OUR VISION

A long range plan of our neighborhood’s revitalization—What we envision for our grandchildren and future generations and the keystone commitments of this council’s decisions to preserve our heritage, our natural resources and our residential neighborhoods for tomorrow.

In District C, we are the subdivisions nestled between our community's only high school,Val Reiss Park and the heavy industrialized refinery.
We need a balance. We don’t have the luxury of previous land-use planning. What we have is an opportunity to create a balance and to preserve that balance.

The Ohio Street area is within a school zone, yet our children have no sidewalks on these four streets (Jacob, Despaux, Ventura, and Lena). Furthermore, these are the very four streets some propose to add more industrial use and industrial traffic. That would not be the proper balance.

For the roughly 80 homesites on these four streets, we envision a domiciled next-door-neighbor purchase program to increase lot sizes giving us the opportunity of re-establishing our neighborhood feel. For those properties not offered for residential redevelopment, we would like them dedicated for neighborhood community greenspace, so the children have a place to play other than in the street. For other lots not offered for residential redevelopment, we would like a conservation easement entered on the land title to provide the commitment to a greenspace buffer from this most-hazardous processing side of the refinery.

We also envision lots more trees. We need more trees for air purification , soil detox and to provide a visual buffer as well as a noise buffer. Further, we need the installation of a noise-abatement wall. We also need Murphy Oil to comply with local performance standards and environmental regulations.

Floral Estates, north of the 20 Arpent is progressing and we need the same commitments for residential zoning. We also need for these four residential streets to remain "open access," with no zoning changes.

In the section of the oil spill where the land is cleared and remediated, we see an opportunity for a corporate and community sponsored commemorative and historic parkway, with walking paths and bird areas, with an abundance of trees to further purify the air, ground water and soil. We envision an added mature tree line as a visual buffer to the tank farms and we propose a commemorative sign ....not defining us by this oil spill disaster, but rather as a tribute to the spirit of the people of our parish and the ability of this industry, parish government and our people to come together and implement real solutions.

We have recently learned from our distinguished parish historian, Mr William Hyland, that the wooded area north of the 20 arpent is of national historic importance. Villere Plantation is associated with the actual British Invasion Route in the Battle of New Orleans. Not only are there numerous historic trees similar to the Pakenham Oaks at the EXXON/Mobil refinery, but there are remains of a historic brick structure from the plantation. Mr Hyland could best elaborate on the significance of this land and how the historic tree line and structure could be placed on the National Historic Registry.

The council and residents can work with the industrial property owner to pursue a community benefits agreement, which should include a commitment to our environment, our heritage, our natural resources and our residential neighborhoods.

So, we ask the council and administration to:
§ preserve the integrity of our residential neighborhoods and residential streets,
§ amend the firestation ordinance to designate greenspace,
§ commit to our residential district with no zoning changes,
§ enforce performance standards,
§ preserve the historic tree line and historic brick structure,
§ adhere to the master landuse plan of a greenspace non-utilized buffer and
§ take this opportunity to create the balance we need to protect our children from the hazards of this refinery