along Rosedale Road for the creation of a mobile home park. 

The 7-2 vote on Oct. 8 came two days after the parish's Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-1 recommending against the rezoning of nine acres of agricultural land to residential land for mobile homes.

Under the proposal, a change to the parish's master plan, 42 mobile homes would be laid out along a single drive running back from Rosedale Road. 

Councilmembers in favor of the plan were Daryl Babin, Atley Walker Jr., Carey Denstel, Alan Crowe, Kenneth Gordon, Katherine Andre and Gary Joseph.

"It's a more rural area out there, and some people can't afford the more expensive housing," District 8 Councilwoman Andre said. 

The owner of the land, Tamara Harvey, said she and her family would purchase brand-new homes for the park.

"We are going to maintain them, so that we know who is in them, so we don't have the riff-raff," Harvey said.

The two dissenting votes came from Kirk Allain and Brady Hotard, the latter of whom said that he has concerns that this first-of-its-kind development along Rosedale Road could set a precedent for "other future rezonings for mobile homes." 

"I'm afraid to set the precedent that we like this type of development in this area of the parish," Hotard said. 

Despite this, Hotard praised Harvey's preparedness for the meeting, commending her plan that outlined the plans for the site that she brought to the council.