An ordinance that would have approved a conditional permit allowing a modular home company to display its homes behind a Gause Boulevard mall was pulled from the Slidell City Council’s agenda Tuesday night, effectively putting the issue to rest.

In August, the council approved a six-month moratorium on the sale and construction of modular homes in the city. Council members said the city code approach to modular homes was “too gray,” and they wanted to study the effects of modular homes on the city’s zoning ordinances and the master plan, which is still in the works.

However, one modular home company, New Gulf Coast Homes, had just put several models on display behind the Mid-Towne Square at 1500 Gause Blvd. The owners felt the moratorium was unfair and would ruin their business. They applied for a conditional permit from Planning and Zoning in order to keep their display models in the mall’s parking lot.

These modular homes on display behind Mid-Towne Square on Gause Boulevard in Slidell will be moved after the owners decided not to pursue a conditional permit. (Staff photo by Erik Sanzenbach)

Just before the council was to vote on the conditional permit Tuesday night, Council President Ray Canada presented a letter from the attorneys representing New Gulf Coast Homes.

“Our clients will not pursue the conditional permit,” Canada read from the letter.

As a result, the proposed ordinance was pulled from the agenda and no other action needed to be taken on the issue. The letter did not say when the modular homes will be removed from the mall.

In other business, the council passed an ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances on the protocol for changing the dates and times of council meetings. Under the old ordinance, the entire council had to unanimously vote in order to change the dates and times of a council meeting.

The new ordinance specifies that a unanimous vote of council members present is needed to make the changes. The ordinance passed 6-0, with Councilmen Warren Crockett and Richard Hursey absent.

After that vote, the council voted to change the dates of council meetings in November and December. During November, the meeting will be held on the normal second Tuesday of the month, but the second meeting will be held a week later in order for council members to attend a convention and to allow for the Thanksgiving holiday. In December, the meeting will be held on Dec. 9 and 16 to accommodate the Christmas holiday.