Study the Infrastructure FIRST

 

paraphrase St Bernard Parish Councilmember

anybody who's worked on a port knows the amount of traffic that exists for a port

and anyone who's worked on a port knowns the congestion that exists on a port

and recognizing that there was going to be a very strong - to put it lightly - push to bring this complex to St Bernard Parish

the first thing said [to the port of New Orleans] was we don't have the infrastructure to support this

we don't even have near the infrastructure to support this

and the council member asked the port for a very specific piece of infrastructure if the port was even going to consider it

The port was told they needed to create "Florida Avenue" with road and rail all the way from Florida Avenue (in New Orleans Ninth Ward) to the back side of the proposed project (in Violet, St Bernard Parish) if this was even going to be a consideration by the council member

And there's a good reason for that

Because the rail roads in St Bernard Parish go through our neighborhoods

So the homes that people buy, the rail roads and the trains go right next door to the houses, rattle the homes when the trains pass at night

And if you think we have rail traffic now, the magnitude upon which the port is talking about bringing to St Bernard Parish and the size of this container terminal would be laughable

Your talking about absolute gridlock crossing our highways

Gridlock through our neighborhoods

You would never be able to sleep (and we don't sleep now)

And that's just with the current rail traffic that we have now

And I respect the business opinion that I'm assuming some of the people (attending the council meeting) here that are in support of the port are going to speak about

With that said, this would be an absolute tragedy if it were built as is 

And I asked the port to go into the environmental study first on the infrastructure

First !

Don't buy the property first, don't do the other environmental first, don't rail road it down our throats first

Go to infrastructure first

That's not what has happened here

The port of New Orleans has done everything in opposition here from what the council member asked

Which means 

--- in some's opinion could be a great amenity and potential economic catalyst in St Bernard Parish

but for this council member 

 -- It would be a great detriment because we do not -- contrary to what the port says -- have the infrastructure to support this

Not even close