Garden City apartments back to parish council

Action will be considered Wednesday by the St. Mary Parish Council that would give a green light to the development of a gated apartment complex in Garden City.
Councilman Albert Foulcard of Franklin is slated to move to, first, rescind earlier council action that denied preliminary approval for the development by Lloyd Harris on La. 3215 off of La. 182, and second, to grant that approval.
The development of the 168-unit complex has been opposed by many of the surrounding residents of the rural community just east of Franklin.
The property is currently zoned high-density residential but is being considered for rezoning to agricultural. That effort is being led by Councilman David Hanagriff of Centerville.
The parish rezoned the property from agricultural to high-density residential in 2009 when a different developer showed interest, however, those plans fell through.
The council also is slated to enter executive session to discuss the lawsuit that Harris has filed against the parish.
Other items on the agenda include:
—An appearance by Red Ribbon Week representatives to request the adoption of a proclamation supporting Red Ribbon Drug-Free Week, Oct. 17-26.
—Resolutions on the annual certification of compliance on the Off System Bridge Replacement Program; an amendment to the professional services agreement with T. Baker Smith LLC on the Morgan City Industrial Road project; an amendment to the professional services agreement with CB&I Government Solutions Inc. on the wind retrofit project; a funding request to the state for the overlay on La. 182 between Franklin and Centerville and from the western city limits of Berwick East to the intersection of Gilmore Road; and an engineering services contract with Fourrier Consulting Engineers LLC on the Chatsworth Bridge repair project.
—Discussion and action on forming a committee to consider combining Waterworks District 5 and Sewerage District 5 in the Centerville area.
The meeting begins at 6 p.m. on the fifth floor of the courthouse in Franklin.