Parish overturns Garden City apartments decision

Plans to build a 168-unit gated apartment complex in Garden City may go forward after the St. Mary Parish Council approved preliminary plans Wednesday.
The council first rescinded earlier council action that denied preliminary approval for the development by Lloyd Harris on La. 3215 off of La. 182, then granted approval, each on 7-3 votes upon motions by Councilman Albert Foulcard of Franklin.
Before the votes, the council heard comments from nearby residents of the proposed 11-acre site who have expressed their objections to the project in proceedings over the past approximate six months.
La. 182 resident Jeffery Daigle who said he purchased bayou-side property across the street from the proposed site to build his retirement home reminded the eight councilmen who voted against preliminary approval in June that, “You gave us your word … I’m asking you to listen to your constituents … and remember you gave us your word.”
Their concerns range from the loss of serenity of the rural setting to the added burden that would be placed on utilities, roads and law enforcement.
All of those concerns will have to be addressed before Harris receives final approval to break ground, according to Councilman David Hanagriff of Centerville who has led the fight against the project.
In making his motions, Foulcard said he had two weeks in the hospital following heart bypass surgery to consider the issue.
“As far as I’m concerned … we have to take our chances in the law and the law says (the property is zoned) high residential,” Foulcard said.
The parish had rezoned the property from agricultural to high-density residential in 2009 when a different developer showed interest, however, that project failed to gain funding.
Hanagriff said that many of the residents opposed to the project were not living in the same area during the planning of the initial project.
“We did the zoning before we did the planning,” he said. “I’ve always thought that was a mistake.”
He added that the first rezoning was “spot zoning,” which he said he opposes.
Hanagriff said a complaint “on a racial situation and fair housing” filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development by Harris “is hanging over our head.”
Foulcard disputed that it is a racial issue. “This is a fair housing issue,” he said.
When the crowd was leaving the council room after the votes on both issues, Harris, who is African-American, came back in and asked for an escort to his car. Homeland Security Director Duval Arthur then provided that escort.
Harris said this morning that he was crowded away from the fifth floor elevator, told he couldn’t get on and called a racial epithet.
Voting against Foulcard’s motions were Hanagriff, Glen Hidalgo and Kevin Voisin. Those voting for included Foulcard, Ken Singleton, Logan Fromenthal, Tim Tregle, Sterling Fryou, Lionel Metz and Charles Middleton. Chairman Steve Bierhorst was absent.
The 8-3 vote in June to deny the development passed with votes from Hanagriff, Hidalgo, Singleton, Fromenthal, Tregle, Fryou, Foulcard and Voisin in agreement and Metz, Middleton and Bierhorst against.
Hanagriff’s attempt to revert the zoning of the property back to agricultural is still pending before the Planning and Zoning Commission that is scheduled to meet on Oct. 20.