[00:00:06]
COUNCIL MEMBERS, THEN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED THEN.YOU ARE 20 SECONDS AWAY FROM THE GAME.
EVERY BOTTLE BACK TO THE RESCUE.
IF I GOT ALL DAY YOU'RE AT 5 7, 4, 3, 1.
WELCOME EVERYONE TO WEDNESDAY, JULY 21ST, 2021 METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING FOR OUR PLANNING AND ZONING MEETING.
[CALL TO ORDER]
TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AFTER DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE HAVE A QUORUM ALSO.I WANT TO FIRST WELCOME ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
IN OTHER WORDS, CITIZENS OF BATON ROUGE, BACK TO THE CHAMBER AFTER OVER A YEAR AND A HALF, UH, LET'S GIVE THOSE WHO HAVE CHOSE TO JOIN US AROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING ENGAGED.
UH, I DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE, UH, TO WEAR A MASK WHEN YOU CAN.
WE DO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE NUMBERS OF COVID CASES ARE ON THE INCREASE.
AND SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO WEAR A MASK WHILE IN THE CHAMBER.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A MASS MANDATE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, BUT, UH, FOR THOSE OF US WHO BELIEVE THAT IT IS SAFE AS TO WEAR A MASK, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.
SECONDLY, I WANT TO WELCOME ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO THE DINNER TABLE.
UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN SITTING ELSEWHERE OVER FOR OVER A YEAR.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET THE MEETING STARTED.
I DO RECOGNIZE MANY OF YOU HERE OF THE PARTICULAR ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE VERY QUICKLY, UH, TO THOSE ITEMS THAT, UH, WE CAN MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THE ONES THAT YOU ARE HERE TO SPEAK FOR.
AND SO THEREFORE, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, OUR COUNSELOR ADMINISTRATOR IS GOING TO MAKE A VERY BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT ON EMAIL COMMENTS, TO COMMENTS THAT WERE EMAILED TO SEE, UM, YEAH, IT'S COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UM, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, WE HAVE BEEN ACCEPTING EMAIL COMMENTS SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2020, BECAUSE WE ARE BACK IN PERSON IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, STARTING WITH THE MEETING TODAY, INSTEAD OF READING THE CONTENT OF ALL THE EMAILED COMMENTS, WE ARE GOING TO READ THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO SUBMITTED THE COMMENT AND WHETHER THAT PERSON IS IN FAVOR OR OPPOSED TO THE ITEM.
UM, AND SO THAT WILL BE TRUE FOR EVERY ITEM ON THIS AGENDA AND AGENDAS MOVING FORWARD.
BUT, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE HERE TO SPEAK IN PERSON OBVIOUSLY HAVE, UM, THEIR, THEIR REGULAR TIME TO SPEAK.
[1. 21-00693 PA-6-21 18500-18600 Old Scenic Highway]
RIGHT.A ONE PA SIX DASH 21 1 8 5 0 0 2 1 8 6 0 0 OH, SENDING HIGHWAY TO AMEND THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN FROM AGRICULTURAL RURAL TO RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ON PROPERTY LOCATED EAST OF BOTH SENIOR HIGHWAY SOUTH TO SEE DETROIT AVENUE, COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, NO COMMISSION ACTION CARRIES SEVEN TO TWO.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE, COUNCIL MEMBERS JUST ITEM REQUIRES EIGHT VOTES.
THIS ITEM REQUIRES A VOTES MOTION BY, UH, LAURIE ADAMS THERE A SECOND.
SECOND BY NO, ANY OPPOSITION ITEM CARRIES ITEM TWO.
DOES THAT A MOTION TO DENY MS. ADAMS COUNCIL MEMBER ALLEN, SECOND TO THE NINTH MOTION TO DENY DENIAL CARES.
COUNCIL MEMBER LAWSON COUNCIL MEMBER.
[2. 21-00694 PA-7-21 15694 and 15696 Old Scenic Highway]
MEAN, ITEM TWO.WE'RE GOING TO DEFER THIS ITEM UNTIL AUGUST THE 18TH TWO MEN, THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN FROM INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND A PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF OLSON AND HIGHWAY NORTH OF BROOME ROAD COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS.
THE COMMISSION WAS TO DEFER TO ITEM SEVEN TO ZERO.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM TWO ANYWAY, TO SPEAK ON ITEM TWO, WE DO HAVE ONE EMAIL COMMENT ITEM TOO.
UM, AARON HERNANDEZ SUBMITTED A COMMENT IN OPPOSITION, COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS.
THE MOTION TO DEFER BY COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
[3. 21-00695 PA-8-21 17920 and 17960 Old Perkins Road East]
ITEM NUMBER 3 1 7 9 2 0 AND 1 7 9 6 0 OLD PERKINS ROAD EAST TO AMEND THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN FROM RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS TO EMPLOYMENT CENTER AND PROPERTY LOCATED WEST SIDE OF OLD PERKINS ROAD, EAST NORTH OF HIGHLAND ROAD, COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE, HUDSON MOTION TO APPROVE CARROT SEVEN ZERO COUNCIL MEMBERS.THIS ITEM REQUIRES EIGHT VOTES.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM THREE? YES, SIR.
[00:05:02]
AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.MY NAME IS COLIN SMITH, 2 0 3 2 RAMSEY DRIVE HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE LANDOWNERS, WHICH IS A TRUST.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THIS PROPERTY.
IT'S PREVIOUSLY UNDEVELOPED INTO A, A MORE, UH, I GUESS COMPLIMENTARY LAND USE, UH, WITH REGARDS TO THE SURROUNDING USES.
COUNSEL MEMBERS, THE MOTION BY HUDSON SECONDED BY ROCCA.
[4. 21-00696 Case 24-21 17920 and 17960 Old Perkins Road East]
TO MOVE TO ITEM 4 1 7 9 2 0 AND 1 7 9 6 0 OLD PERKINS ROAD EAST TO REZONE FROM RURAL TO LIGHT COMMERCIAL THREE ON PROPERTY LOCATED IN WEST SIDE OF OLD PERKINS ROAD, EAST NORTH OF HIGHLAND ROAD, COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE, HUDSON COMMISSION ACTION, MOTION TO APPROVE SEVEN ZERO.IS ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM FOUR, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM FOUR, COUNCIL MEMBERS MOTION BY HUDSON.
SECOND TO BACH GO DAY ITEM CARES.
[5. 21-00815 RV-8-21 The Grove PUD Revocation]
ITEM FIVE, THE GROVE PARK REVOCATION.I REQUEST TO RELOCATE A 290 FOOT DRAINAGE SERVER TO LOCATED EAST OF MARLA, LOUISIANA BOULEVARD, SOUTH TO BE IN THE STATE 10TH DISTRICT 11 ADAMS, NO HEARING BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION REQUIRED PER UDC.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO TO SPEAK ON ITEM FIVE? COUNCIL MEMBERS MOTION BY ADAMS 70 BY THE CHAIR.
ANY OPPOSITION ITEM FIVE CARRIES.
[6. 21-00818 PA-9-21 10146 South Vignes Road]
AM SIX, PAY NINE THAT'S 21 ONE-ON-ONES FOR SIX SOUTH GREEN ROAD TO A MINUTE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN FROM AGRICULTURE RURAL IT'S A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON WEST SIDE OF SOUTH GREEN ROAD, NORTH OF HUSA TWO ROAD COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE HUSSON MOTION CARRIED TO APPROVE NINE ZERO BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION COUNCIL MEMBERS.IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM SIX COUNCIL MEMBERS MOTION TO APPROVE BY HUSTON SECONDED BY NO I'M EXCUSE ME.
[7. 21-00819 PA-10-21 3205 and 3215 Jones Creek Road]
SEVEN, UH, REQUESTED AFFIRMED BY MS. M BY COUNCIL MEMBER, AMA ROSSO, UH, PA ONE ZERO DASH 2 1 3 2 0 5 AND 3 21 5 JONES CREEK ROAD TO AMEND THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN FROM RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TO COMPACT NEIGHBORHOOD ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF JONES CREEK ROAD, SOUTH OF HAROLD'S FERRY ROAD, COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT AMORUSO COMMISSION ACTION, MOTION TO APPROVE CARRIED FIVE, TWO.IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM SEVEN, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS? WE DO HAVE SOME EMAIL COMMENTS FOR ITEM SEVEN, ITEM SEVEN AND EIGHT.
UM, BRETT BRENT RHODES SUBMITTED A COMMENT IN FAVOR.
CHERYL DUNCAN, UM, SUBMITTED A COMMENT IN OPPOSITION, JACKIE YANCEY ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF HIGHWOOD SUBDIVISION SUBMITTED A COMMENT IN OPPOSITION.
JOHN DAIGLE SUBMITTED A COMMENT AND OPPOSITION AND MARY STEWART SUBMITTED A COMMENT IN OPPOSITION.
AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON? I DID.
A MOTION TO DEFER BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
MOROSA SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
[8. 21-00820 Case 33-21 3205 and 3215 Jones Creek Road]
NUMBER EIGHT.CAN YOU START IT THREE DAYS? 21 3 2 0 5 AND 3, 2 1 5 JONES CREEK ROAD TO REZONE FROM RURAL TO TOWNHOUSE ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF JONES CREEK ROAD, SOUTH TO FARRAH HARRIS FERRY ROAD, COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT.
SO MOTION TO APPROVE CARRIED FIVE TO, TO, UH, THERE'S ALSO BEEN A REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOROSA TO DEFER THIS ITEM TO THEIR AUGUST 18TH MEETING.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM EIGHT? IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM EIGHT, UH, EMAIL COMMENTS, UH, BACK TO KEVIN.
SO MOTION TO THE MOST OF THE, FROM OUR COUNCIL MEMBER AMAROSA SECONDED BY HUDSON POSITION ITEM HAS BEEN DEFERRED TO AUGUST 18 MEETING CASE
[9. 21-00821 Case 26-21 1003 Bob Pettit Boulevard]
TWO SIX DASH 21, 1,903 BOB BOULEVARD TO REZONE FOR MY COMMERCIAL TO COMMERCIAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE TO AND LOUNGE ON PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF BOB PETTIT BOULEVARD, WESTERN NICHOLSON DRIVE ON LOT BEAT ONE B DASH THREE, COUNCIL DISTRICT 12 ROCCO MOTION TO APPROVE CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM NINE.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THAT NINE COUNCIL MEMBERS MOTION BY ROCKER, NOT EVERYBODY AT ONCE NOW.
SECONDED BY MOPE ITEM NINE CARRIES
[10. 21-00822 Case 27-21 930 O’Neal Lane, Suite 3]
ITEM 10 CASE 27 DASH 2 1 9 3 NEOLANE SUITE THREE, THE RESOLVE FROM EVERY COMMERCIAL TO COMMERCIAL.I CALL IT BEVERAGE TUNE AND LOUNGE ON PROPERTY LOCATED WEST SIDE OF O'NEAL LANE, NORTH OF
[00:10:01]
WOOD AVENUE, COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT, AMA ROSA, UM, COMMISSIONED ACTIONS, MOTION TO APPROVE NINE ZERO.IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM 10, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 10 BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, MOTION TO APPROVE BY AMOROSA SECOND YEAR BY THE CHAIR.
ANY OPPOSITION MOTION CARRIES ITEM
[11. 21-00823 Case 28-21 257 Lee Drive, Suite O]
11, CASE 28 DASH 21 2 5 7 LEE DRIVE SUITE.OH, TO REZONE FROM HEAVY COMMERCIAL TO COMMERCIAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE DRIVE NORTH OF HIGHLAND ROAD, DISTRICT 12 ROCKER COMMISSION ACTION.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 11, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 11 BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, MOTION BY ROCKER SECONDED BY DONE NO OPPOSITION IN THE ITEM CARE
[12. 21-00824 Case 29-21 2024 Thomas Road]
ITEM NUMBER 12.THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST TO THE FURTHEST ITEM TO AUGUST 18TH AS WELL, CASE NUMBER TWO NINE DASH 2 1 2 0 2 4 THOMAS ROAD TO REZONE FROM GENERAL RESIDENTIAL TO LIGHT COMMERCIAL ONE AND COMMERCIAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE RESTAURANT ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THOMAS ROAD, EAST OF SCOTLAND, ZACHARY HIGHWAY COMMISSION ACTION AND MOTION TO DEFER TO AUGUST 16TH CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 12, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEMS PLEASE.
BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, MOTION BY BANK 70 BY DONE ITEM HAS BEEN DEFERRED TO AUGUST 18TH, MEETING
[13. 21-00825 Case 30-21 250 South Foster Drive]
ITEM NUMBER 13, CASE 300 DASH 2 1 2 5 0 SOUTH FOSTER DRIVE TO REZONE FROM HEAVY COMMERCIAL TO COMMERCIAL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE RESTAURANT ON PROPERTY LOCATED THE WEST SIDE OF SOUTH FOSTER DRIVE NORTH TO GOVERNMENT STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE MOTION TO APPROVE NINE ZERO.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 13, ANYONE HERE, WHICH HAS TO SPEAK ON ITEM 13, BACK TO THE COUNCIL MOTION TO APPROVE BY THE SHERIFF.
SECONDED BY ROCCA ITEM HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[14. 21-00826 Case 31-21 17761 Tiger Bend Road]
ITEM 14, UH, REQUEST TO DELETE THIS ITEM CASE THREE ONE DASH 2 1 1 7 7 6 1 TITLE BEN ROAD TO REZONE FROM RURAL TO ZERO LOT LINE RESIDENTIAL ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF TIGER BEND ROAD WEST OF EAST ACRE COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE HUDSON MOTION TO WITHDRAW CARRY NINE ZERO WITHDRAWN BY THE APPLICANT ON JUNE 21ST.IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 14, MOTION TO DELETE MOST OF THE LEAD BY HUDSON SECONDED BY MOLT ITEM
[15. 21-00827 Case 32-21 14344 South Harrell’s Ferry Road]
HAS BEEN DELETED.WE GO TO ITEM 15 CASE 32 DASH 21 1 4 3 4 4 SOUTH HAROLD'S FERRY ROAD TO REZONE FROM RURAL ZERO LOT LINE OF RESIDENTIAL ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SOUTH HARRIS FAIR ROAD WEST OF PRESIDENT DAVID STRIVE.
UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT EIGHT M ARE ALSO COMMISSIONED ACTION RECOMMENDATION TO DENY FOR LACK OF AFFIRMATIVE VOTES.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 15, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 15? WE'LL TAKE THE LADY FIRST.
I'M ASSUMING THIS IS MRS. SHEILA ALLEN.
IT IS, IT IS SHEENA ALLEN AT 1 42 5 4 SOUTH HAROLD'S FERRY ROAD LIVED ON THE PROPERTY FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
UM, HAVE IN OUR POSSESSION, UH, DOCUMENTS FROM EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH TO KURT TRI THEN OWNER OF THE PROPERTY THAT WAS PURCHASED FROM BRECK EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
UH, THAT STATES IT WAS RECORDED IN 1956 AND OCTOBER 29TH, 26, THAT IT ALSO AGREED THAT THE HOME PLACE SHALL NEVER BE PUT TO COMMERCIAL OR BUSINESS USE.
THIS IS ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS IN THIS OFFER SHALL BE EMBODIED AND MADE ANY PART OF SUBSEQUENT ACT OF SALE RESULT RESULTING HERE WRONG.
THEN IN 1977, WHEN W THE SHRIVER ASKED FOR THAT PROPERTY TO BE SUBDIVIDED INTO THREE, FOUR ACRE PLOTS THAT WAS CONFIRMED AND REAFFIRMED IN DOCUMENTS BY EAST BATON ROUGE, PARISH, DAN AND EUGENE YOUNG, UM, WHEN WE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY IN 1977, THAT WAS ALSO REINSTATED WITH OUR SALE, AND IT HAS BEEN HELD UP BY EVERYBODY THAT HAS DONE ANY OF THE PURCHASING.
SO IF THESE DOCUMENTS STAND WITH, UM, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, THEN IT DOESN'T, THIS SEEMS IF THE DOCUMENTS ARE WITHHELD, THEN ONLY IT CAN BE USED FOR A ONE OR B TO I BEAT ONE
[00:15:01]
MA'AM NEXT UP I GRABBED MR. JAMES BUSHEL BRANDON BAG.WE ACTUALLY PUT IN A WITHDRAWAL REQUEST ON THIS.
SO YEAH, WE STILL HAVE TO LET EVERYONE SPEAK ON THAT ITEM THOUGH.
I LIVE AT 1 0 1 OH A SOMBRERO AVENUE IN VILLA DEL RAY PARK, BUT AS A FORMER MANAGER DEVELOPER OF THIS PROPERTY ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, POLICE SPIRIT OF PISCO CHURCH FOR 28 AND A HALF YEARS, AND I LOVE THIS PROPERTY, I'D LIKE TO OWN A PIECE OF IT, BUT NOT THE WAY IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED AS IT WAS PROPOSED.
UM, THE PROPOSAL JUST DID NOT CAPTURE THE SOLITUDE AND, UH, AMBIANCE OF THIS PROPERTY.
AND, UM, WE LABORED FOR THIS MANY YEARS IN PRO BONO ACTIVITY FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES.
AND, UM, THE APPLICATION JUST DID NOT CAPTURE ANY PART OF THAT.
SO, UM, WE'RE NOT OBJECTIVE, WE DON'T OBJECT TO, UH, UM, DEVELOPING IT UNDER THE PRETTY OLD COVENANT SO THAT EXIST.
BUT FOR PURPOSES OF, HEY, ZERO LOT LINE 26 BUILDING DEVELOPMENT, THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF LEGAL THINGS TO DEAL WITH IT.
A WHOLE HOST OF TECHNICAL THINGS TO DEAL WITH, NOT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ANY, UM, SANITARY WASTE SYSTEM, IT WOULD BE NEEDED THERE.
THE CLOSEST PLACE TO TIE INTO THE CITY SIRI SYSTEM IS 900 FEET AWAY, HAVE TO GO ACROSS TO PRO PROPERTIES, PRIVATELY OWNED, PLUS SOME OF THE BRICK PROPERTIES, BUT THERE'S A LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT I INCLUDED IN MY COMMENTS, UH, TO, UH, SANTA ROSA AND TO, UM, MY, UH, DISTRICT COUNCILMAN, UH, MR. NUN.
SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO PAY REAL CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE LEGAL THINGS THAT WERE, UH, UH, PUT FORWARD BY THE, BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND, UH, MY LIST OF TECHNICAL THINGS THAT, UM, THREE 30 MINUTES JUST DOESN'T GIVE JUSTICE.
ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 15 ON ITEM 15, COME ON DOWN, SIR.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
UH, WE'VE GOT THE PROPERTY BORDERED AND 850 FEET FROM THIS BAD PROPERTY.
AND, UH, WE, HE USED TO LIVE ON THAT PROPERTY AND BOUGHT AWAY.
WE ARE IN OPPOSITION TO THIS, THIS, UH, PROJECT.
IT JUST DOES NOT FIT WITH THE, THE AREA OUT THERE.
NOW, UH, THE ROAD IS, UH, THERE'S NO OTHER, THERE'S NO OTHER ZERO TURNING ANYWHERE AROUND US AND THAT THIS HAS GONE, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THIS WILL INCREASE THE FLOOD.
AND THERE'S AN OLD QUESTION ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT HAS ALREADY INCREASED THE FLOODING AND, UM, THAT PRELIMINARY WORK, WAIT, WE HADN'T GOT WATER SINCE, UH, SINCE THE FLOOD OF 16, BUT WE GOT IT SINCE I STARTED THIS PROJECT JUST A PRELIMINARY.
AND, UH, THAT TELLS ME THAT WE KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE A COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
YOU KNOW, WE HA WE READ THE LETTERS.
MAYBE SOME OF YOU HAVE WRITTEN, AND THIS PROJECT JUST DOES NOT FIT WHERE THEY WANT TO JAM 26 HOUSES AND TWO CARS.
UH, BUT FOR EACH HOUSE, THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING OF A PROBLEM, UH, THAT THIS, THIS WAS NOT.
SO, UH, WE BOUGHT OUR PLACE FROM THE SHRINE
[00:20:01]
WHO OWNED THAT PROPERTY, A HOME, THE PARK, THEY MADE SAMPLE AGREEMENTS WITH THE PARK, EACH AGREEMENT AND INSISTED, BUT BETWEEN THE PARK AND THE TRIES THAT THIS PROPERTY WOULD NEVER BE ZONE OTHER THAN RURAL.NOW, I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, IT'S A LEGAL DOCUMENT IT'S FILED AND IT'S, IT WAS, UH, THEY DON'T, EVERYBODY AGREED WITH IT UNTIL THIS CAME UP.
AND I I'M I'LL FEEL SURE THAT NOBODY HERE HAD PROBABLY OLD ENOUGH FOR A MEMBER THAT WAS THE HAWKINS FROM EUGENE YOUNG WHEN HE WAS AT PREP.
AND THEN BEFORE THAT, THE, UH, UH, I BELIEVE HIS NAME WAS ALISON, BUT THEY ENTERED IT, WORK OUT AN AGREEMENT WITH THE SHOTS TO STIPULATE IN THE SAME THING AT THE PROFIT.
IT COULD NEVER BE DIVIDED OTHER THAN A RULE.
AND, UH, THAT'S WHERE WE STAND IS NOT A GOOD, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR US OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S A BILL WHITE, I DON'T KNOW.
ALL THOSE CARS COMING OUT FROM HARRIS FAIR AT THAT ENTRANCE, UH, THE PARK IS ALREADY OVER CROWDED WITH PEOPLE, BUT AT LEAST THEY'RE NOT, UH, NOT PUTTING THE PRESSURE THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD PUT ON IT.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 15, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 15 NOW, JUST FROM A PROCEDURAL PERSPECTIVE, I DO RECOGNIZE THE APPLICANT HAS MADE A REQUEST TO WITHDRAW THE ITEM.
UH, WE DO HAVE ONE EMAIL COMMENT.
UH, JOHN DAIGLE SUBMITTED A COMMENT IN OPPOSITION.
I DO RECOGNIZE THE APPLICANT HAS MADE A REQUEST TO WITHDRAW THE ITEM.
I ALSO RECOGNIZE THE STAFF MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO DENY FOR LACK OF AFFIRMATIVE VOTES.
UH, ASHLEY, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN HERE? UM, I'LL LET MR. HOLCOMB, UH, COME UP AND SPEAK.
I THINK THE APPROPRIATE ACTION WILL BE TO DELETE THE ITEM.
THE, THIS APPLICATION AND THIS ITEM NEEDS TO BE DELETED.
IT WAS A COMPANION CASE WITH THE SUBDIVISION THAT WENT BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON MONDAY, THE SUBDIVISION FAILED FOR LACK OF AFFIRMATIVE VOTES.
UH, THEREFORE THIS ITEM CANNOT STAND ON ITSELF, UH, WITHOUT A PLAN AMENDMENT.
I SPOKE TO HIM EARLIER THAT EARLIER TODAY, AND HE OFFICIALLY WITHDREW HIS APPLICATION.
I SUBMITTED THAT TO THE COUNCIL ADMINISTRATOR.
AND BY DONE ANY OPPOSITION ITEM HAS BEEN DELETED.
[16. 21-00828 Case 34-21 1100-1200 Myrtle Street]
ITEM 16, CASE THREE, FOUR DASH 2, 1 1100 TO 1200 MYRTLE STREET TO RESOLVE FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO LIMITED RESIDENTIAL ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF MYRTLE STREET, WEST OF SOUTH 12TH STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN MOTION TO APPROVE.I WAS NINE TO ZERO BY THE COMMISSION.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 16, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 16, COUNCIL MEMBERS MOTION TO APPROVE THE MOTION TO APPROVE BY COLEMAN SECONDED BY DUNN AND THE OPPOSITION.
[17. 21-00829 Case 35-21 1419 Julia Street]
SEEING NONE.WE GO TO ITEM 17 K STREET, FIVE DASH 2 1 1 4 1 9 JULIA STREET TO RESOLVE FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO HIGH DENSITY.
MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF JULIA STREET.
ONCE THE SOUTH 15TH STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN MOTION TO APPROVE NINE ZERO BY COMMISSION.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 17? ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 17, COMING BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, MOTION TO APPROVE BY COLEMAN SECOND.
[18. 21-00830 Case 36-21 11324 Granberry Street]
WE NOW MOVE TO ITEM 18, UH, ITEM 18 3 6 DASH 21,000 132 4 GRANBURY STREET TO RESOLVE FROM SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO HAVE A COMMERCIAL TO RURAL PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF GRANBURY STREET, NORTH OF BLOCK ROAD, COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS MOTION TO DENY CARRY UNANIMOUSLY SEVEN ZERO.THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO DELETE THIS ITEM.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 18? ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 18, BACK TO THE COUNCIL, MOST TWO LEAD BY BANK.
SECONDLY, BY THE CHAIR, THE ITEM HAS BEEN
[19. 21-00831 Case 37-21 1885 Wooddale Boulevard]
DELETED.WE GO TO ITEM 19 CASE THREE SEVEN DASH TWO ONE 1-885-WOODDALE BOULEVARD TO RESOLVE FROM EVERY COMMERCIAL ONE TO GENERAL RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF WOODDALE BOULEVARD, NORTH TO SHANE'S PLACE.
COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX, DONE MOTION TO APPROVE NINE ZERO.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 19, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 19 BACK TO THE COUNCIL MOTION TO APPROVE BY DONE SECONDED BY ADAMS, NO OPPOSITION ITEM CARRIES
[20. 21-00832 ISPUD-11-19 La Rosa Revision 1]
ITEM 20 ASPEN 11 DASH 19 LAROSA REVISION ONE PROPOSED MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING COMMERCIAL AND MEDIUM DENSITY.RESIDENTIAL USES ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF HIGHLAND ROAD, WEST OF KIND OF WORK
[00:25:01]
PARKWAY, COUNCIL, DISTRICT 12, WAKA COMMISSION ACTION, MOTION TO APPROVE NINE TO ZERO.IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 20? ANYONE WHO TO SPEAK ON ITEM 20, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, SIR.
MY NAME IS TIM BASILICA, 2 33 SHADY OAKS COURT.
I'M ONE OF THE OWNER DEVELOPERS OF THE LAROSA PROPERTY.
UM, WE ARE PROUD OF THE MODIFICATIONS WE'VE MADE TO THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PLAN.
UH, WE HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH SEVERAL KEY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, NAMELY KENILWORTH CIVIC ASSOCIATION, CENTRAL HIGHLAND CIVIC ASSOCIATION, MAGNOLIA WOODS CIVIC ASSOCIATION, AND THE OWNERS OF THE KENILWORTH SHOPPING CENTER.
UM, THE PLAN IN SHORT BASICALLY REDUCES THE COMMERCIAL COMPONENT, UM, FROM JUST UNDER 14,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL TO 5,000 AND DOES A MODEST INCREASE OF ATTACHED SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL TOWNHOMES, UM, AND FOCUSES ON GREEN SPACE AND REDUCES TRAFFIC IMPACT BECAUSE OF THE REDUCTION IN COMMERCIAL SPACE, AS WELL AS, UM, GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIX SOME STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, UH, ISSUES THAT ARE AT KENILWORTH AND HIGHLAND THAT ARE NOT ON OUR PROPERTY, BUT WE SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, BE, UH, GOOD NEIGHBORS AND IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE IN THAT LOCATION.
UM, AS WE DO THIS WORK, UH, SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE PROJECT, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPELLS HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 20? ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 20, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GO THERE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ABSTAIN FROM THIS VOTE.
PLEASE SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER GO THERE.
YOU'RE YOU'RE ABSTAINING COUNCIL MEMBER ROCCO.
MR. BASILICA, CAN YOU PLEASE COME BACK UP PLEASE? EARLY ON IN THIS DEVELOPMENT, THERE WAS A LOT OF OPPOSITION WITH REGARD TO WHAT HE PLANNED TO DO IN THIS AREA.
AND I WANT TO COMMEND HIM AND THE HOA PRESIDENT FOR WORKING TOGETHER AND MAKING CONCESSIONS AND MAKING THIS, UM, WORK IN THE AREA WITH THE SLIVER OF PROPERTY THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO YOUR DEVELOPMENTAL.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT I APPRECIATE IT.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE MET SEVERAL TIMES IN THIS ROOM WITH, UM, WITHOUT THE PUBLIC AND WITH OTHER HOA PRESIDENTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU AGAIN, THANK YOU.
AND, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY ROCCO SECONDED BY DONE ANY OPPOSITION, ONE AMARILLO SO-SO AMORUSO OPPOSE SHE'LL GO DE ABSTAINING MOTION CARRIES
[22. 21-00834 PUD-1-03 Towne Centre at Cedar Lodge (Creekstone), Concept Plan, Revision 4]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM 22.WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM 22, PUT ONE DASH ZERO THREE TOWN CENTER AT CITY LODGE CREEKSTONE CONCEPT PLAN REVISION FOR REVISED PERMISSIBLE USES TO INCLUDE MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF JEFFERSON HIGHWAY, NORTH TO CORPORATE BOULEVARD, COUNCIL DISTRICT 11 ADAMS COMMISSIONED ACTION, MOTION TO APPROVE SEVEN ZERO.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 22? ANYONE HERE? UH, CHRIS FERRIS IS HERE IN FAVOR, BUT DOES NOT WISH TO SPEAK.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 22 COUNCIL MEMBERS MOTION TO APPROVE BY ADAMS SECONDED BY MOKE ITEM 22 CARRIES
[21. 21-00833 SPUD-1-21 @ Highland]
ITEM 21.WE ARE NOW HERE HAVE REACHED THE POINT OF THE BIG SHOW SPUD ONE DASH TWO, ONE, AND HIGHLAND TO REZONE FROM GENERAL OFFICE HIGH-RISE AND LIGHT COMMERCIAL TWO TO SMALL PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT FOR PROPOSED HIGH DESTINY MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL OFFICE, RETAIL AND RESTAURANT WITH DRIVE THROUGH DEVELOPMENT ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF LUMON AND BOULEVARD NORTH TO PARLIN ROAD, COUNCIL DISTRICT 12 ROCCA.
THE COMMISSION ACTION WAS TO APPROVE, UH, CARRIED FIVE TO FOUR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN HOW WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
WE'RE GOING TO LET THE PROPONENTS OF THE ITEM, UH, SPEAK FIRST AT FIRST, LIKED TO ANNOUNCE THAT MICHAEL LANG JEFF BELL AND MO VIS ARE HERE, BUT DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK IN THEY AIR IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM.
I'LL BE GOING TO LET THE PROPONENT SPEAK FIRST.
I WOULD ASK ALL OF YOU WHILE I RECOGNIZE WE SEE WE HAVE RECEIVED WELL OVER 400 EMAILS RELATIVE TO THIS, TO THIS ITEM.
AND MANY OF YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU BE HARSH ON THE ISSUE IF NECESSARY, BUT NOT BE HARSH ON ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL HERE AND THAT WE MAINTAIN A CERTAIN LEVEL OF DECORUM AND RESPECT TO EACH OTHER.
AS I ASKED OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DO EVERY MEETING.
UH, SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE HERE, UH, TO SPEAK IN, UH, IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM.
SO IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM, MR. PRO, TIM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL? I MOVED TO APPROVE THE ITEM.
[00:30:01]
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NECESSARILY HAVE THOSE RIGHTS AT THIS TIME, BUT PLEASE CARRY ON TO CONGRESS, SIR.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
MY NAME IS WALTER MONSOON, 6 7 6 7 PERKINS ROAD WITH CSRS, AND WE REPRESENT THE DEVELOPERS IN THIS PARTICULAR APPLICATION.
I HAVE A POWERPOINT THAT I'D LIKE TO GET PULLED UP, PLEASE.
IF YOU CAN, UH, SEE THE POWERPOINT, UM, I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT I HAVE, UH, REFERRED TO AS IRREFUTABLE FACTS.
UH, THE FACT ONE IS THAT THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN PERMITTED AND FILLED PLACED ON THIS PROPERTY ALL PER THE UDC CODE REQUIREMENTS ROUGHLY FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO THIS IS NOT A NEW DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS ANOTHER FACT, THE PROPERTY HAS ALREADY BEEN ELEVATED TO YOU TO SEE REQUIREMENTS.
THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL FLOOD PLAIN STORAGE THAT WILL BE LOST.
THE DEVELOPERS ALREADY COMPLETED THE DOTD TURN LANE THAT WAS MANDATED FIVE YEARS AGO.
THE CURRENT PROPOSED USES WILL GENERATE LESS PEAK TRAFFIC AT COMING AND GOING AT EIGHT O'CLOCK AND FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING, EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING.
THE CURRENT PROPOSED USES WILL GENERATE LESS PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC THAN PREVIOUSLY APPROVED THE PLAN.
LET ME COME BACK AND VARY FROM THIS FOR A MINUTE AND SAY TO YOU AGAIN, THERE IS AN APPROVED PLAN AND APPROVED PLAN TO DO MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE ASKING.
IT'S A DOWNER ZONING WE'RE ASKING TO DO LESS THAN WHAT WE CAN PULL A PERMIT ON TOMORROW.
THE STAFF HAS CERTIFIED THAT THE PROPOSED REQUEST MEETS THE MINIMUM, UH, CRITERIA FOR A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
THE UDC STATES THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN DISTRICT IS TO ENCOURAGE ENCOURAGE EFFICIENT LAND USE, PRESERVE NATURAL AMENITIES, AND PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES NON VEHICULAR CIRCULATION SPUDS REQUIRE A HIGHER STANDARD FOR GREEN SPACES AND STANDARDS THAN STANDARD ZONING.
AND TO THAT EXTENT, THIS SPUD THAT IS BEFORE YOU WILL REDUCE OR RATHER INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF GREEN SPACE BY THREEFOLD AND THE AMOUNT OF OPEN SPACE FOURFOLD.
IT WILL ALSO SAVE ABOUT THREE OR FOUR OAK TREES THAT ARE PRESENTLY BORDERING ON HIGHLAND ROAD.
I'M ASKING YOU TO LOOK AT THIS IN A VERY SIMPLE FASHION AND NOTHING THAT COMES BEFORE YOU IS SIMPLE.
AND I RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THAT, BUT THIS IS AN EITHER OR SITUATION FIVE YEARS AGO, THIS PROPERTY WAS REZONED FOR GENERAL HOUSE OFFICE.
IT'S NOW BEING ASKED TO BE REZONED TO A SPUD.
UH, WE WILL LOWER THE ORIGINAL OFFICE BUILDING FROM 75 FEET TO 56 FEET.
THAT'S SEVEN FLOORS DOWN TO FOUR.
UH, THE SECOND OFFICE BUILDING IS GOING TO BE TWO FLOORS LESS.
IT WILL BE GOING FROM A FOUR FLOOR BUILDING TO A TWO FLOOR BUILDING.
AND AS I SAID, WE PRESERVE TREES AS WELL AS CREATE A BETTER DRAINAGE SYSTEM WITH THE OPEN AND GREEN SPACE.
UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THERE IS A RENDERING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN OF WHAT IS PRESENTLY APPROVED AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
SO WE'VE DISTINGUISHED IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, THE AREA IN RED ON BOTH OF THOSE BUILDINGS WILL NOT BE BUILT UNDER THE NEW APPLICATION.
AND I WOULD BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TOWER TOWER PARIS AT THIS TIME.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE IDLE WE WILL NOW, UH, WILL NOW I WILL NOW READ THERE.
THOSE WHO WERE HERE, EXCUSE ME, ASK ME WHAT NOW I'LL READ THE EMAIL COMMENTS WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF YOU.
THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE SUBMITTED EMAILS AND IN FAVOR OF THE ITEM JESSICA HILL, CAN YOU RAINY GARY SWALLOW? JONATHAN KWAN, BRANDON VIOLETTA, KEEGAN HOLIDAY, NICHOLAS MOORE, NICHOLAS DAY, ALISON MILLER.
AUSTIN ROBICHAUD ON NEW MAYOR WHO
[00:35:01]
RAFTA BRIAN BOND, GIOVANNI CHRISTIAN, FERNANDO CHRIS LANDS, RIM SHEET R ABRA NAJAR RAVINA JAMES THOMAS, DANIEL AND EAST BRO.JOHN JAMES LANELLE SMITH SKYE, HAYNES, SAMANTHA CUSTER, ALEX MEYER, MICHAEL LANG.
WE WILL NOW, UH, HEAR FROM THOSE WHO ARE IN OPPOSITION.
UH, SHIRLEY MORAY IS HERE, UH, IN OPPOSITION, BUT DOES NOT WISH TO SPEAK, UH, MR. SORE AT THE END OF THE DOSE.
OH, YOU DO WANT TO SPEAK ON, I'LL COME TO YOU.
UH, IN, IN THE ORDER THAT YOU HEAR, UH, MR.
AM I PRONOUNCING THAT CORRECTLY? YEAH.
ABOUT SIX PEOPLE WHO'VE REQUESTED TO GO AT THE END.
SO SOMEBODY IS NOT GOING TO GO AT THEN.
I CAN PUT YOU AT THE END OF THOSE VETERAN REQUESTED.
MY NAME IS ED
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATION OF GREATER BATON ROUGE, CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
I HAD PREPARED TO TALK TONIGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE TROUBLESOME CONCERNS WITH THIS PROJECT, AND I'M GOING TO LET THE OTHERS THAT SPEAK BEHIND ME DO THAT.
MANY OF THOSE IS JUST A RESTATEMENT OF THE STATEMENT THAT WE MADE ABOUT THE FLOODING IN MAY TO THIS BLOCK, TO THIS BODY AND WHAT OTHERS ARE GOING TO SPEAK TO TONIGHT.
OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS, I HAVE LISTENED AND SEEN THE LEVEL OF DESPAIR THAT'S BEEN CREATED BY THE SEA FENTON MAY TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION SHOULD JUST NOT FOCUS ON THE PLANNING AND ZONING PRINCIPLES.
THE UDC SAYS IT SHOULD BE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE DECISIONS MADE HERE TONIGHT IMPACT ALL THE CITIZENS OF THIS PARISH.
AND THEY HAVEN'T EVEN YET REALIZED THAT OVER THE YEARS I'VE WITNESSED THE CITIZENS OF THIS PARISH, LETTING THINGS HAPPEN TO THEM OFTEN BAD AND ALWAYS COSTLY.
I'VE TALKED TO MANY OF YOU AS WELL AS MANY OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, WE REALIZED THAT YOU WERE VERY CAPABLE IN THESE ROLES, VERY COMPASSIONATE AND WE'LL MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.
WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN VERY POSITIVE STEPS TO ADDRESS THIS FLOODING PROBLEM.
BUT WITH ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE AND PROMISED, WE HAVE YET TO SEE THE RESULTS SOMETHING'S WRONG.
WE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR RESPONSIBLE GROWTH.
WE SEE THAT GROWTH THAT ADDS VALUE TO THE PARISH AND AT THE SAME TIME, PREVENTING THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND TO THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT THE PARISH HAS BEEN LOSING POPULATION OVER THE LAST DECADE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE ALL THIS GROWTH IS GOING.
WE DON'T UNDERSTAND, WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHO THE WINNERS AND THE LOSERS ARE EITHER.
WHAT I WOULD PLEAD WITH YOU IS PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
THE DEVELOPERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE A LIVING.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, BUT NOT TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE THOUSANDS OF HOMEOWNERS WITHOUT ANY RECOURSE.
THAT IS THE PATH THAT WE'VE BEEN ON FOR THESE MANY YEARS.
WE'RE GETTING DEVELOPMENTS APPROVED MANY, MANY OVER THE OPINION THAT THAT UDC CODE IS EFFECTIVE AT ADDRESSING THE DRAINAGE AND FLOODING THE RESULTS FROM THE HOMEOWNER'S PERSPECTIVE WOULD SUGGEST OTHERWISE HOMES CONTINUE TO FLOOD MANY FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THESE DOCUMENTS NEED TO HAVE FURTHER REVIEW AND REVISION.
IF, WHILE YOU WANT A DIFFERENT OUTCOME FOR THE LAST 38 YEARS, HOME OWNERS, LOCAL AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, KNOWLEDGEABLE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AT PLEADED WITH THE SAME THING.
MR. JIM, BORDERLINE, MR. JIM, BORDERLINE, JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, THREE MINUTES.
I'M HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILIES PROPERLY, WHICH IS THAT 1 0 1 5 7 HIGHLAND ROAD.
AND OBVIOUSLY I'M ASKING YOU TO VOTE NO ON THE SUMMARY REQUESTS OTHER THAN THIS AREA
[00:40:01]
FOR THE OVER 55 YEARS.AND I'LL SEE FIRSTHAND THE CONSEQUENCES, GOOD AND BAD OF DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA.
THIS PART OF BATON ROUGE, OUR PROPERTY AND THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, BOTH BOARD OF THE BLUE PONTUS, SWAMP NATURE PRESERVE BOTH PROPERTIES.
ALSO FALL PARTIALLY WITHIN THE AA FLOOD ZONE THAT ALSO ALIGNS WITH THE SWAMP ABOUT 10% OF OUR LAND FALLS IN THIS FLOOD ZONE.
OVER HALF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY FALLS IN THE SAME FLOOD ZONE.
AND THERE ARE MAPS THAT MAKE THIS POINT.
I'VE SEEN WATER IN SWAMP AT AS LOW AS IN ITS PEAK AND AFTER HEAVY RAIN, I'VE SEEN THIS WATER, THE SWAMP WATER INUNDATE, THE LOWEST PARTS OF OUR PROPERTY AND CROSS PROPERTY LINES AND FENCES LIKE THEY WERE NOT THERE.
I'LL SAY MUCH THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AS WELL AS FLOOD AS WELL AS THE SWAMP EXPANDS ARISES MOST RECENTLY AT THE SEVERE RAINS IN MAY WHEN PARCELS PROPERTY WERE UNDERWATER, DESPITE THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF INFIELD THAT WAS PUT INTO PLACE AS A PART OF THE ORIGINAL AD HIGHLAND DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AS AN EDDY AREA, INFIELD DOES NOT ELIMINATE A FLOODING PROBLEM.
INFILL MAKES IT SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM THAT WATER JUST NOT, DOES NOT DISAPPEAR.
I'VE SEEN FLOOD WATER LEVELS OF THIS AREA INCREASED THIS EARLY, EARLY 1980S AFTER BLUEBONNET BOULEVARD WAS EXTENDED TO HIGHLAND ROAD AND BROUGHT WITH IT NEW DEVELOPMENT INTO THE SMALLEST WATERSHED AT THAT TIME, HIGH GROUND WAS PLENTIFUL IN LOW LYING AREAS TO THE LEFT AS IS PARTIALLY FOR WATER RETENTION, BUT MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE OF MAKING THIS LAND, WHICH BRINGS US TO PRESENT DAY, WE HAVE ALREADY ALLOWED AND ARE CONTEMPLATING ALLOWING EVEN MORE DEVELOPERS ON LAND.
IT WAS ONCE UNFIT FOR ANYTHING IN THE COW PASTURE TREES.
WE ARE AT THE POINT WHERE EVERY CUBIC YARD OF NEW FIELD DISPLACES, A CUBIC WALL OF STONEWALL AND THAT WATER IS GOING SOMEWHERE, MAKING A MISTAKE.
IT MAY GO SOMEONE'S BACKYARD OR MEGAN ONE TO THEIR LIVING ROOM.
NOBODY CAN TELL US WHERE NOW TO BE FAIR.
THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS NOT IS HARLEM FIRST AND THE PROVERBIAL DEATH OF A THOUSAND CUTS, BUT IT'S THE LAST, AND IT'S THE ONE THAT NEEDS OUR ATTENTION TODAY.
I'M ASKING THE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL ACKNOWLEDGED BY REJECTING THE STONE AND REQUEST THAT THE CONTINUANCE INFILL AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN A NATURAL BOUNDARIES OF THE SWAMP WILL ALREADY WORSE THAN THAT BAD SITUATION.
MIKE, THANK YOU FOR MR. DAVID CROCKETT.
I LIVE IN THE KNOXVILLE SUBDIVISION.
THAT'S THE CLOSEST DIVISION TO THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT.
I FIRST LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ZONING ISSUE.
IT APPEARS THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THIS AT THE LAST PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING DEVELOPERS THAT TOLD US THEY COULD BUILD APARTMENTS ON THE SITE WITH THE CURRENT ZONING.
TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS ASKED IF THIS IS SO BY YOU ASKING FOR ZONE J I DON'T THINK THE ANSWER WAS CLEAR.
THE CURRENT AD HIGHLAND SIDE HAS TWO DIFFERENT ZONING DESIGNATIONS, G O H GENERAL OFFICE HIGH RISE, LLC, TO LIGHT COMMERCIAL PROPOSED 240 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IS PLANNED FOR THE AREA ZONE G O H G O H REQUIRES A 50 50 SPLIT BETWEEN APARTMENTS AND OFFICES.
UH, SO IF YOU HAVE 200,000 SQUARE FEET OF APARTMENT COMPLEX, SHE CAN HAVE TO PAY 200,000 FEET OF OFFICE SPACE.
THE CURRENT REQUEST IS TO CHANGE IT ENTIRE 8.5 ACRES TO A SPUD DESIGNATION, WHICH ALLOWS BASICALLY ALL OF IT COULD BE APARTMENTS.
THE CURRENT PLAN IS TO BUILD OVER 90% APARTMENTS.
WHAT'S REALLY DISAPPOINTING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE ORIGINAL VISION FOR THIS LOT THAT WAS SOLD TO THE PUBLIC WAS TO BUILD A TECH PARK.
THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD FOR BATON ROUGE WOULD HAVE HAD TECH JOBS, BUT ATTRACT YOUNG TALENT AND YOU WOULD BUILD A TAX BASE.
AND NOW YOU ENDED UP WITH A COMMON HIGH RISE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE OF THE TOP TECH PARK IS LOST.
BATON ROUGE DOES NOT NEED ANOTHER LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEX, AND IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T NEED ONE ON HIGHLAND ROAD.
AS YOU WILL SEE YOU ABOUT THE ISSUES WE'RE GOING TO BRING UP ON DRAINAGE AND TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF STUDIES THAT SAY DRAINAGE IS GREAT.
IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER AND TRAFFIC'S GOING TO BE BETTER, BUT JUST GO TO THE ROAD AND LOOK, GO TO THE SITE AND LOOK WE'VE SEEN IT.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE STUDIES ARE.
FURTHERMORE, THE ORIGINAL IMPETUS BEHIND THE TECH PARK WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GENERAL INFORMATICS.
AS YOU MIGHT SAY, THE ANCHOR STORE FOR THE TECH PARK LAST
[00:45:01]
YEAR, CONTROLLING INTEREST IN THIS COMPANY WAS SOLD TO A DALLAS INVESTMENT COMPANY, ROSEWOOD PRIVATE INVESTMENTS.SO WE'VE LOST THE VISION OF THE TECH PARK.
PEOPLE ASKED OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT.
WE'VE ALSO LOST SOME OF THE LOCAL OWNERSHIP TO AN OUTER STATE INVESTOR.
SO YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND NOW WHILE THERE'S A LITTLE ENTHUSIASM FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT, WE WERE SOLD A TECH PARK AND WE ENDED UP WITH A HIGH RISE.
THIS IS ONE REASON BY YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY VOTED AGAINST THIS REZONING REQUESTS.
WE ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
NO ON THIS DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE THAT A FEW TIMES YOU STOPPED RIGHT ON, ON THE MONEY.
HE WAS USING ONE OF HIS BIG WORDS TO CALL IT IN SPANISH.
I LIVE AT TWO 30 KNOXVILLE DRIVE AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE KNOX HILL HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
KNOX HILL IS THE CLOSEST SUBDIVISION TO THE PROPOSED 240 UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING TO THOSE OF US WHO LIVE HERE.
THE THOUGHT OF MORE TRAFFIC IN THIS AREA IS VERY CONCERNING, BUT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE TRAFFIC, THE ADDITION OF 240 APARTMENTS AND THE POSSIBLE 480 PLUS VEHICLES ASSOCIATED WITH HIM NOT TO MENTION THE ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC DUE TO RESTAURANTS AND SHOPPING WILL SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE TRAFFIC AT THIS HIGHLAND BLUEBONNET CORNER IS ALREADY TERRIBLY CONGESTED.
THEIR TRAFFIC BACKS UP PAST THE ENTRANCE OF OUR SUBDIVISION AND THE AFTERNOONS.
AND IF WE NEED TO TURN LEFT ONTO HIGHLAND, WE'LL USUALLY HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY LET US OUT.
TRAFFIC ALSO BACKS UP BLUE BONNET NORTH PAST THE LIBRARY.
I KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS A TRAFFIC STUDY DONE.
I'M NOT SURE HOW THESE STUDIES ARE DONE AND WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE, BUT ANYONE WHO DRIVES AROUND BATON ROUGE AND IS HONEST WITH THEMSELVES, MUST BE WILLING TO ADMIT SOMETHING ISN'T WORKING RIGHT.
NUMBERS DON'T SEEM TO BE TELLING THE FULL STORY.
ONE OF THE ONLY TWO ENTRANCES AND EXITS TO THE DEVELOPMENT IS ON HIGHLAND ROAD ONLY, RIGHT? TURNS ARE ALLOWED THERE.
THEREFORE PEOPLE NEEDING TO GO BACK TO BLUE BONNET OR TO I 10 OR TOWARD I 10 WE'LL NEED TO MAKE YOU TURNS SOMEWHERE, PROBABLY IN KNOX HILL OR THE MYRTLE SUBDIVISIONS, WHICH WILL BE CREATING EXCESSIVE NON-RESIDENTIAL TRAFFIC AND NEIGHBORHOODS WITH NO THROUGH STREETS.
THE EXIT ON BLUEBONNET ONLY ALLOWS RIGHT TURNS BECAUSE OF THE MEDIAN.
SO YOU TURNS ON BLUE ON IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO GO NORTH.
WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE HEADING EAST ON HIGHLAND TURN ILLEGALLY INTO THE AD HIGHLAND SITE.
ALL OF THIS IS SO CONFUSING AND DANGEROUS TRAFFIC AT THIS CORNER HAS STEADILY INCREASED.
AS THE FIRST BUILDING AT HIGHLAND WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH THE ADDITION OF MORE RETAIL ON THE CORNER OF HIGHLAND AND BLUE BONNET.
THIS IS BEFORE ADDING 240 APARTMENTS, RETAIL AND MORE OFFICE SPACE.
THE ADDITION OF ALMOST 500 MORE VEHICLES WILL MAKE IT ABSOLUTE, WILL MAKE IT AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE AND INDEPENDENT OF WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE TELLING YOUR ENGINEERS.
WE FULLY EXPECT TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AT THIS INTERSECTION TO GET FAR WORSE.
THIS AREA IS ALSO NOT CONDUCIVE TO WALKING TO AREA BUSINESSES DUE TO LACK OF SIDEWALKS AND SHOULDERS ON THE ROADWAYS.
THEREFORE, I RESPECTFULLY ASKED YOU TO VOTE NO FOR THE REZONING OF THIS PROPERTY, JUST BUD.
THIS HIGH RISE DENSITY APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH THE ADDITIONAL VEHICLES ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT FIT AT THIS CORNER.
MA'AM HONOREE, BRETT ANDRE, TEN EIGHT TWENTY HOLLAND ROAD.
MY APARTMENTS ON BURBANK HAS BEEN INUNDATED IN FLOOD WATERS FOUR TIMES IN THE PAST SIX YEARS, 20 16, 18, 19 AND 21 IN ALL DUE RESPECT.
AND I HUMBLY SAY YOU WERE VOTED ON THE COUNCIL TO VOTE ON ISSUES THAT THE MAJORITY OF BATTERY CITIZENS WANT AND THE DIRECTION THE CITIZENS WANT THE CITY TO GO.
AND IN OUR OPINION AND DESIRE IS THAT THE ZONING SHOULD STAY THE SAME AS IT IS AT HOLLAND.
DO NOT REZONE THE PROPERTY, PLEASE.
RIGHT NOW, AS IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME, THE
[00:50:01]
DEVELOPER HAS TO BUILD 200 TO 400,000 SQUARE FEET WITH THE COVID VIRUS.THE DELTA, THE PARENT 200 TO 400,000 OF OFFICE SPACE IS A LOSING PROPOSAL.
AND THE PROJECT PROBABLY WILL NOT BE BUILT AT THIS TIME.
THAT IS WHY THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO REZONE THE PROPERTY SO THAT HE CAN BUILD LESS OFFICE SPACE AND MORE APARTMENTS.
IF IT'S NOT REZONED, THIS WILL ALLOW TIME FOR THE FLOOD SITUATION TO BE CORRECTED BY THE CITY WITH THE GRACE OF GOD.
ON THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD MAY 13TH, AFTER 11:00 PM, A YOUNG GIRL RANG A DOORBELL KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND MY WIFE AND I WAS AT HOME.
SHE WAS GOING DOWN HOLLAND ROAD TO HER TOWN, HOME ON SEGUN AND THE INTERSECTION AT HOLLAND AND SEGUN, SHE SAID WAS FLOODED AND UNDERWATER.
SHE TURNED BACK AROUND GOING TOWARDS BLUE BONNET, BUT EVERY DRIVEWAY AND YARD WAS UNDERWATER, BUT MINE.
SO SHE TURNED DOWN AND SHE HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.
SHE SAID, AND SHE WORKED AT ATOMIC BURGER.
SO WE ALLOWED HER TO SPEND THE NIGHT WITH US.
IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE SLEEP IN YOUR HOUSE.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO THEY ARE, BUT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO WITH THE GRACE OF GOD.
SO I'M ASKING YOU, IT MAY BE UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT DO THE RIGHT THING AND DENY THE REZONING AT HOLLAND.
THE MAJORITY ONLY DEVELOPER LIVES IN DALLAS, TEXAS.
YOU DO NOT REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE DEVELOPER CARES ABOUT BATON ROUGE, CITIZENS.
ALL I DO BELIEVE IS THAT HOW MUCH MONEY CAN HE MAKE? SHOW THE BAD REAR CITIZENS YOU CARE, PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THE PROPERTY TO BE RESOLVED.
I WILL ALSO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
AND HERE'S THE PICTURE OF MY PROPERTY WITH A GIRL, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, YOU COULD, IF YOU DON'T MIND HANDING THAT PHOTO TO MR. GOLDADE, I'D LOVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I LIVE AT 2 1, 2 SHADY LIKE PARKWAY, LAKESIDE SUBDIVISION, LAKESIDE SUBDIVISION IS DIRECTLY DOWNSTREAM FROM THE AD HIGHLAND PARKS SITE DEVELOPMENT.
WE SHARE A DRAINAGE LOCATION THAT, UM, THE DRAINAGE IN FRONT OF OUR SUBDIVISION DRAINS, UM, THE HIGHLAND AND BLUE ON AN INTERSECTION, IT DRAINS DOWN THE ENTRANCE OF OUR SUBDIVISION AND TRANSFERS AND TRAVELS UNDERNEATH HIGHLAND ROAD.
THAT PARTICULAR DRAINAGE PLACE, UM, WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT PLACE TO PUT A DRAINAGE IMPACT UPGRADE FOR THE HIGHLAND ROAD EXPANSION THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.
SO NOW THAT 25% OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL HAS GONE UNDERWAY AND A DRAINAGE IMPACT INCREASE HAS NOT HAPPENED THERE.
LIKE AN UPGRADE HAS NOT HAPPENED THERE.
I SUSPECT THAT THE DRAINAGE REQUIREMENT FOR THIS SITE WORKS FOR THE SITE, BUT NO INTENTION OR NO DELIBERATION OR NO CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE DOWNSTREAM FROM THE DRAINAGE OFFSITE.
SINCE WE SHARE THAT, THAT DRAINAGE TO GO UNDERNEATH THE ROAD ON MAY 17, THAT ALL HAD THE WATER FROM THE INTERSECTION AND COVERED THE ROAD.
THAT IS AN EXISTING PROBLEM THAT OUR SUBDIVISION AND SIX SPECIFIC RESIDENTS IN OUR SUBDIVISION HAVE FOUGHT IN THIS MOUNTAIN METRO COUNCIL AND WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS.
AND THAT CULVERT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOME ON SOMEONE'S RADAR FOR THIS LARGE DEVELOPMENT CON PROJECT.
I'M A RESIDENT OF THE BOUNDARIES FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, A RESIDENT IN THAT SUBDIVISION FOR THE LAST 15, I'M NOT ZONED FOR FLOODING.
I CARRY FLOOD INSURANCE BECAUSE SO MANY RESIDENTS FLOODED AND THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE A FLOODING INSURANCE POLICY SOLVENT IS TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE IN IT.
I PARTICIPATED IN THE FLOOD PROGRAM, NEVER DREAMING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE PROGRAM.
[00:55:01]
SO WE HAVE NOT FLOODED IN THOSE 15 YEARS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS THOUGH, THE FIELD THAT HAS COME IN FOR THE SUBDIVISIONS AROUND US AND THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AROUND US HAS DEFINITELY CHANGED THE DRAINAGE DRAINAGE PROJECTS FOR, BY YOUR FOUNTAIN AND BY YOUR MAN CHECK OR ON THE BOOKS.BUT THE CAPACITY FOR BUY YOU MEAN CHECK AND THE CAPACITY FOR BY YOU FOUNTAIN.
WE'VE ALREADY FILLED BOTH OF THOSE DRAINAGE CANALS TO CAPACITY TO PUT NEW IN AND TO PUT NEW BUILDINGS AND NEW BUILDINGS IN WHAT THE DRAINAGE RUNOFF TO THOSE TWO CANALS IS ASSUMING THAT HE COULD HANDLE IT.
DREDGING, THOSE CANALS WILL NOT, WILL NOT HANDLE NEW BUILDING.
IT WILL ONLY SUSTAIN WHAT EXISTING HAPPENS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT.
I LIVE AT 1185 MAGNOLIA WOOD AVENUE.
I'M A TAXPAYER AND RESIDENT OF MAGNOLIA WOODS.
I AM HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AS WELL AS PRESIDENT OF THE MAGNOLIA WOODS ASSOCIATION.
I MOVED HERE FROM DETROIT, MICHIGAN IN 2003, I WAS GOING TO GET A MASTER'S DEGREE AND THEN MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
BUT I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
I GOT A JOB, FOUND A HUSBAND AND TWO KIDS BOUGHT A STARTER HOUSE AND THEN A FOREVER HOME BLINKED.
THAT FOREVER HOME IS LESS THAN THREE MILES FROM AT HIGHLAND THAT FOREVER HOME FLOODED IN 2016.
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WERE SPENT ON PUTTING IN WOOD, LOOK, TILE AND SEALING THE EXTERIOR BRICK, HOPING ITS INTEGRITY WOULD NEVER HAVE TO BE TESTED THAT FOREVER.
HOME FLOODED AGAIN THIS YEAR AT 10:00 PM ON MAY 18TH, I WATCHED THE WATER CREEP UP TO MY HOUSE.
WE SPENT TWO HOURS MOVING EVERYTHING WE COULD LIFT TO HIGHER GROUND AT 3:30 AM.
I WOKE TO A FLOODED HOUSE, TWO AND A HALF INCHES, BUT WATER IS WATER.
WHEN YOUR HOUSE IS FLOODED, WE SPEND ALMOST $10,000 PUTTING IT BACK TOGETHER AGAIN, IT'S NOW JULY MORE THAN TWO MONTHS OUT AND WE'RE ALMOST DONE.
WE HAD A THOUSAND YEAR FLOOD AND A 500 YEAR FLOOD IN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS.
AND I'M NOT EVEN COUNTING THE FLOODS IN 2018 AND 2019.
I WANT TO SEE BATON ROUGE WOULD BE THE BEST CITY IT CAN BE, BUT I AM AGAINST IRRESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT.
AND I IMPLORE YOU TO TAKE THE SAME POSITION.
THE FACT HERE IS THAT THE DOCUMENTS DO NOT MATCH REALITY AND THE REALITY NEEDS TO GUIDE OUR DECISIONS.
A STUDY BASED ON A A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD IS NOT SUFFICIENT AT HIGHLAND FLOODED IN 21.
ANOTHER BUILDING ON THAT SAME PROPERTY IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT AND IS NOT GOING TO HELP THAT WHAT YOU'LL HAVE IS RENDERS OF 240 APARTMENTS COMING TO YOU AND ASKING WHY YOU EVER ALLOWED SOMEBODY TO PUT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN AN AREA WITH A KNOWN HISTORY OF FLOODING.
INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT DOCUMENTS AND CHECKING A BOX.
I ASK THAT YOU LOOK OUTSIDE WHEN IT RAINS, LOOK AT THE PICTURES FROM MAY OF THE INTERSECTION OF BLUEBONNET AND HIGHLAND.
LOOK AT BAYOU MANSHACK AND DAWSON'S CREEK LOOK AT HOW LONG IT TAKES THE WATER TO RECEDE.
AFTER IT RAINS, YOU MAY NOT HAVE CAUSED THE PROBLEM, BUT YOU CAN HELP FIX IT.
WE ALL WANT PEOPLE TO COME HERE TO BUILD THEIR LIVES HERE.
BE A PART OF OUR SOCIETY, CONTRIBUTE TO OUR ECONOMY AND CREATE AN INCREDIBLE CITY.
BUT IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MANY APARTMENTS, HOW MANY HOUSES, HOW MANY OFFICE PARKS, OR HOW MANY SHOPS WE PUT IN.
IF WE DON'T MAKE IT SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO COME HERE, IF WE DON'T MAKE IT SAFE FOR PEOPLE'S INVESTMENTS.
ONE OF THOSE KEYS TO SAFETY OF BOTH PEOPLE AND THEIR INVESTMENTS IS DRAINAGE.
AND I ASK YOU TO REALIZE THAT DEVELOPMENT IN A FLOOD ZONE IS IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNSAFE TO BOTH PEOPLE AND THEIR INVESTMENTS IN LESS THAN UNTIL WE ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE ALL WANT PEOPLE TO COME HERE, BUT IF WE CAN'T PROVIDE THEM WITH A SAFE PLACE TO BE IN INVEST, NOT ONLY WILL THEY NOT COME, THE ONES THAT ARE HERE LIKE ME WILL LEAVE.
GOOD JOB, JEFFREY ALBRIGHT, JEFFREY.
YOU DID YOUR HOMEWORK AND PRACTICE YOUR PRESENTATION.
GOOD EVENING, JEFF ALBRIGHT, I LIVE AT 2 32 SUMMER RIDGE DRIVE, UH, HERE REPRESENTING MYSELF IN THE HIGHLAND RIDGE, UH, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
WE ALL KNOW THAT EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH HAS A FLOODING AND DRAINAGE PROBLEM.
AND BASICALLY IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE.
UH, WE'RE GETTING A LOT MORE RAIN THAN WE'VE EVER HAD.
AS YOUNG LADY JUST SAID, WE'RE GETTING A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODS EVERY YEAR AND WE'RE GETTING 500 AND THOUSAND YEAR FLOODS.
EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS RAISING ITS STANDARDS FOR
[01:00:01]
FLOOD FOR RAINFALL BECAUSE OF THOSE PROBLEMS. WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE A DRAINAGE PROBLEM, AND YOU ALL HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT YOU ESTABLISHED THE EAST BATON ROUGE STORM WATER STUDY, TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME FOR US TO HAVE THAT STUDY, TO DO THE PLANNING NECESSARY, TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT AND THEN EXECUTE THOSE PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE FLOODING.IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO CONTINUE TO BUILD BUILDINGS IN FLOOD ZONES.
I'M NOT ANTI DEVELOPED DEVELOPMENT.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HERE IS, BUT TO DEVELOP PROPERTIES IN FLOOD ZONES DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE.
WHAT IS PROPOSED TO DO WITH THIS BUILDING? THE STORM WATER STUDY IS ENGAGING THE PUBLIC TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, BUT THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF THE FLOODING AND MAKE THE DECISIONS BASED UPON THAT.
ALL OF THE FACTORS INVOLVED IN RECENT YEARS, DEVELOPERS SEEM TO HAVE TWO SOLUTIONS FOR OUR FLOODING PROBLEMS. THEY'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT IMPROVING THE WATERSHED DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
THEY'RE TRYING TO TELL US THAT THAT, UM, RETENTION PONDS AND THAT THIS, THAT THEIR STUDIES SAY THAT THE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS WILL WORK.
AND THAT'S NOT OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE BECAUSE OUR HOUSES AND HOMES CONTINUE TO FLOOD.
UM, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU REJECT THE APPLICATION.
BANE OF HASTINGS BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION.
MY NAME IS DANA HASTINGS AND I LIVE AT 4, 4, 2 HIGHLAND CROSSING.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT IN BATON ROUGE FOR THE PAST 35 YEARS.
AND WE TRAVEL HIGHLAND ROAD DAILY FOR BOTH WORK AND PERSONAL USE.
WE HAVE BEEN LIVING AT OUR CURRENT RESIDENT FOR 20 YEARS OFF HIGHLAND ROAD AND HAVE WIT WITNESSED A MARKED INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND RECENT YEARS WHILE I RECOGNIZE THAT SMART GROWTH HAS BENEFICIAL.
THIS PROPOSED 240 UNIT APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT AT THIS ALREADY CONGESTED LANE INTERSECTION AT BLUE BONNET WOULD BE WORSENING.
THE PROBLEM BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA TRAFFIC COUNT ON BLUE BONNET HAVE RANGED FROM 26,000 IN 2002 TO OVER 34,000 VEHICLES PER DAY IN RECENT YEARS, INDICATING JUST HOW FAST DEVELOPMENT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE AREA.
THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DIVISION AND REPORT DATED FEBRUARY 18TH, 2015 STATES.
THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF VEHICLES HIGHLAND ROAD CAN ACCOMMODATE IS 11,000 IN 2016 WHILE DEALING WITH A SIMILAR ISSUE AT PICU D O T D STATED THAT HIGHLAND ROAD IS ALREADY OVER CAPACITY FOR A TWO LANE ROAD.
AND THAT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE TRAFFIC COUNTS HAVE SHOWN IT TO HAVE AS MUCH AS 14,500 OR MORE VEHICLES PER DAY.
ADDING THE LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES EXPECTED TO ENTER AND EXIT THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT EACH DAY WILL ONLY CREATE MORE CHAOS AND HAZARDS IN AN ALREADY DANGEROUS AREA.
BURBANK DRIVE WAS BUILT TO AVOID THIS KIND OF PROBLEM AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN THE PAST HAVE STATED THAT HIGHLAND ROAD WILL NEVER BE FOUR LANES WHEN HERITAGE OAKS RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION OFF A HIGHLAND AT PICU WAS PROPOSED.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE WERE GRATEFUL.
THE CITY PARISH REJECTED THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF FIVE HOUSES PER ACRE BECAUSE OF ANOTHER PROBLEM INTERSECTION LATER, A DIFFERENT DEVELOPER CAME ALONG AND PROPOSED TWO HOUSES PER ACRE, WHICH WAS GRANTED.
IT IS STILL A PROBLEM INTERSECTION, BUT NOT NEARLY AS BAD AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH THE MUCH HIGHER DENSITY.
AND NOW THIS DEVELOPER IS PLANNING TO ADD A 240 UNIT APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WOULD ADD A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF VEHICLES AT AN ALREADY HEAVILY CONGESTED INTERSECTION.
IT WOULD MAKE BAD TRAFFIC MUCH WORSE, BUT IT ALSO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES IN THE EVENT OF BAR OR MEDICAL CRISIS, GETTING EMERGENCY VEHICLES TO THE SIDE OR THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AT PEAK TRAFFIC TIMES IS A BIG PROBLEM.
AT PEAK TIMES, TRAFFIC BACKS UP NORTH PAST THE BLUE BONNET LIBRARY AND IT BACKS UP WEST ALONG HIGHLAND PAST THE KNOX HILLS SUBDIVISION ENTRANCE.
I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU PLEASE PLEASE VOTE NO ON THIS REZONING, THERE MUST BE A BETTER USE FOR THIS LAND.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TO YOU.
UM, JEAN TURNER, UM, AT 9 25 FORWARD SKIP WITH I'VE BEEN THERE 30 YEARS AND,
[01:05:01]
UH, BEEN, UH, AN EXECUTIVE BOARD AT THE HIGHLAND, BUT THE CIVIC HOA THERE FOR ABOUT 25 OF THOSE YEARS.SO YESTERDAY WAS A 52ND ANNIVERSARY OF, UH, THE LANDING ON THE MOON AND APOLLO 11.
SOME PEOPLE THINK IT WAS ON THE THEATER IN NORTH DAKOTA, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY DONE BECAUSE OF PHYSICS, INCLUDING THE LAW OF GRAVITY AND THE LAWS OF PHYSICS ARE UNCHANGING AND THEY'RE CONFLICTING WITH THE COMPROMISE.
THEY DON'T COMPROMISE SUBJECT TO COMPROMISE AND NEGOTIATION.
AND THERE, THERE CAN CONFLICT WITH A LOT OF THE DRAINAGE LAWS, WHICH THEMSELVES ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE HUMAN NATURE.
SO THE RUNOFF COEFFICIENTS ARE STILL GOING TO BE FOUR TIMES HIGHER AROUND CONCRETE THAN GREENLAND IT'S.
GRAVITY IS STILL GOING TO MAKE WATER RUN DOWNHILL.
AND ON TOP OF THIS LAYERED ON TOP IS THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THE INCREASING ALREADY, UH, MORE RAINFALL COMING DOWN AND THEN MORE DENSE AMOUNTS COMING OUT.
SO THAT ONLY MEANS IN A LIMITED SPACE THAT WATER'S GOING TO RISE HIGHER FOR THAT TIME.
AND THIS IS JUST FOLLOWING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.
BUT FROM THAT, IT ISN'T SPECIFIC TO, YOU KNOW, ONE ACRE, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A REGIONAL ONE, THE SIZE OF EASTBOUND ROUGE PARISH.
AND THERE'S PLENTY OF CREDENTIALED ANALYSIS TO SHOW THAT.
SO TODAY'S INFRASTRUCTURE IS OUT PACED BY WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY.
IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE IF NO NEW DEVELOPMENT TAKES PLACE.
AND IN 20 16, 1 OF THE REASONS WE'RE SO SENSITIVE TO THIS OF COURSE, IS THAT HALF THE PARISH WAS FLOODED.
40% OF THE LAND OF THE BUILDINGS WERE, UH, FLOODED, BUT THAT MEANS ALL YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT 38% OF THE POPULATION HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH FLOODING FROM 2016.
AND NOW WE HAVE A STORM IN MAY THAT HAD DIFFERENT POPULATION OF PEOPLE.
AND SOME OF THEM WERE REPEAT, BUT THEY'RE ALSO NEW ONES.
AND SO OF COURSE WE'RE NERVOUS ABOUT THIS, AND OF COURSE WE'D BEEN DAMAGED BY THIS.
SO THE ARC OF HISTORY IS BENDING TOWARDS MORE FLOODING, BUT IT'S BENDING FASTER THAN A WE'RE DOING MITIGATION, THEN WE'RE DOING CLEAN-OUTS AND THEN WE'RE DOING SWALES AND IT'S JUST GOING TO CONTINUE AT TIMES AND CLEARING OUT, DRAIN IT, JUICES AND SWALES ARE BAND-AIDS FOR THE PROBLEM AT HAND, WHEN YOU NEED BAND-AIDS FOR SOME THINGS, BUT THIS ONE IS FAR LARGER THAN THAT.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL THAT ACTUALLY IS GOING TO REDUCE THAT'S DEMONSTRATED IT REDUCED FLOODING? NO.
SO IT JUST RE JUST ON A RISK ANALYSIS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM AREN'T GOING TO HELP JUST ON A RISK ANALYSIS.
SO WE'RE IN THAT POINT HERE AND APOLLO 11 LANDED BECAUSE THEY FILED THE LAWS OF PHYSICS AND THEY DIDN'T, THEY WEREN'T ENTRENCHED IN BEHAVIORS, MOTHER NATURE.
I LIVE AT 2 66 0 NORTH TURNBERRY AVENUE IN ZACHARY LOUISIANA.
I'M A PEDIATRICIAN WITH OFFICES IN BATON ROUGE, AS WELL AS ZACHARY.
I GREW UP UP, GREW UP ALONG HIGHLAND ROAD.
I'M HERE TODAY FOR MY PARENTS WHO, WHO LIVE ON HIGHLAND ROAD, WHO ARE IN HOUSTON FOR A MEDICAL FOLLOW-UP WITH MY MOM AT MD ANDERSON.
I AM ALSO HERE FOR MYSELF AND FOR THE PEOPLE OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
I ASK THAT YOU VOTE NO FOR THIS REZONING FOR AT HIGHLAND HIGH RISE BUILDING WITH 240 APARTMENTS IS COMPLETELY OUT OF CHARACTER WITH THIS OVERWHELMINGLY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE SITE ITSELF FLOODED MAY 18TH, DESPITE BEING DESIGNED AND BUILT AFTER THE FLOOD OF 2016, 480 MORE CARS AT THIS INTERSECTION, WHICH ONLY ALLOWS RIGHT TURNS ON HIGHLAND ROAD, AS WELL AS BLUE BONNET FOLLOWED BY MOST CARS IMMEDIATELY HAVING TO U-TURN IS ASKING FOR TROUBLE AND ACCIDENTS.
AS STATED BEFORE THE PROPERTY WAS REZONED FIVE YEARS AGO TO GENERAL OFFICE AND LIGHT COMMERCIAL.
NOW FIVE YEARS LATER, THEY WANTED REZONED AGAIN, NOT SATISFIED THAT ORIGINALLY THEY HAD 50% APARTMENTS AND 50% OFFICES, BUT NOW A HUNDRED PERCENT APARTMENTS ON THE WESTERN SIDE TO MAKE THE OVERALL TOTAL, APPROXIMATELY 91% APARTMENTS AND ONLY TWO AND A HALF PERCENT OFFICES THAT IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE PREVIOUS GENERAL OFFICE HIGH RISE ZONE.
SO THEY NEED ANOTHER ZONING, WHICH ALLOWS FOR THAT 240 APARTMENTS,
[01:10:01]
480 MORE CARS IS A SUPER HIGH DENSITY AREA THAT WAS NEVER CONSIDERED IN THE ORIGINAL ZONING.AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN A THOROUGH TRAFFIC STUDY SAFETY TRAFFIC STUDY TO IMPACT THAT IMPACT THE ANALYSIS DONE.
SINCE THIS WOULD BE TERRIBLE FOR ANY TWO LANE ROAD, ANYWHERE IN THE PARISH, ANYWHERE IN THE CITY, ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES, THE JOBS OF THE PAST BUILT BATON ROUGE, IT WAS ON A DEEP WATER PORT ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
IT WAS HEAVEN FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERS.
LIKE MY DAD, PEOPLE MOVED HERE BECAUSE OF INDUSTRY, BUT THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE ARE GOING TO PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE, NOT WHERE THEY HAVE TO LIVE.
EVERY TIME WE DO SOMETHING THAT CONVERTS SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL INTO SOMETHING THAT IS LESS DESIRABLE AND OUT OF PLACE, WE MAKE BATON ROUGE, LESS DESIRABLE, FLOODS AND TRAFFIC PROBLEMS HAVE MADE US INFAMOUS FROM TEXAS TO FLORIDA.
AND THIS COMPLEX WOULD MAKE BOTH WORSE.
I ASK THAT YOU DENIED THIS REZONING.
IT WOULD NOT BE GOOD FOR ANY TWO LANE ROAD, ANYWHERE IN THE PARISH.
IT'S NOT GOOD FOR BATON ROUGE.
ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM, AN OPPOSITION THAT IS AN OPPOSITION.
I LIVE AT 1 6 8 4 2 ON HIGHLAND ROAD.
AND I'M HERE TO SIMPLY TELL MY STORY.
ON OCTOBER 6TH, 2004 SHORTLY AFTER MOVING INTO OUR NEW HOME ON HIGHLAND ROAD, MY SON, PATRICK DROWNED IN OUR BACKYARD FOOD, MY HUSBAND AND I NOTICED AN UNCANNY SILENCE AND RUSHED TO LOOK, TO SEE WHERE OUR THREE TWO-YEAR-OLDS HAD GONE TO SHOCKINGLY, MY HUSBAND SPOTTED OUR SON, PATRICK, FLOATING FACE DOWN OUR POOL TO THIS DAY.
WE PULLED PATRICK FROM THE POOL.
HE WAS COLD BLUE AND JUST LIKE A RAGDOLL.
MY HUSBAND AND I IMMEDIATELY STARTED CPR.
I HAPPENED TO HAVE A PHONE, ONE OF THOSE OLD THINGS IN MY HAND, AND I DIALED NINE 11.
AND THE EMERGENCY OPERATOR ANSWERED AND ASKED, WHAT IS YOUR EMERGENCY? AS MY HUSBAND AND I PERFORMED CPR AND DESPERATELY TRIED TO GET A HEARTBEAT.
AND OUR SON, I STAYED ON THE LINE WITH THE EMERGENCY OPERATOR.
THE WONDERFUL LADY REPEATEDLY TOLD ME THE PARAMEDICS WERE ON THE WAY ALONG WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ABSOLUTE ETERNITY, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST ABOUT 20 MINUTES.
AT THIS POINT, WE HAD A PULSE, BUT WE WERE STILL GIVING RESCUE BREATH.
SIRENS WERE NOT GETTING CLOSER.
I LEFT MY HUSBAND WITH MY SON IN THE BACKYARD AND RAN TO MY PHONE GATE.
TRAFFIC ON HIGHLAND ROAD WAS AT A COMPLETE STANDSTILL, BOTH WAY.
THE EMERGENCY OPERATOR TOLD ME THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES COULD NOT GET THROUGH THE TRAFFIC.
I COULD SEE THIS WITH MY OWN TWO EYES.
I RAN OUT ON HIGHLAND ROAD, LIKE A MAD WOMAN.
I COULD SEE THE FLASHING LIGHTS STUCK IN MOTION.
IT TOOK ALMOST 10 MORE MINUTES BEFORE THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE GOT TO MY HOUSE.
FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED FIRST AND MINUTES AFTER THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVED, IT TOOK ALMOST 30 MINUTES FOR HELP TO REACH OUT IF MY HUSBAND AND I WE'RE NOT HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT IN MY MIND, BUT MY SON PATRICK WOULD BE DEAD.
HE WAS INCUBATED IN OUR AND SPENT DAYS ON A VENTILATOR IN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AT OUR LADY OF THE LAKE HOSPITAL.
AND NOW SERVING THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY IN THE ARMY.
THE MORAL OF MY STORY IS WE'RE NOW ALMOST 16 YEARS ON TRACK.
I THINK IN THE CITY HAS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY, ESPECIALLY ON HIGHLANDER.
IT'S A BOTTLENECK CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
WE MUST DO WHAT IS RIGHT? STOP BUILDING AND INCREASING TRAFFIC IN THIS AREA.
IF YOU CAN KEEP BUILDING AND INCREASING THE POPULATION, YOU OWE IT AS LEGISLATORS TO IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
NOT EVERY HOME ON HIGHLAND ROAD HAS A PHYSICIAN, AN ICU
[01:15:01]
NURSE IN TIMES OF AN EMERGENCY.WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, A HIGHLAND ROAD IS NOTHING SHORT OF A SCANDALOUS SHAME AND FLAGRANT DISREGARD FOR SAFETY AND HUMAN LIFE.
I BEG YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
PLEASE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER PATRICK IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I BEG YOU TO CONSIDER THE WELLBEING AND SAFETY OF OUR HIGHLAND ROAD RESIDENTS.
PLEASE VOTE NO TO THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AS NEITHER IS ACCEPTABLE AND THE LIVES OF THIS COMMUNITY AT RISK.
ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? ANYONE ELSE HERE? COME ON DOWN.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE PICU PARKINS AND HIGHLAND HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION.
UM, I ACTUALLY SENT IN A COMMENT CARD, BUT SINCE IT WASN'T READY, I HAVEN'T DECIDED TO SPEAK, UH, WHAT ALL THESE, UH, PEOPLE HAVE SAID.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE LISTENED TO, I'VE BEEN PART OF, AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH I'M GOING TO GO OFF OF WHAT I ACTUALLY WROTE AS FAR AS THE COMMENTS, UH, AND FOCUS REALLY ON THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, BECAUSE THIS IS TREMENDOUS.
THE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN THE CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY OF NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE 240 A UNIT MULTIFAMILY THAT MEET THESE GOALS, ALL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ON HIGHLAND ROAD, THAT DON'T LIE AT THE INTERSECTION OF BLUE BONNET AND HIGHLAND.
UM, THEY, UH, THEY'RE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION'S STAFF REPORT, LAST PAGE, THAT THERE'S A PICTURE OF, IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOGLE MAP OR SOMETHING.
YOU COULD LOOK AT IT AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE ONLY COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IS ON THE BLUE BOND ITSELF UP AND DOWN HIGHLAND ROAD.
THERE IS NOT ONE COMMERCIAL FACILITY, UH, OUR BUILDING.
SO MULTIFAMILY JUST DOESN'T BELONG HERE.
UH, IT'S ONLY GONNA LEAD TO OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER DEVELOPERS WANTING TO BUY UP WHAT PROPERTIES ARE STILL LYING.
AND THEN THAT AREA THAT ARE, ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO DO IT.
UH, THEY WOULDN'T WANT TO BUY THESE PROPERTIES, UH, AND, AND PUT MORE APARTMENT COMPLEX IS OTHER WORDS YOU'RE OPENING THE DOOR FOR BASICALLY, UH, A DOMINO EFFECT IN THE HIGHLAND ROAD AREA, SINGLE FAMILY RANCH AREA.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS TO, TO GET THIS PARTICULAR, THIS PARTICULAR UNIT BUILT, UH, THE WAY THEY WANT IT.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR THE SPOT AND THIS BUD WE'LL GIVE THEM THIS.
THEY CAN STILL BILL APARTMENTS ON THIS PROPERTY.
I DON'T THINK THEY CAN GET THE NUMBER THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, UNDER, UH, G O H SINCE YOU DO HAVE TO HAVE CERTAIN CRITERIA SUCH AS 50%, A MINIMUM OF 50%, WHAT HAVE TO BE GOING TOWARD OFFICER SPACE.
AND I'LL, UH, WHAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT AS FAR AS TRAFFIC AND SO FORTH.
WE'VE SEEN TRAFFIC STUDY AND TRAFFIC STUDY, UH, SHOW THAT HIGHLAND ROAD IS MAXED OUT.
I THINK IT WAS, UM, ASH TOE, A S S H T O THAT, UH, STATES AND MAKES, UH, OF THE INFORMATION FOR YOUR TIME, SIR.
WELL, Y'ALL NEED TO SEE ANY OF THE MAPS.
ARE YOU WELCOME TO LOOK AT, UH, PLANNING PERMISSIONS MAP? I THINK WE HAVE SOME COPIES OF MAPS ADMITTED.
SO IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION WAS SLANG NAME'S BUDDY LANG 507 MYRTLE HILL DRIVE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TO SEE YOU'VE BEEN A BIT OF HISTORY AS I BEGIN MY REMARKS BECAUSE IT'S PROPERTY OF BUDGET, BLUE BOND IT'S SWAMP.
MANY YEARS AGO, BRECK APPROACHED THE ORIGINAL PROPERTY OWNER, TRYING TO BUY THE LAND.
THEY COULD NOT COME TO AN AGREED PRICE.
THE CURRENT OWNER PURCHASED THE LAND WITH THE PROMISE OF A TECH PARK.
AS A PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING THAT HEARD THE ORIGINAL REZONING REQUEST.
THE DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE STATED THE OWNER DESIRE TO BUILD OFFICE
[01:20:01]
AND RETAIL SPACE WITH NO MENTION OF MULTIFAMILY.WE COMPLIMENT THE OWNER AND FOUNDER OF GENERAL INFORMATICS.
THE ORIGINAL VISION OF THE TECH PARK MADE SENSE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, HIGH PAYING JOBS, YOUNG TALENT, BUILD THE TAX BASE.
NOW THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO HAVE THE ZONING ADVANTAGE OF BUILDING WHAT AMOUNTS TO A LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEX ON A PRIME PIECE OF PROPERTY AND ADD VIRTUALLY NO OFFICE SPACE.
WE UNDERSTAND AS DEVELOPERS HAVE TOLD US, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN BUILDING OFFICE SPACE.
AT THIS TIME, WE COMPLIMENT THE ENGINEERING COMPANY FOR EXCEEDING THE UDC REQUIREMENTS.
NOW THE 10 YEAR 25 YEAR STORM, AS WE LATER LEARNED, THEY INCLUDED A 100 YEAR STORM.
HOWEVER, AS WE HAVE ALL SEEN EXPERTS ARE STRUGGLING TO DESCRIBE THE CHANGES IN OUR RAINFALL.
WE NOW HEAR 500 YEAR STORM THOUSAND YEAR STORM.
WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO ANY INVESTOR TURNING A PROFIT, JUST NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE EXISTING RESIDENTS.
WE HAD HEARD SEVERAL TYPES OF CONCERNS TO SEE TRAFFIC EMERGENCY ACCESS FLOODING.
THE PROPERTY OWNERS VISION OF A TECH PARK APPEARS TO BE A JEOPARDY PROPERTY OWNER DESIRES TO MONETIZE THE INITIAL INVESTMENT WITH A LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
THE RESIDENTS DO NOT WANT A LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEX AT THIS CORNER, AS IT DOES NOT FIT THE USE LAND IN THE SURROUNDING AREA, THE PROPERTY ABUTS, BLUEBONNET, SWAMP, A NATURAL DRAINAGE AREA.
IN FACT, THIS PROPERTY USED TO BE AN EXTENSION OF THE SWAMP AS MOTHER NATURE DEEMED NECESSARY.
WELL, THE NATURE IS NOT GOING TO RELIT.
SO ACTIONS MUST BE TAKEN TO ADDRESS FLOODING.
WE REQUEST THAT METRO COUNCIL VOTE NO ON THE ZONING CHANGE REQUEST.
WE ALSO ASK THAT THE CITY PARISH WORK WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER TO PURCHASE THE LAND AND MAINTAIN IT AS A GREEN SPACE EXTENSION OF BLUE BONNET.
SWAMP, THE OWNER COULD TURN A REASONABLE PROFIT.
THE RESIDENTS' CONCERNS ARE ADDRESSED IN THE BROADER VIEW OF THIS PURCHASE.
WE'LL DEMONSTRATE THE CITY AS BEING AGGRESSIVE AND INNOVATIVE IN ADDRESSING THE FLOODING CONCERNS.
IF THE PURCHASE IS NOT SUCCESSFUL, WE WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE OWNER, TO COME TO AN AGREED APPROACH THAT WILL BETTER FIT THE AREA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS.
UH, THE PROPONENTS WILL HAVE, UH, UH, THREE MINUTES TO REBUTTAL.
I'VE GOT A LOT TO SAY IN THREE MINUTES.
UM, LET ME SEE THE COMPARISON, JEFF, BETWEEN THE TWO SITES, LADIES, GENTLEMEN, YOU'VE GOT TO DIVORCE YOURSELF FROM THE EMOTION THAT YOU'VE JUST HEARD.
YOU'VE GOT TO DIVORCE YOURSELF OF THAT EMOTION, BECAUSE THIS IS AN EITHER OR SITUATION AND THEIR ARGUMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIVE YEARS AGO.
THIS IS NOT A DEVELOPMENT THAT IS GOING TO GO AWAY.
THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT THAT'S EITHER GOING TO WHERE'S.
THE DEVELOPMENT IS EITHER GOING TO BE ON THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT, WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT? IT'S EITHER GOING TO BE 76 FEET HIGH AND ANOTHER BUILDING.
THAT'S FOUR STORIES HIGH, OR IT'S GOING TO BE FOUR STORIES HIGH AND TWO STORIES HIGH.
THIS IS NOT ONE THAT IS GOING TO GO AWAY.
THE OWNER LIVES HERE, HIS COMPANY WAS BOUGHT IN PART BY DALLAS, FROM HE LIVES HERE.
PERSONALLY, THE DALLAS COMPANY DOESN'T OWN THE PROPERTY.
THE DEVELOPER HAS DEVELOPED OVER A THOUSAND UNITS OF APARTMENTS IN THIS CITY, THE HERON DOWNTOWN, THE PARK, UH, ON BLUE BONNET BOULEVARD, MANSIONS ON THE PARK.
THE VISION OF MO IS TO HAVE A TECH CAMPUS.
PART OF A TECH CAMPUS IS LIVE, WORK, PLAY, AND HIS EMPLOYEES WANT TO LIVE, WORK, PLAY IN ONE PLACE.
NOW I'M TAKING YOU BACK AGAIN.
IF YOU SAY NO TO THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE YOUR NUMBER ON THE LEFT SIDE.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? DOOR ONE OR DOOR TWO.
FIVE YEARS AGO, THAT WAS APPROVED TOMORROW.
WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT HIM TO PULL THE PERMIT ON? WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH TRAFFIC? THAT'S MORE AND THAT'S BEEN APPROVED.
AND DURING THE 2016 FLOOD, HIS BUILDING WASN'T EVEN BUILT UNTIL 2017.
THAT'S NOT ONE PERSON THAT HAS SAID THEY HAVE SUFFERED.
TRAFFIC ARE FLOODING FROM HIS DEVELOPMENT AND EVERY PROFESSIONAL, INCLUDING THOSE
[01:25:01]
IN THE CITY PARISH THAT REVIEW THIS FOR OFFSITE DRAINAGE AND OFFSIDE TRAFFIC HAS SAID THE SECOND ONE.THE APPLICATION BEFORE YOU IS BETTER, BETTER THAN ZERO.
NO, NOT BETTER THAN ZERO, BUT BETTER THAN NUMBER ONE, WHICH YOU APPROVED THIS COUNCIL APPROVED NOT NECESSARILY YOU, THIS GOVERNMENT APPROVED FIVE YEARS AGO.
LET'S STAND ON WHAT IS AND WHAT ISN'T.
AND I'M ASKING YOU TO APPROVE THIS BECAUSE IT'S A BETTER DEAL THAN WHAT THEY HAVE NOW.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER.
DON, COULD YOU GO FOR, I BELIEVE BEFORE YOU GO, BRIAN, READ, UH, ALL OF THE EMAILS WE RECEIVED FROM THOSE FOUR IN OPPOSITION OF THE AREA.
YOU KNOW THE NAMES, RIGHT? I'M JUST GONNA READ THE NAMES ALL OVER 400.
THESE ARE THE LIST OF NAMES AGAINST READ THE NAMES FOR THE RECORD.
ASEEM SHROFF KEITH WILL MOINES.
DEBRA MILLER, CHRISTIE DIDIER KRAMER, SHERMAN.
STEPHEN SHARMANE JAMES BORDERLINE.
KAY, BIN GLENN OR ZERON JULIANNE MUSTANG.
D S HALFIN MEANING ONE SON WIT ELLEN, SUE, SUE KELLUM, JOHN BLACK.
CATHERINE GRIMMEY ON KELLY HURTADO.
CAROL MCDOUGAL CHAM PACK PATEL, ELLA PATEL, RUBEN PATEL.
REBECCA GARCIA, GREGORY PERDUE V CASH.
ANY HERNANDEZ GUY? BABIN JANE ZEITZ.
ELISA CHUTES GREGORY ERWIN DOTTY TERRITO.
DAVID NELSON, RUSS BRYANT, NEIL CHOPPIN, KATHY BLACK LACY ADKINS.
EVEN WITH SPO ELLEN HIGGINBOTHAM NICHOLAS DALE, JENNIFER MONK, TERRITO.
MICHELLE PEREZ, PEGGY DAIGLE, BARRY RIGGS, ROSE WILLIAMS, JACQUELYN CAGLEY ELIZABETH.
THEN TAWNY PLAYER, LANCE F LEIGHTON, BERLIN JUNIOR, RAYMOND DAWSON, SUSAN TARELL, DAVE AND DAVID LIVERS.
CHELSEA GIDON, BRETT HUTCHINSON.
JOHN ROY, STEPHEN LOS B, WALTER ANDERSON, SR MERRY PALERMO.
DINA ANDERSON, ARLA GUILLORY, CATHERINE CONSTANTINE LYNN FELIPE HOMICIDE DEAL.
ANGELA IS THE RAIN GOT EACH RITO.
MARGARET CAP, DEVILLE DUTY FOIL MICHAEL PALERMO, VERONICA DAWSON, BRAD SCHNEIDER REETHA DECHEND ELLIE TUBES WHEELING STONG JANET VANILLA.
PHILIP WAS JOHN, JOHN PROCTOR, RENEE CLOUD, PETER BJ BURTON.
JOHN HONEYCUTT, ROBERT TESTINGS, H ELEY, WENDY WOLFSON, NATALIE BRODE, DENISE WEST, PATRICIA BROWN, HAROLD DANIEL, DON DAIGLE.
NANCY GRUSH MITZI GRAVES, JEREMY BEET, SUZANNE AMBRY, AMY ODOM.
ELLIE HOLLAND, HAROLD HAROLD ABACK.
REBECCA SESSOMS, EMILY BEACH, MONETTE PAULSON, SUSAN MOREAU, FRANK JOHNSON.
JORDAN FARSHCHI RAYMOND SEXTON.
[01:30:01]
SUZANNE SEXTON.DOES IT PREPARE A GABRIELLE?
JENNIFER MCLACHLAN, TAMMY MILLER, NANCY HART, JACK HART, DENISE ALLEN, RONALD FITZGERALD, JOSEPH ROCCO FORTE, DENAE HASTINGS.
DOUGLAS
MARTHA ALLSTON, DUTCHER REETHA ALICE MITCHELL, WILLIAM SUSSMAN, JAN GOLD.
SHEILA YELL AT I'LL BE BARKSDALE.
DON BARKSDALE, WILLIAM FOLKS AT THE KNOLL.
ALAN RYAN EVE EARNER OR MATT
MR. AND MRS. DANIEL HILL WORRY BAD ONE.
DAVID KAUFLIN THE THIRD RUDY ARSHAM JAMES STEVENS.
CARRIE OAKS, RICHARD GOLD, DANE MACKIE.
WHO'S IN BUDDHA, NOT MARVIN, NOT WAYNE ANDERSON AND CINDY BOYER.
DANA HASTINGS VALLEY HORSHAM DOWNLOAD GULU.
JEFFREY M GLEN GERO LISA BURKE.
JOE LOUGHLIN, DEBRA MCMULLAN, LINDA LOUGHLIN, CHARLES DANIEL, ELIZABETH EVERSON.
JASON SHROCK HALEIGH HERD, STERLING SEIDLER.
CYNTHIA MONGA LEADER, MAYOR HOFF, JANE SHERMAN.
WESLEY WILLIAMS. ALICIA PARALLEL.
OOH, NANCY RABLAY CAROLYN RICE.
PATRICIA BREVET OR HAE BILAM MADELINE MCGEE.
CAROLYN WEXLER, BELINDA MEET SANDY EWING, ROSA SMITH.
MICHAEL O'CONNOR GORDON SMITH.
MICHAEL ROBICHAUD, LAURIE ROBICHAUD, PAMELA ROBICHAUD.
STACY TABOR WAS THAT CARMICHAEL.
MR. AND MRS. JOHN STETLER ON A LENSING.
DAVID CASSIDY, TY WINTER FRANCIS BUNNY HEINZ, LISA LOSS BEING JEREMY EXNER.
MARY SASSER, MONICA ELLENDER, NICOLE SANDERS, MARK, JOHN AND JAN MORELLO.
BERNIE BLANCHARD, DEBRA SILVA, JOLENE EDWARDS, JUDY MILLS, TOM RATHMAN, CATHERINE, LOVEY NANCY NE HER SUMMER RATHMANN, BERNADETTE MORRIS.
THE NEW COLOR ROCKA EARNEST GAMMON.
ALI'S OUR BALI IN KENNETH HOOKS.
RICHARD BIRD, DAN ISRAEL, DAVID MUSTANG, BI TOOLS, OUR BILLION MARLA SILVERBERG, RONALD ROSS, WILLIAM PORTER, PATRICIA BARRON SHANDRA, THE GALA, PATRICIA AND GLUT.
WESLEY MENO FRANCIS GERO JOHN VOICE.
WALTER LEGGETT, SUSAN JUSTICE.
MIKE CASSANO, JENNIFER CURRY, CLAUDIA HARDY, RICHARD FOSHAY TO RESA GALLAGHER GHOST SCOTT MOSS.
DANA PULLETS SARAH PITTMAN, EDDIE GOVERNOR, LAURA MIGUEL, ROY DEWITT.
JOSHUA DAVIS, KATHLEEN PARALLELS, BETTY CROCKET.
DARRYL MAY BUDDY LANG CATHERINE
KATE SANDAL PAID SILVA, PATRICK ENGLISH, LOWELL AND GLUT.
CATHERINE LOVEY BRANDON BAKER FRANCIS TO ME.
ROSENQUIST LINDSAY GIRL RISKO.
UH, JUDY
RHONDA BAIRD, BOB SULAY DEVERA GOSS, SONYA JIRO, PENNY JOHNSON, LEONARD WOOD, CLAUDIA HENRY KATIE CAUSEY.
MARSHALL SUMMERS 10 GUN, RUSTY GOLDEN, UH, FLUIDS.
LAURA SIMPSON, JAMES MATTHEW, SUZANNE SEXTON, DOUG MORROW, EIGHT ALDEN MORO, KATHY HANES, WILLIAM SILVA.
[01:35:01]
MICHAEL FRENZEL MEREDITH WARNER, CAROLINE BAKER, JAMES CONKLIN, DONALD CONKLIN, ELLA DIGBY, MOLLY LEYBOLD TOM EASTERLY, VIVIAN CHARDONNAY, MARK VIC NEAR KYLE JIRO.ALEC JIRO AUSTIN JIRO POPPY HEIGHT.
CHARLES WADE CLEAR RYAN ROHIT.
COLLARA RYAN RANN DASA SHAN GLITCH, SHARON GLENN, MARGARET FELLS, TIMOTHY SISTRUNK BRIAN PERREIRA.
CHERYL STROHMEYER MICHELLE TIBIDEAU CATHERINE HERMAN LAUREN VERE, STEVEN HERMAN, STEPHANIE ARSENAULT, F WAYNE STROHMEYER AND MARIANNE FREEMAN.
AND JUSTIN BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER, DON.
UH, THANK YOU FOR CALLING FOR RYAN TO COME UP.
MAYBE I SHOULD SAY, UM, THE APPLICANT, UH, BY WAY OF REPRESENTATIVE CSRS AND WALTER HAVE STATED IN HIS OPENING STATEMENTS AS WELL IN HIS CLOSING STATEMENT WITH HOW FIVE YEARS AGO, UH, A CERTAIN, UH, CAPACITY OF PROJECT HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND THE APPLICATION IS A DOWNGRADE, UH, A SMALLER CAPACITY PROJECT, WHICH WILL HAVE LESS IMPACT ON THE AREA.
I JUST WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AND THE DEPARTMENT TO CONFIRM OR DENY AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS' OPINION IS ON THAT.
THAT'S AN ACCURATE STATEMENT, THE PROPERTIES EIGHT AND A HALF ACRES, IT'S CURRENTLY HALF OF A ZONE, G O H GENERAL OFFICE HIGH-RISE, WHICH DOES ALLOW MULTIFAMILY HALF OF WHICH WOULD HAVE TO BE OFFICE SPACE.
BUT THE GOH PORTION WOULD HAVE TO BE, WOULD, WOULD, WOULD HAVE TO BE 29.3 UNITS AN ACRE.
SO THE GOH PORTION AND THE LC TWO PORTION, THEY COULD DO 246 UNITS MULTIFAMILY UNITS UNDER THE EXISTING ZONING.
WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING NOW IS A SLIGHTLY LESS INTENSE USE.
IT'S 240 MULTIFAMILY UNITS AT A MUCH LOWER HEIGHT, FOUR STORIES IN TWO STORIES VERSUS THE ALLOWABLE SIX STORIES AND FOUR STORIES UNDER THE COMMERCIAL PORTION.
SO AGAIN, JUST TO CONFIRM IS YOUR STATEMENT THAT THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO GAIN A PERMIT TOMORROW THE NEXT DAY, NEXT WEEK, TO DO MORE THAN THAT, THE CURRENT APPLICATION IS REQUESTING TO DO, AND WE'LL HAVE A, MORE OF AN IMPACT ON AREA DEPENDING ON HOW THEY CONFIGURED IT.
UH, THEY COULD BREAK IT UP INTO PORTIONS, UH, CIRCUMVENT, PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS, OR THEY COULD CHOOSE TO DEVELOP IT ALL AT ONCE, WHICH MAY REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, ALA GUCCHI BRENNAN ARRAY AND SHIRLEY MORAY COULD COME FOR A PLEA.
I'M CALLING YOU GUYS UP AS REPRESENTATIVE AS THOSE WHO SPOKE AGAINST THE ITEM.
I'D JUST LIKE TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOUR POSITION IS.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HEARD THAT FROM THE APPLICANT.
WE HAD A LOT OF THINGS FROM APPLICANTS, BUT THE DEPARTMENT IS CONFIRMING WHAT THEY'RE SAYING THAT IF WE DON'T APPROVE THIS, THEN YOU GET A PROJECT THAT HAS A GREATER IMPACT ON YOUR AIR.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF HEAR FROM YOU GUYS AFTER HEARING THAT INFORMATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT, PERHAPS I'LL SPEAK FIRST.
UM, A GENTLEMAN TALKED ABOUT BUYING THE PROPERTY AND, UM, HAVING IT AS A WETLAND OR A GREEN SPACE, UM, ALONG HIGHLAND ROAD THERE, WE CANNOT TAKE ANY MORE TRAFFIC AND I'VE USED WELCOME TO COME AND SIT ON MY FRONT PORCH ANY EVENING AND SEE THE BOTTLENECK.
IN MY OPINION, IT WOULD BE A LOT MORE REASONABLE.
JUST LET IT BE, LET IT BE A GREEN SPACE.
THERE'S NO MORE TRAFFIC THAT THERE'S HIGHLAND ROAD.
YOU DO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT WHAT'S BEFORE.
BASICALLY WHAT I WAS SAYING WAS BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE DELTA VARIANCE, BUILDING MORE OFFICE BUILDINGS, OFFICE SPACE DOESN'T WORK IN THE ECONOMY RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES OR PULLING OUT OF THEIR OFFICES, LETTING PEOPLE WORK HOME.
BUT THAT'S WHY I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD BUILD IT AT THIS POINT, AT THIS TIME.
AND THAT BEING SAID, IF THEY WOULDN'T BUILD IT AT THIS TIME, IT WOULD GIVE THE CITY A CHANCE TO TRY TO COME UP WITH MORE SOLUTIONS TO HELP THE DRAINAGE.
FOR EXAMPLE, I NEVER HEARD THE CITY TALK ABOUT PUTTING PUMPS TO ASSIST NEW ORLEANS, HAVE NOTHING BUT PUMPS.
[01:40:01]
PUT PUMPS? IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT LONG TO GET BUY PUMPS, INSTALL THEM, PUMP THE WATER OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TAKE THE WATER THAT'S FLOODING IN THE AREA NOW AND BRING IT OVER TO MISSISSIPPI RIVER.BUT WE'D LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED WITH YET.
AND WE KNOW THE ENGINEERS HAVE BEEN STUDYING THIS FOR YEARS.
WE THINK FEMA HAD GIVEN THE CITY AND YOU CAN TELL ME BETTER THAN ANYTHING, MILLIONS AND MAYBE A BILLION OR SO DOLLARS TO HELP.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THEY GAVE, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE TIME I THINK IF THEY DON'T BUILD THIS NOW AND GIVE THE CITY TIME TO RESOLVE SOME OF THE ISSUES.
I WANT TO GIVE MR. LOU KIT PLEASE.
MY PURPOSE IN HERE TONIGHT WAS SPECIFICALLY AROUND.
WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THE TESTIMONY OF THE SURROUNDING MEMBERS OR SURROUNDING HOMEOWNERS OF THE AREA.
UM, I ATTENDED THE ORIGINAL MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH A, WHICH WAS ESSENTIALLY THE MEMBERS OF THE HIGHLAND ROAD ASSOCIATIONS AND WITH THE DEVELOPER AT HIS FACILITY.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE STATED DURING THAT MEETING.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING AT PEOPLE AND NOT LISTENING TO THEM.
AND I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY PART OF THE CONCERN IS THAT WE REALLY NEVER LISTENED TO WHAT THE HOMEOWNERS ARE SAYING.
AND SO WHETHER OR NOT THIS THING MEETS THE EXISTING CODE OR NOT MY CONTENTION.
AND THAT'S WHAT I PUT IT IN, IN, IN OUR STATEMENT TO THE PARISHES.
I DON'T THINK THAT OUR EXISTING CODE, THE UDC ADEQUATELY ADDRESSES THE FLOODING ISSUE.
IF THIS THING FLOODED IN THE MAY EVENT, PUTTING ANOTHER BUILDING ON THERE, DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
SO I SAID, LET'S PAUSE, GIVE SOME TIME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE CAN DO TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THAT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THIS PARTICULAR CASE, IT'S MANY CASES.
AND I DON'T WANT TO SIT HERE AND DEBATE THE QUESTION THAT WAS BEFORE THE METRO COUNCIL, BEFORE I'M NOT GOING TO GO THERE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO FOLKS HERE TO LISTEN TO THE CONCERNS OF THE NEIGHBORS.
THAT WAS THE PART THAT WAS MY INTENTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER, ROCCA COUNCIL MEMBER ROCCO.
SINCE IT'S IN YOUR DISTRICT, IS THERE ANYONE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WISHING TO SPEAK? I'D RATHER A COUNCIL MEMBER GO LAST IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER, ARE THERE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS, THANK YOU WITH THE APPLICATION THAT WAS APPROVED FIVE YEARS AGO.
WHENEVER THERE'S AN APPLICATION, I'M ASSUMING, IS THAT, UH, TO BE, OH, WAS IT A SPURT APPLICATION OR JUST REGULAR? IT WAS
SO ONCE SOMEONE READS OUT THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THEY HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TO DEVELOP THE PROPERTY IN ANY TIMELINE, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THEY DID SUBMIT A SITE PLAN FOR THE, UH, THE BUILDING THAT'S THERE NOW.
AND THAT WAS APPROVED ALONG WITH THE, UH, TRAFFIC ANALYSIS AND THE DRAINAGE STUDY.
UM, MR. OR MR. MONSOOR EITHER.
AND I ALWAYS HAVE THIS QUESTION WHEN, UM, DEVELOPERS MAKE A DECISION ON A SIGN AND UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE, UH, DEVELOP OUR RATING OWNS IT, BUT, UM, HOW DO, WHAT, WHAT DRIVES TO BILL? I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, THEY LOOK AT THEM, WHAT HAS SOLD OR WHAT'S RENTED OR WHATEVER IN THE PAST, BUT IN WHEN DOING THE ANALYSIS, DO YOU LOOK AT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE IS ASKING OUR SAND, THERE IS A NEED FOR EITHER OFFICE SPACE OR APARTMENT SPACE.
UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL GROUPS, UH, NATIONALLY AND REGIONALLY THAT COME IN AND DO WHAT WE CALL MARKET DEMAND STUDIES THAT, UM, THAT, UM, IDENTIFIES THE CAPACITY OF WHATEVER YOU WISH TO BUILD, PARTICULARLY IN THAT AREA.
AND YOU'LL EITHER SEE A GAP OR YOU'LL SEE THAT IT'S SATURATED IN THIS INSTANCE, WHAT THE, UH, STUDIES THAT THESE DEVELOPERS, UM, HAD DONE SHOWED WAS THAT THERE WAS A GAP IN HIGH-END APARTMENT, LIVING IN THAT AREA.
THIS FIVE YEARS AGO, OR THIS IS SOMETHING CURRENT, I MEAN, WHAT'S THIS FOR THIS? I MEAN, SO YOU, YOU DID MORE THAN ONE MARKET ANALYSIS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, TIMES CHANGE AND TELL, CHANGE EVERYTHING.
[01:45:01]
CONSULTANTS MADE A LOT OF MONEY THAT DO MARKET DEMAND STUDIES BECAUSE THEY HAD TO COME IN AND REASSESS EVEN THE TRAFFIC STUDIES, UH, YOU ARE, THEY WEREN'T BEING CONDUCTED IN COVID BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC WAS DOWN SO MUCH.SO THE DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS THE ENGINEERS AND DEVELOPERS HAD TO RELY ON WHAT WOULD BE QUOTE, A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN DEVELOP.
SO THE, UM, THE W THE DEVELOPMENT, THE PLAN WOULD THAT WAS DEVELOPED FIVE YEARS AGO, UH, IF YOU WERE TO PULL A PERMIT, WOULD YOU HAVE TO DO THAT SPECIFIC OR THERE WASN'T A SPUD, CAN YOU STILL DO THE AMENDED R M A I WITH THE TWO VERSUS FOUR AND ALL THAT? CAN YOU STILL DO THAT WITHOUT US HAVING TO APPROVE THIS UNDER OUR ICEBERG? WELL, WE WOULD HAVE TO, WE WOULD HAVE TO BUILD ACCORDING TO THE ZONING AND THE ZONING THAT'S BEEN APPROVED, UH, WOULD BE A SEVEN STORY FACILITY.
UH, THE FIRST FLOOR, FIRST FOUR FLOORS OF OFFICE AND THE TOP THREE FLOORS APARTMENTS.
SO RYAN, IN, IN THE APPLICATION, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE TO DO, YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT.
HE COULDN'T MAKE, UM, AN MA NOT, I GUESS, THAT'S THE WRONG WORD, BUT CONCESSIONS TO, TO MAKE A CHANGE WITHOUT GOING THROUGH US, YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO DO THAT.
UM, IF HE EXCEEDED THE THRESHOLD OF WHAT'S REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC HEARING, HE WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT A SECOND, BUT TO GO DOWN LIKE WHAT HE'S DOING NOW.
SO THEY'RE REDUCING THE CAPACITY, THE NUMBER OF THE STRUCTURE.
SO CAN YOU JUST DO THAT WITHOUT US? IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE CONFIGURATION.
WHAT HE'S DOING NOW IS PROVIDING MORE OPEN SPACE.
UH, HE HE'S MASTER PLAN THE ENTIRE SIDE, AND THAT'S WHY HE'S THERE PRESENTING THE SPLIT TEAM.
BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALSO A REDESIGN IN ADDITION.
IF I MAY, MADAM THE REDESIGN CREATES MORE GREEN SPACE AND OPEN SPACES AS I'VE STATED BEFORE.
SO I GUESS I'M GOING BACK TO WHAT, UM, COUNCILMEN DONE AND NOBODY REALLY ANSWERED IT.
UM, AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE THESE TWO OPTIONS OF WHAT HE ALREADY HAS APPROVED, WHICH SEEMS STUDENT NEGATIVELY AND WOULD BE NEGATIVELY IMPACTING THE RESIDENCE VERSUS A SPACE THAT IS SOMEWHAT CONDUCIVE TO WHAT IS GOING ON NOW WITH THE OPEN SPACE.
UM, NOT AS MUCH, UH, BRICK AND MORTAR, IF YOU WILL.
AND SO THE QUESTION THAT MS. COUNCILMAN DOESN'T ASK IS IF YOU HAD A CHOICE, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT HE HAS A PERMIT, HE ALREADY OWNS THE LAND.
AND I KNOW IT'S HARD TO SAY, I KNOW THAT YOU, YOU WOULD SAY STEEL NEITHER, BUT IT LEAVES US IN A POSITION WHERE WE COULD LET, WE COULD KEEP EVERYTHING AS IT IS.
AND, UM, LET THE DEVELOPER MOVE ON AS C1 OR TRY TO PROTECT THE RESIDENTS FROM WHAT COULD BE THE WORST THING.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE POSITION WE AS A COUNCIL AND THERE'S NO ONE THAT LISTENS TO RESIDENTS LIKE ME, I LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT IS VERY MUCH NEGATIVELY IMPACTED ABOUT, UH, ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE.
SO I AM SENSITIVE TO HOMEOWNERS, BUT THIS IS NOT A SITUATION WHERE, UM, THE D D IT COULD GO AWAY OR IT'S UNDER CONTRACT OR ALL OF THAT.
IF IT'S NOT A NEW PROJECT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OLD.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN MOVE WITH NOW.
SO FOR ME, I THINK IF YOU, IF YOU, IT'S THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS, IF YOU WILL.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE LEFT WITH.
AND FOR ME, I WOULD PREFER TO, TO, TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, THAT WOULD, WOULD BE LESS INTRUSIVE.
AND I KNOW IT DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT, BUT THAT'S THE POSITION WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE IN THAT WE DO SEVEN STORIES, OR WE DO TWO STORIES THAT WE DO GREEN SPACE, OR WE HAVE BRICK AND MORTAR EVERYWHERE.
WE POSSIBLY KNOW WHERE, UM, FOR WATER TO GO NOW, YOU KNOW, AND FROM WHERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, UNREAL, WHAT IS IT? UNREQUITED LOVE? WHAT IS IT WHEN THEY DON'T LOVE YOU BACK? THEY, THESE PEOPLE DON'T LOVE THIS.
THE RESIDENTS DOWNLOADED DEVELOP.
I WISH Y'ALL COME TO MY COMMUNITY WHERE WE WILL GIVE YOU A LOT OF LOVE.
[01:50:01]
WE'LL DO, WE'LL HAVE A PARADE AND EVERYTHING.SO I JUST WANT YOU TO CONSIDER THAT MR. MO, LAST TIME I TALKED TO HIM WHEN HE WAS DOING A GENERAL INFORMATICS, I TOLD HIM TO GO TO SCOTLAND AND GET SOME ENGINEERING STUDENTS.
SO NOW I'M GOING TO SAY, COME TO HIGH TOWN AND SCOTLANDVILLE, AND MAYBE YOU DO THAT TOO.
UM, I'M, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW WHERE WE WERE.
THAT'S ALL WALTER, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UM, SEVERAL CONCERNS THAT SOME, UH, FOLKS THAT I TALKED WITH, THE FIRST QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU VERY QUICKLY IS WHY DID THE PLANS CHANGE FROM DOING A HUGE, UH, THE SEVEN STORY OR WHATEVER IT WAS TO TWO STORIES.
SO WHY, WHY DID THAT CHANGE THE PANDEMIC? WE FOUND THAT OUR, THE STUDY FOUND THAT, UH, WITH REMOTE WORK, UH, YOU DON'T NEED NECESSARILY AS MUCH OFFICE SPACE.
UM, SEVERAL OF THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT THESE FOLKS HAVE IS, UH, ONE OF THE LADIES WAS DISCUSSING, UM, ONE WAY IN ONE WAY OUT HAVING TO GO DOWN, MAKE YOU TURNS AND ALL THAT OTHER KIND OF THING.
THEY'RE FEARFUL THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH I HAVE FOLKS THAT GO THROUGH MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WHEN THEY GO THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY DON'T GO THE SPEED LIMIT.
THEY SCRAPED THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO HOW IS THAT SITUATION GOING TO BE ADDRESSED THIS ROAD SITUATION? YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S SUPPOSITION.
AND LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN THE, UM, PLAN THAT IS PRESENTLY APPROVED, WENT THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS HIGHLAND ROAD, AS YOU KNOW, IS A, IS A STATE HIGHWAY.
SO DOD, IS IT, IS IT STILL OKAY? IT'S DOTD WHO HAD US DO THE TRAFFIC STUDIES, THEY APPROVED THE TRAFFIC STUDIES AND THAT'S WHEN THEY SAID WE WANT A ONE LANE, UH, ONE, UH, TURN RIGHT TURN ONLY OUT OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, AND NO, UH, NO LEFT TURNS.
SO THINGS HAVEN'T CHANGED IN FIVE YEARS, AS FAR AS TRAFFIC AND ALL THAT.
I MEAN, THERE DOESN'T NEED TO BE ANOTHER TRAFFIC STUDY.
WE DID HAVE THE TRAFFIC STUDY AND LOOKED AT IT AGAIN, AND THE LESSER, UH, DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WE'RE ASKING FOR SHOWS THAT THERE WILL BE LESS TRAFFIC.
ARE THEY, ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE TO GO DOWN AND MAKE YOU TURNS AND KNOW THEY CAN EXIT ON THE BLUE BONNET, UM, UH, ENTRANCE AND, UM, AND TURN LEFT? OH, I UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS ONE WAY IN AND ONE WAY OUT, I UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WAS BLUE BONNET IN AND HIGHLAND OUT IS WHAT I UNDERSTOOD.
HOLD UP, HOLD UP, HOLD UP UNDER THE BONNET OUT TO THE RIGHT.
SO IF THEY WANT, IF THEY WANT TO GO, LET ME GET MY DIRECTIONS, RIGHT? IF THEY WANT TO GO EAST, IF THEY WANT TO GO EAST ON HOW ON THE ROAD, IF THEY WANT TO GO FROM THE BUILDING LEFT, THEN THEY WOULD EXIT ON BLUE BONNET AND THEN TAKE A LEFT.
THEY CAN TAKE A LEFT ON BLUE ON IT, FURTHER DOWN WHERE THERE'S A LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET'S KEEP THE COMMENTS BETWEEN COUNCIL, AMENDMENT PERSON AT THE PODIUM.
IF THE COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS TO SPEAK TO ANY ONE OF YOU, SHE'LL REQUEST TO SPEAK TO ANY ONE OF YOU FOR CLARITY, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY BE OFFERING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN THE GENTLEMEN AT THE MITES, BUT LET'S KEEP THE CONFERENCE.
OH, NO, I'M GONNA GIVE IT BACK TO YOU, BUT LET'S MAKE SURE WE KEEP THE CONTENT.
ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE TO GO AROUND AND MAKE YOU TURN? BECAUSE I KNOW TRAFFIC IS A HUGE DEAL.
WELL, IF THEY WANT TO GO LEFT ON HIGHLAND ROAD, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT, BUT COUNCIL, WOMAN, AGAIN, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, THAT IF WE GO BACK TO THE SLIDES AND SHOW YOU THE TWO SLIDES, IT'S EITHER ONE OR THE OTHER.
SO THE LEFT TURNS AND THE RIGHT TURNS ARE THE SAME, UH, FOR EITHER ONE OF THE DEVELOPMENTS.
THE DOTD IS ALREADY OPINED ON THAT.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD MADE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS.
SO THE OTHER THING WAS OF COURSE THE BIG, UM, THE BIG WORD IS THAT I HATE TO SAY THIS, AN F-WORD THE FLOODING.
IT CAN BE AN UGLY WORD SOMETIMES.
UM, HOW, WHICH IS THIS IN A FLOOD ZONE? IS IT, IS IT, IT ISN'T? WELL, THE, THE MAP IS OWNED AS A FLOOD ZONE.
[01:55:01]
THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN RAISED OUT OF THE FLOOD ZONE.SO HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DEAL? WHAT DO DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE GOING TO PUT IN STUFF.
SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS? BIOSWELLS, UM, RA, UM, MODERN WAY OF DRAINING PROPERTY AND CLEANING THE WATER AS IT DRAINS INTO WHETHER IT'S, UH, THE STORM WATER RETENTION SYSTEM, OUR, IN THIS CASE, BLUE BONNET, UH, UH, SWAMP.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT WE HAD SHOWED THE DRAINAGE, UM, THE BLUE SQUIGGLY AREAS, WE'LL SHOW YOU NET.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, IT FROM IF HE WERE STANDING IN HIGHLAND ROAD, LOOKING AT
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY DRAIN INTO BIOSWELLS OUR RETENTION BONDS THOUGH.
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE RETENTION? PONDS? THERE'S ONE.
JEFF, HOW MANY, WHAT JOHN, HOW MANY ARE THERE? RETENTION? COME TO THE MIC, PLEASE, SIR.
BEFORE I ASKED IF YOU WANT Y'ALL TO FIVE MINUTES.
THEY'RE NOT, WHEN WE SAY PONDS, BOTH, EVERYONE'S VISUALIZING A WET FEATURE FOR COLLIN DRY PONDS, BUT ALSO RETENTION PONDS.
YOU'RE SURE THEY'RE GOING TO BE DRY BECAUSE OF THE ONES THAT I'VE SEEN IN BATON ROUGE LIGHTLY.
SO THESE CAN BE VISUAL AMENITIES.
SO IF IT'S GOING TO STAY DRY, THERE'S GOING TO BE PROUDLY MAINTAINED WHERE IT'S AN OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS.
SO IT'S ALL, ALL PONDS ARE BE PRIVATELY MAINTAINED.
SO THIS IS A KEY AMENITY FEATURE FOR HIS DEVELOPMENT.
SO 20, 30, 40 YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN HE'S GONE, WHO'S GOING TO MAINTAIN THE POND PONDS, THE OWNER, THE CURRENT OWNER, WHOEVER OWNS THE PROPERTY IS ALWAYS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE BONDS.
ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE SURE THAT GETS TAKEN CARE OF? OKAY.
SO I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, I DO SEE HERE IN ALL OF THE HEARING, ALL THE COMMENTS, I UNDERSTAND THE PASSION BEHIND IT.
CERTAINLY THOSE WHO HAVE FLOODED OR HAVE BEEN THREATENED, AND THOSE WHO HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE TRAFFIC.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, UM, I DO SEE IT AS AN EITHER OR, OR SCENARIO, I THINK, SHOULD THIS BE A REQUEST? AND THERE WAS NOT SOMETHING ALREADY APPROVED.
THIS WOULD BE A VASTLY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
I THINK WE ALL WOULD PROBABLY SEE IT AS A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
UM, AND I CAN TELL YOU, I'D PROBABLY BE OPPOSED TO IT FOR A HANDFUL OF REASONS.
UM, AND, AND WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD MORE SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSIONS PRIOR TO, UH, WITH REGARDS TO FLOODING AND, UH, AND TRAFFIC AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, BUT, UH, LOOKING AT IT AS TRULY AN EITHER OR, AND I UNDERSTAND THE GENTLEMEN WHO CAME UP THAT COUNCILMAN COUNCIL MEMBER, DON, UH, CALLED UP WHEN HE, WHEN HE SPOKE ABOUT, UH, WE THINK THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT.
I CAN APPRECIATE THAT AND UNDERSTAND THAT.
HOWEVER, THAT TO ME IS A GAMBLE AND IT IS AN ASSUMPTION THAT I CANNOT MAKE WHEN MAKING A DECISION WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THIS TYPE OF A MATTER.
UM, I CAN'T WORK ON AN ASSUMPTION THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BUILD WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
THEY ALREADY CAN BUILD AND PULL A PERMIT WITH TOMORROW.
I'M NOT GOING TO GAMBLE WITH WOULD-WOULD WITH WHAT WOULD BE A, UH, WORST PLAN WHEN IT COMES TO DRAINAGE FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S AGAINST IT.
UM, I CAN'T GAMBLE WITH THE THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THEY'LL SAY, UH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT.
AND WE'D LIKE TO KEEP IT AS WETLANDS.
UH, I DON'T SEE THAT BEING THE SCENARIO.
AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT GONNA MAKE AN ASSUMPTION WHEN IT COMES TO A DECISION LIKE THIS.
I THINK, UH, I TYPICALLY LIKE TO LOOK AT ANY KIND OF A ZONING MATTER AS WHAT IS THE MOST INTENSE OR THE WORST CASE SCENARIO IN MY MIND FOR THAT PROPERTY AT THIS GIVEN TIME.
AND SO, UH, W WHEN DRAINAGE IS SUCH A, AN IMPORTANT TOPIC RIGHT NOW, WHEN I LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT HAS, UH, A LARGER FOOTPRINT OF CONCRETE THAT PERMITS CAN BE PULLED TOMORROW AND, UH, VERSUS SOMETHING THAT HAS A LESSER FOOTPRINT OF CONCRETE, UM, THAT IS, UH, AS COUNCILWOMAN BANKS DESCRIBED
[02:00:01]
THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS IN THIS SCENARIO.SO I THAT'S HOW I HAVE TO APPROACH IT.
UM, I DOUBT I'M ALONE IN THAT.
UH, I CAN'T, I CAN'T LOOK WORK OFF OF AN ASSUMPTION THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO DO IT.
I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO SEE IF THEY'RE BLUFFING.
I CAN'T DO THAT FROM THIS SEAT.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MO UH, THANK YOU, UH, MR. WALTER, UH, IF YOU COULD COME UP AND IS MR. MO, ARE YOU THE OWNER OR THE DEVELOPER, AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL BUILDING, UH, MR.
UM, SOME OF THE CITIZENS BROUGHT UP EARLIER WHEN THE ORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT WAS SAID TO BE DONE, WAS TALKING ABOUT DOING IT AS A TECHNOLOGY PARK IN THE BUILDING THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
AND I UNDERSTAND, AND I KNEW WHAT GENERAL INFORMATICS IS.
UM, ONE, HOW MUCH DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH THAT IS OCCUPIED AND HOW MUCH, IF IT IS OCCUPIED AS GENERAL INFORMATICS AS OPERATING 90% OF IT IS ACTUALLY UNDER LEASE.
70% OF IT IS OCCUPIED, AND IT IS OWNED, UH, 90% BY MR. VICHE.
SO ESSENTIALLY IT IS BEING USED AS A TECHNOLOGY PARK RIGHT NOW.
WELL, WHAT'S KEY IS LET'S, LET'S CHANGE THAT WORD TECHNOLOGY PARK BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS REFERRED TO IT AS A TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS, RIGHT? AND THIS ACRES WAS ALWAYS INTENDED BY MR. V TO BE A TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS.
AND IT WILL STILL BE THAT WITH THE OTHER BUILDINGS THAT WILL BE BUILT.
AND HOPEFULLY WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WILL COME IN AND LIVE IN THOSE APARTMENTS, IT WILL BE A LIVE, WORK, PLAY TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT AS FAR AS THE FIRST EXAM OF A TECHNOLOGY PARK, UM, TO TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS, TECHNOLOGY PARK, UH, HOW DO WE WANT TO REFER TO IT AS A, YOU KNOW, AS AN IT PERSON, MYSELF, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I SEE AS FAR AS, UH, DRAWING PEOPLE IN.
I WANT TO JUMP BACK OVER TO ANOTHER SUBJECT RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUST CAME UP IN THE ARGUMENT A FEW MINUTES AGO WITH, UH, SOMEONE'S DISCUSSION WAS THE RIGHT IN RIGHT OUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THAT SOME, THE PUBLIC WAS MAKING COMMENTS ABOUT, WELL, THEY COULDN'T GO LEFT IF YOU COULD.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN PULL UP THE SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT IN THE STAFF REPORT, IT'S A SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT COULD BE PULLED UP.
I TRY TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE IF HE CAN FIND IT OR WHATEVER.
ONE EXAMPLE I HAVE IN FRONT OF US IS THERE'S AN EXIT ONTO HIGHLAND ROAD, AND THERE IS AN EXIT ONTO BLUEBONNET ROAD.
IF SOMEONE WANTED TO GO LEFT ONTO HIGHLAND ROAD, THEY WOULD USE THE BLUE BONNET EXIT WITH THE RIGHT OUT ONLY.
AND THAT IMMEDIATELY GOES INTO THE TURNING LANE TO WHERE THEY COULD GO LEFT UP HIGHLAND ROAD.
NOW I UNDERSTAND THIS TRAFFIC ALSO COMING DOWN BLUE ON IT, HEADED TOWARD HIGHLAND.
THERE'S ALSO TRAFFIC GOING DOWN, HIGHLAND HEADED TOWARD BLUEBONNET AND STUFF.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE TRYING TO GET OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW THE EXIT ONTO HIGHLAND ROAD, IF THEY NEEDED TO GO UP LEFT VERSUS GOING OUT OF HIGHLAND ROAD, SUBSTANTIATED THAT PEOPLE COULD GO EITHER DIRECTION, BUT COMING OUT ON HIGHLAND ROAD, TAKING A RIGHT, HEADING UP, TURNING AROUND, MAKING A U-TURN AND HEADED BACK UP.
SO THE EXITS AND EVERYTHING ARE THERE.
UM, I JUST, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT COULD BE PULLED UP SO Y'ALL CAN SEE THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL WERE JUST MENTIONING A FEW MINUTES AGO.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SHOW THAT TO YOU.
UM, THE OTHER THING GOES TO WHAT A LOT OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SAID IS ABOUT THE, THE SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
I MEAN, WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO, UM, GET A BETTER DEAL.
IT'S ONE OF OUR JOBS TO TRY AND WORK WITH DEVELOPERS, TO GET THE BEST DEAL IN THE BEST SITUATION THAT WE CAN FOR, UM, FOR THE CITIZENS OF BATON ROUGE AND FOR EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH AND TO EASE SOME OF THIS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S COMMENT.
I APPRECIATE, UH, WHAT, WHAT Y'ALL HAVE SAID.
UH, THE GENTLEMAN RIGHT THERE IN THE PURPLE SHIRT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GET, I GET 44 SECONDS TO SPEAK SOME OF MY TIME IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE QUICK COMMENT.
IF THAT FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE IN FIVE YEARS, WHY THEY HAVEN'T DONE IT YET, IT MAKES NO ECONOMIC SENSE.
IF THEY SPEND $40 MILLION, THEY MIGHT BE WASTING THEIR 30 MINUTE.
I MEAN, 30 MILLION OF IT, THE APARTMENTS, THEY WILL FILL OUT THE
[02:05:01]
OFFICE SPACE.THAT'S WHY WE WANT THEM TO KEEP IT JUST LIKE IT IS TO GIVE US MORE TIME, STRAIGHTEN OUT THE FLOODING IN THE CITY FIRST.
BY THE TIME WE DO THAT, THEN THEY CAN BUILD THEIR CAMPUS WITH THE APARTMENTS OR HOWEVER THEY WANT TO DO IT, BUT THAT WOULD HELP.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD MUCH HERE THIS EVENING AND I'M TRULY BOTTOM LINE.
YOU ALL, UH, ALL OF THIS, YOU KNOW, AND AS A COUNCIL PERSON THAT SIT HERE AMONG ALL COUNCILS.
SO PARSON, NO, WE TALK ABOUT WATERSHED.
WE TALK ABOUT THE STORM WATER PLAN AND YOU KNOW, THIS MORNING, NO, WHAT I SAID, I SAID, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT BUILD BATON ROUGE.
I SAID, THIS IS ALL OUR CONVERSATIONS.
AND THEN MY CONCERN IS ALL STUFF DON'T CONNECT.
AND SO A LOT OF SITES WHERE NAME, WHERE THE CURRENT GENTLEMAN HAS BUILDING OWNED AND ALL OF THIS, AND THEN I'VE HEARD THAT WILL BE NO TRAFFIC.
I SAID, WELL, MAYBE I NEED TO MOVE OUT THERE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE IS TRAFFIC HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
AND BECAUSE OF YOU ALL SITTING OUT THERE AS HOMEOWNERS, I DON'T TAKE THIS LIGHTLY AT ALL THAT CAUSE CAL THAT HOMEOWNER AND THEN YES, FLOODING CONCERNS AND YES, FLOODING, AND IT CAN STOP, CAN BE BUILT UP, BUT THAT WATER HAS TO COME DOWN SOMEWHERE AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A DEGREE TO REALIZE THIS PEOPLE.
THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS THAT THE COMMISSION VOTED FIVE TO FOUR.
SO THERE HAD TO BE SOME APPREHENSION THERE.
AND THEN, SO, AND EVEN IN THAT CONVERSATION, IT WAS SAID, TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND SO THEN THE FLOODING CONCERN, AND I SAID, GOD FORBID THAT WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE THAT FLORIDA IS HAVING RIGHT NOW.
THEN HINDSIGHT DEFINITELY WOULDN'T BE 2020.
AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 240 APARTMENTS, 480 CARS, AND MANY MAY SAY U AND 10, BUT THIS IS IN 12.
I SAY TODAY 12 TOMORROW COULD BE 10.
AND SO I I'VE GOT, I HAVE A QUESTION, MR. MONSOON, WILL YOU COME UP PLEASE? AND NO EMOTIONS.
I LIKE TO KNOW YOUR RATION NOW.
I WANT TO HEAR IT FOR THE RECORD BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU SAID SOMETHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY.
SO WHAT'S YOUR RATIONALE FOR THE REDUCTION AT THIS TIME? AND I'M WONDERING IF I'M SAYING THE RIGHT WORD, A REDUCTION, WHAT'S YOUR RATIONALE FOR THAT? AT THIS TIME? TWO ONE IS THAT IT'S A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, WHICH ALLOWS MORE OPEN AND GREEN SPACE.
AND SECONDLY, BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL OFFICE SPACE IS NOT NEEDED AS MUCH AS IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND THEN, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT QUESTION WAS ANSWERED WHEN SOMEONE SAID THIS WAS APPROVED FIVE YEARS AGO, SO WE REALLY INHERITED THIS MESS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, IT WAS APPROVED, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.
TELL ME ABOUT, WELL, ONE BUILDING HAS BEEN BUILT THE SECOND BUILDING AND THE THIRD BUILDING HAVEN'T BEEN BUILT.
WE HAD A YEAR AND A HALF NOW OF COVID THAT HAS, UH, STOPPED A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT ALL ACROSS THE WORLD.
SO LET'S DISCOUNT THAT IT TOOK HIM TWO YEARS TO BUILD THIS BUILDING.
NO EMOTIONS, NO EMOTIONS, TWO YEARS, TWO YEARS TO BUILD THIS BUILDING.
SO I'M TRYING TO GIVE YOU THE TIMELINE OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS YOU CAN'T.
WELL, HE CHOSE NOT TO GO IN AND BUILD OUT THE ENTIRE SITE AT ONE TIME.
THEN THEY BUILD THE SECOND PHASE.
SO THEY BUILD THE THIRD PHASE.
IT IS, I THINK A COUNCILMAN, NO SET IT CORRECTLY.
IT'S A, IT'S A BAD GAMBLE IN MY OPINION, OR ANYONE
[02:10:01]
TO BELIEVE THAT THAT PROPERTY IS GOING TO SIT THERE AND NOT BE DEVELOPED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, THE FACT THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS IS INCONSEQUENTIAL BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINES THAT I'VE GIVEN YOU AND THE EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED.COVID COVID TIMING IS THE KEY.
AND I HEARD THAT AND I AGREE WITH THAT.
I KNOW FRED'S NOT HERE, ANYBODY FROM THE CITY THAT CAN TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE DRAINAGE IN THAT AREA AND IF IT'S A FLOOD AND THE WATER, YOU KNOW, STAYING UP IN THE AIR.
BUT I KNOW IT'S NOT IN 10 ADDITIONAL TIME.
SO RACHEL, TELL ME ABOUT THAT AREA.
DRAINAGE, FLOODING, ALL OF THAT.
THE WALL, UH, PORTIONS OF THE PROPERTY ARE IN A SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA.
UM, AS MR. WALTER DID INDICATE THEY HAVE ALREADY FILLED AND MITIGATED ALL OF THE FILL ONSITE.
UM, THEY DID THAT WHEN THEY, UH, BUILT THE FIRST BUILDING.
SO, UH, THEY, IF THEY BROUGHT ANY ADDITIONAL FILL IN THAT, IN AN AREA THAT WAS BELOW BASE FLOOD, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO MITIGATE THAT APPROPRIATELY.
BUT I, I FEEL THAT, I THINK MOST OF THE PROPERTY IS ALREADY BUILT ABOVE BASE FLOOD.
SO THEY'VE ALREADY FILLED THE PORTIONS OF THE PROPERTY WHEN THEY DID THE FIRST BUILDING.
I'M GOING TO GIVE MY REP A FEW OF MY MINUTES TO BUDDY LANE, COME UP WITH YOUR LANE, BUT THE LANE COME UP AND TELL ME SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THAT SONG SAY, TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD.
DON'T ASK ME TO SING BECAUSE HE'LL CLEAR THE ROOM.
AND SO YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, I, I, I HEARD WHAT YOU ALL SAID.
YOU HEARD WHAT WAS SAID, THERE MUST BE SOMETHING DONE.
AND SO THAT, WHICH WAS TO BE DONE, THAT WHICH IS ON THE TABLE TO BE DONE.
AND FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD AND CORRECT ME, IF I'M IN ERI EXPERTS, THAT IT IS, UM, WORSE THAN WHAT IS BEING ASKED TODAY.
IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING? THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US.
THAT'S YOUR UNDERSTANDING? THAT'S WHAT THEY TELL US.
BUT WHAT YOU SAY, WELL, I GUESS I'LL REPEAT WHAT I SAID EARLIER, AND REALLY THE CONCERN OF ALL THE RESIDENTS IS AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ON THIS SITE.
AND IT'S REALLY NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE LAND USE OF THE AREA.
NOW YOU CAN SAY, YOU'VE GOT TO CHOOSE THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SLIDE.
AND WE'D LIKE TO CERTAINLY SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE AREA.
AND I SEE SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WINCING AND SHAKING THEIR HEADS, BUT REALITY IS ALTHOUGH THE FIRST ONE WAS APPROVED BASED ON THE ZONING.
THEY COULD BUILD WHAT THEY SAY THEY COULD BUILD BASED ON HIS OWNING.
AND YES, IF THEY GET THE SPUD, THEY CAN BUILD WHAT THEY SAY.
THEY WANT TO BUILD WITH THE SPUD.
BUT IN OUR OPINION, AND GRANTED IT WAS APPROVED FIVE YEARS AGO OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
BUT IN OUR OPINION, NEITHER OF THESE ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE AREA.
AND WHEN YOU GO FROM A HIGH RISE HAS GOT HALF OFFICE SPACE, HALF APARTMENTS TO JUST PURE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
THAT BASICALLY YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A PRIME PIECE OF PROPERTY AND TURN IT INTO JUST A BIG APARTMENT COMPLEX.
AND THAT WE JUST DON'T THINK IT BELONGS IN THIS AREA.
SO YEAH, WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE THERE'S A LEFT OR RIGHT OF THE SLIDE, RIGHT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THE RESIDENTS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH EITHER.
AND IT'S SIT DOWN WITH THE OWNERS AND NEGOTIATE SOMETHING OR ASK THE CITY TO BUY UP THE PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO BRECK AND I KNOW THAT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, BUT I'VE TALKED TO BRACKEN.
THEY DID PURSUE THIS PROPERTY ORIGINALLY.
AND IT IS PART OF THE FLOOD PLAIN.
AND IT IS PART OF BLUE BONNET SWAB.
AND IT MADE THAT WHOLE AREA FLOODED.
SO WE'D LIKE TO SEE THE PROPERTY STAY GREEN.
IT'D BE PART OF THE BATON ROUGE EFFORT TO TRY AND START MID IT, START MITIGATING SOME OF THE FLOODING.
SO I DID KIND OF A LONG WINDED ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
[02:15:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER.UH, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, THE, THE, THE FORCEFUL BUT RESPECTFUL DEBATE WE HAD TONIGHT AND WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
UM, CLEARLY WE ALL HAVE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF COMMUNICATIONS ON THIS, UM, EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, OTHER CORRESPONDENCE.
AND SO, UH, I WANTED TO MAKE JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, AS A, AS A STEP BACK AND THOUGHT THROUGH THIS, UH, I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT THE CONFLUENCE OF TWO EVENTS, UH, ON THE ONE HAND WE'VE GOT, UH, WHAT IS, UH, WHAT APPEARS TO BE A VERY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS, UH, WITH A VISION TO GROW WITH A VISION, TO, UH, RETAIN A BUSINESS PRESENCE IN BATON ROUGE, UH, AND TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN YOUNG, BRIGHT TALENT, UH, WHICH I THINK WE ALL WANT.
AND NONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVE VIA EMAIL THAT WERE SAID TONIGHT, OR ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY OF, WE DON'T WANT THIS BUSINESS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
WHAT WE HEARD TONIGHT WAS THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS CONFLUENCE OF EVENTS, WHICH IS THE RESIDENTS SAYING WE ARE EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED WEATHER EVENTS THAT ARE CAUSING UNCERTAINTY IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THAT UNCERTAINTY IN FACT IS WHAT WE'RE HERE.
AND I FEEL FROM THE COMMENTS TONIGHT, THE COMMENTS ARE NOT EVEN SO MUCH ABOUT THIS ONE PARTICULAR PROJECT.
IT IS, IT IS NO FAULT OF MOE THAT THE BUSINESS TRAJECTORY OF HIS COMPANY HAPPENED TO MEET UP WITH THE TIMING OF FOLKS SAYING WE'RE UNCERTAIN ABOUT THESE WEATHER EVENTS, AND WE NEED MORE ASSURANCES FROM OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ON WHAT'S BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THOSE.
SO FOR ME, UM, YOU KNOW, I LEAN ON THE SIDE OF LET'S GIVE THE RESIDENTS THAT VOICE, WHAT I'M HEARING THEM SAY IS GIVE US MORE ASSURANCES.
AND I, AND I THINK WE HAVE SOME THINGS TO COMMUNICATE THERE.
I THINK THIS, THIS ADMINISTRATION IS TAKING SOME ACTIONS AND WE'RE SEEING THOSE.
I THINK THIS BODY, UH, IS, IS EVALUATING AND CHANGING POLICY AND WILL CHANGE MORE POLICY.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THE CHOICE TONIGHT IS NOT OPTION ONE OR OPTION TWO.
I HEAR THE RESIDENTS SAYING, GIVE US OPTION THREE, GIVE US MORE TIME, GIVE US MORE CERTAINTY.
AND THAT INVOLVES THIS BODY AND THIS LOCAL GOVERNMENT GIVE US MORE CERTAINTY.
AND THAT'S OUR, THAT TO ME IS OUR LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE.
AND THEN THE TWO COULD COME TOGETHER AND I THINK WE COULD HAVE A BIT MORE CONGRUENCE ON THIS.
SO, SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS FOR TONIGHT.
MY UH, POSITION HERE, UH, WILL BE TO GIVE THE RESIDENTS A VOICE IN WHAT I HOPE WILL BE HEARD AS SAYING, LET'S GIVE MORE TIME FOR THIS CONVERSATION TO PLAY OUT.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS.
YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TWICE, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE, MY TIME WHEN I, WHEN I SPEAK.
MA'AM UH, DWIGHT WAS BEFORE ME.
YOU TOOK IT OFF, BUT YOU SPOKE TWICE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MO.
SO I'M BACK TO, I'M BACK TO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO ASK ABOUT THE BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES THEMSELVES.
UH, WHOEVER CAN ANSWER THAT, UH, IF YOU COULD PULL UP MR. MONSOOR'S, UH, SLIDE THAT HE'S CALLED FOR A COUPLE OF TIMES.
SO THE BACK BUILDING BACK THERE, THE TALLER ONE THAT YOU'RE REDUCING, AS FAR AS THE BACKSIDE, THAT'S THE APARTMENTS AND EVERYTHING.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN BETWEEN THE TWO PICTURES? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FAMILY LIVING UNITS BETWEEN THE TWO PICTURES AND THE NUMBER AND THE AMOUNT OF UNITS THAT ARE IN THERE.
AND THE LAST SLIDE, UM, THERE, THE, THE DIFFERENCES ARE THAT 76 FEET HIGH, AS OPPOSED TO THE RIGHT SLIDE, WHICH IS, UM, 53, MAYBE OR 54 OR 55.
SOMETHING TO THAT EXTENT, THE UNITS IN THE LEFT SLIDE, UH, CAN BE 2 46, UH, BY THE ZONING THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT SIDE IS TWO 40.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT REDUCING SIX UNITS.
SO EITHER WAY YOU'RE BUILDING HUNDRED AND 40 UNITS.
SO THAT'S THE SAME AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC NOW.
YOU'RE IF YOU PUT THE SLIDE BACK UP, APPRECIATE IT.
ALL YOU'RE LOSING ON THAT BACK UNIT IS COMMERCIAL SPACE, CORRECT? THE FRONT UNIT.
SO YOU'RE REDUCING THAT COMMERCIAL, BUT THE WHAT'S LEFT ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
WHAT'S LEFT OF THE BUILDING ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE IS STILL GOING TO BE COMMERCIAL SPACE, CORRECT.
IN THE PREVIOUS ZONING, EVERYTHING,
[02:20:01]
AS FAR AS THE TYPE OF BUILDING AND THE PLAN THAT YOU TURNED IN WAS THE TRAFFIC AND EVERYTHING ALREADY CALCULATED INTO THAT.IT WAS CALCULATED BASED ON THE LEFT SLIDE.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THROWN OUT THERE A COUPLE OF TIMES.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY UNDERSTAND, WE'RE STILL TALKING 240 FAMILY UNITS, BUT GIVE OR TAKE SIX.
I MEAN, WE'RE TAKING AWAY SIX UNITS, THE SAME AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC, LESS COMMERCIAL, SO LESS TRAFFIC.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE CLARIFICATION COUNCIL MEMBER, HUDSON.
UH, WALTER, I'M GONNA CALL YOU UP IN JUST A SECOND.
UM, I'LL JUST START BY SAYING THAT I, I TEND TO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN GO DAY, ALL THOSE FOR SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT REASONS.
UM, MY CONTENTION WITH US VOTING ON THIS ISSUE TONIGHT HAS MOSTLY TO DO WITH OUR PUBLIC COMMENT POLICY, WHICH I WANT TO FIRST APPLAUD THE COUNCIL ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE FOR COMING UP WITH A POLICY THAT'S WORKABLE THAT ALLOWS US TO, TO HANDLE A MEETING.
BUT I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, THE 300 AND SOME ODD FOLKS THAT EMAILED IN THINKING THAT THEIR COMMENTS WOULD BE RED.
HAVING SAID THAT I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT MOST FOLKS IN THIS ROOM THAT DOESN'T MATTER TO YOU BECAUSE YOU TOOK THE TIME TO SHOW UP.
AND I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING OUT HERE.
UM, I WASN'T EVEN GOING TO SPEAK TONIGHT, UH, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT HOW TO MANAGE FLOOD WATER.
AND HE SPENT IN HIS PARISH THAT WE'VE HAD IN A WHILE.
AND SO, UM, I WANTED TO, I WANTED TO TAKE PART WALTER, IF YOU WOULD COME UP REAL QUICK THAT YOUR PREVIOUS SITE, AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS, BUT THE PREVIOUS SITE, UH, SO FAR AS STORM WATER STORAGE, W WHAT STANDARD DID YOU BUILD TO FOR THE, I'M NOT SURE.
WHAT WAS THE CODE? 25 YEARS AT THAT TIME, SEAN, THE CODE WAS 10 YEARS AT THE TIME.
THE SECOND SLIDE WE'VE BUILT, WE MODELED TO A 25 YEAR.
BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE ACTUALLY SAYING NOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO PROVIDE STORAGE FOR THE 100 YEAR, IF I, IF I HEARD THE PROPOSAL RIGHT EARLIER, IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? NO, 25.
SO IT WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE OPPONENTS THAT SAID THAT YOU WERE GOING TO PROVIDE STORAGE FOR THE 100 YEARS.
EVERY DEVELOPMENT WITHIN A FLOODPLAIN IS REQUIRED TO MITIGATE THEIR 100 YEAR FLOOD, PLAIN STORAGE FOR THE UDS.
I'M REFERRING TO STORMWATER STORE.
WE'RE JUST THROWING WATER AND THEN NO ONE IS REQUIRED TO HOLD 100 YEAR STORM ON THEIR PROPERTY.
THERE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO RUN OFF RATE.
THEY'RE REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T TAKE AWAY ANY STORAGE ON THEIR PROPERTY THAT THE HUNDRED YEAR STORM WOULD USE ON YOUR PROPERTY.
SO YOU ARE PROVIDING STORAGE FOR THE 25 YEARS OLD.
WE'VE MET THE UDC REQUIREMENTS REGARDING ADDRESSING ANY STORAGE.
WE TOOK AWAY TO MAKE SURE IT'S PROPERLY MITIGATED EVEN TODAY'S CURRENT RULES.
WELL THAT, UH, TOOK AWAY ONE OF THE POINTS I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, UM, I, I, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ADDRESS WAS, UH, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE ABOUT, UM, WELL, WE, YEAH, WE'D RATHER SLIDE TWO IF WE'RE HELD TO IT, BUT, BUT WE'RE CALLING THEIR BLUFF.
SO TO SAY WE DON'T, WE DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD SLIDE ONE.
UM, I WOULD JUST TELL YOU SITTING IN THIS SEAT, I'LL NEVER MAKE A VOTE BASED ON THAT.
UH, AND I WILL TELL YOU IF I DID, UH, I CAN, I CAN ASSURE YOU WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND IT SHOULD HAPPEN.
AND THAT IS THAT THE LAND OWNER OR THE DEVELOPER WOULD SUE US, WE'D LOSE AND THEY'D BUILD THE DEVELOPMENT ANYWAY.
UM, THAT IS A FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG WAY TO ASK YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO TRY AND VIEW ONE OF THESE CASES.
WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE PUTTING YOUR TAX DOLLARS IN JEOPARDY IF WE STARTED VIEWING CASES THAT WAY.
UM, AND THE OTHER PIECE, UH, THE IDEA THAT THE CITY PARISH, UH, IS GOING TO BUY THIS PROPERTY.
I WILL TELL YOU WHAT THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED.
IT WILL BE CONSIDERED A TAKING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME IN AND FORCE A DEVELOPER.
WE'RE GOING TO TELL YOU, YOU CAN'T VOTE FOR SOMETHING, AND WE'RE GOING TO FORCE YOU TO SELL IT TO US.
THAT WOULD ABSOLUTELY BE A TAKING, UH, AND IT'S FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG TO ASK US TO MAKE A VOTE OF A ZONING DECISION BASED ON THAT.
NOW I TEND TO AGREE THAT WE NEED MORE TIME ON THIS ONE.
UM, SO I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH PASSING IT TONIGHT.
UM, AND I SEE FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE SHAKING THEIR HEAD, BUT LOOK, FOLKS, YOU CAN BE UPSET ABOUT IT, BUT THOSE ARE REALITIES.
THOSE ARE THE REALITIES OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE ARE UP HERE BEING ASKED TO MAKE.
[02:25:01]
EASY TO JUST SAY, WELL, WE WANT YOU TO JUST VOTE NO ON, ON STUFF.WE JUST DON'T WANT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THAT LUXURY.
THAT'S NOT HOW WE GET TO MAKE THE DECISION.
UH, SO I HOPE THAT YOU'LL DIALOGUE WITH US AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, AND, UM, HOPEFULLY WE GET SOMETHING THAT, THAT CAN BE GREAT FOR EVERYBODY.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER, ROCCO, UH, FOOT, UM, MR. MONSO, MR.
IS THERE ANYONE CURRENTLY LEASING THE BUILDING? YES.
ARE YOU SAYING, IS THERE ANYONE CURRENTLY? YES.
AND THEN DOES THE CURRENT TRAFFIC STUDY INCLUDE THE CURRENT TRAFFIC COUNCIL, HIGHLAND AND BLUE BODY? YES.
UH, RYAN, COME UP FOR A SECOND.
IF THAT, IF THE COUNCIL WERE TO, TO DENY THIS DISH REQUEST TO SEE EVENING D D THE OWNER COULD GO AND PULL A PERMIT, AS YOU STATED EARLIER TO COUNCIL MEMBER, DUNN'S QUESTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, BUILDING ANOTHER FACILITY, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, IS THERE ANY WAY TO COUNCIL TO STOP THAT? NO.
I'LL YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME THAT YOU, MS. BASS.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL MENTIONS ABOUT SEVERAL TIMES HAS BEEN MENTIONED ABOUT BRICK SHOWING INTEREST IN HIS PROPERTY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT DURING THAT TIME IT WAS ABOUT PUTTING THE ZOO THERE.
AND SO, UM, IT WOULD NOT HAVE REMAINED WETLANDS, AS YOU MAY THINK, AND IT STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAFFICKING BECAUSE THAT WAS, UM, PART OF THE DISCUSSION WHEN THAT SITE WAS BEING CONSIDERED.
SO THAT WOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN YOU THE, UM, THE OUTCOME THAT YOU ARE ARE ALLUDING TO TODAY.
UM, NUMBER TWO, I AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN HUDSON SAID, I'M THINKING LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT SELLING THIS MAN'S PROPERTY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW THAT LET YOU KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITY, DOESN'T JUST GO AROUND BUYING PROPERTY, UM, EVEN FOR DRAINAGE ISSUES, UNLESS THAT IT'S GOING TO ASSIST THE CITY IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR NEED.
AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED ARE ASSUME, UM, THERE WILL BE ARE MAYBE I'M NOT SURE, UM, UH, A DRAINAGE REPORT.
WHAT DOES THAT COME WITH? THE MARKETING ANALYSIS, I GUESS COMPETENT.
AND THEN LASTLY, I AM AGAIN, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, WHAT COSMIN HUDSON IS AND ABOUT THE 300 COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THOUGH I'M GLAD WE'RE NOT HEARING THEM.
UM, I WAS WONDERING IF WE SHOULD DELAY THIS MATTER AND GET AN AG REPORT, ASHLEY.
UM, IF Y'ALL WANT TO ASK FOR AN AG OPINION, YOU CERTAINLY CAN PUT A, AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA TO REQUEST THAT, UM, I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ABOUT, UM, THE EMAIL READING COMMENT POLICY, UH, AS Y'ALL RECALL, YOU PASS THE ORDINANCE THAT REQUIRED AN EMAIL COMMENT POLICY AND GAVE ME THE AUTHORITY TO WRITE THAT POLICY.
SO, UM, AT THAT'S WHERE I WOULD SAY, UM, THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND I HAVE DISCUSSED IT AND WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE POLICY.
SO THE POLICY, THE POLICY SAID THAT YOU READ THE COMMENTS, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
SO WE DIDN'T READ ALL THE COMMENTS THOUGH.
WELL, WE HAVE, UM, MADE THE DECISION THAT IT IS, UM, IT'S, ESPECIALLY MOVING BACK TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS THAT, UM, THE NECESSITY OF READING EMAIL POLYCOM EMAILED COMMENTS NEEDS TO CHANGE.
AND ESPECIALLY TONIGHT GIVEN THE, EXCEPT THAT THE, THE, THE PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THAT JUST CAME OUT YESTERDAY.
I TH THE, UM, PARE THE PUBLIC, UM, WHAT IS OUR DEPARTMENT? PUBLIC INFORMATION, PUBLIC INFORMATION.
JUST PUT THAT OUT YESTERDAY THOUGH.
COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS, YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION.
UM, I WANTED TO KNOW FOR RYAN, HOW LONG CAN WE DELAY THIS FOR THIS? CAUSE IT'S JUST A LOT OF VARIABLES.
AND IF THEY WAITED FIVE YEARS TO BUILD, I'M COOL WITH SOME MONTHS
[02:30:02]
OR A MONTH OR 30 DAYS, HOW LONG CAN WE DEFER THIS TO, UM, MR. RYAN HOLCOMB? THAT'S TOTALLY UP TO THE COUNCIL.I LIKE TO DEFER THIS FOR 365 DAYS.
AND, AND I GUESS WHEN YOU EVER, YOU ASK FOR SOMETHING TO BE DIFFERENT, IT'S LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE THE REST OF MY TIME? I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER THIS ITEMS FOR 90 DAYS.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO DEFER THE ITEM FOR 90 DAYS.
IS THERE A SET CALLOSUM NUMBER COLEMAN SECOND BEFORE WE VOTE ON A MACHINE, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON AGAIN.
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S COMMENTS.
UM, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
UM, ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IS WE INHERITED THIS MESS AND WE ABSOLUTELY DID.
UM, BUT THIS IS THE MESS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO WORK WITH.
WE ALSO INHERITED THE OPTION OF A OR B.
I WOULD LOVE FOR THERE TO BE AN OPTION C OUT THERE, BUT CURRENTLY AS IT STANDS, THERE IS NO OPTION C I HAVE WORN OUT THE CARPET ON THIS FLOOR AND THE ELEVATORS TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE EXPLORING OPTIONS IS TO MORATORIUMS. IT WILL NOT IMPACT THIS PROPERTY OR ANY PENDING APPLICATION.
WE DO HAVE MORE TOURISM DISCUSSIONS TAKING PLACE FOR FUTURE COUNCIL AGENDAS, BUT THIS PROPERTY CANNOT BE PLACED UNDER A MORATORIUM LEGALLY BECAUSE OF THE PENDING APPLICATION.
I HAVE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT YOUR GOVERNMENTAL TAKING THAT OUR HONORARY ATTORNEY OVER HERE AT DWIGHT HUDSON JUST DISCUSSED.
THERE IS WE CANNOT TAKE THE PROPERTY FROM THIS PROPERTY OWNER WITHOUT BEING SUBJECT TO LITIGATION THAT WE WILL ULTIMATELY FAIL IN AND HE WILL WIN AND WE'LL COLLECT ATTORNEY'S FEES.
AND I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD, SIR.
I HAVE BEEN TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I'M TELLING YOU WHAT I'VE LEARNED.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH ME, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS TRUE.
SO THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING, THAT IS A VERY INTERESTING POINT.
WE HAVE, UM, A MEMBER IN THE AUDIENCE SAYING THAT WE TOOK HIS PROPERTY WITHOUT ASKING.
HE ACTUALLY CAME IN FRONT OF COUNCIL ABOUT A MONTH AGO AFTER HAVING A BLIGHTED PROPERTY ON MAYFAIR FOR OVER FOUR YEARS, SIR, EXCUSE ME, SIR.
OR HAVING A BLIGHTED PROPERTY ON MAYFAIR FOR OVER FOUR YEARS, THE CITY HAD TO PAY OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO TEAR THAT PROJECT DOWN.
YOU WERE HERE SPEAKING ON IT WHERE YOU'RE NOT COME TO THE MIC SO THAT WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION COME TO THE MIC.
SO WERE YOU HERE SPEAKING ON THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY, YOU DIDN'T GET YOUR FACTS, RIGHT? I OWN THE
SO THAT PART OF THE CONVERSATION IS NOT GERMANE TO THIS TOPIC.
SO MS. ROCCO, YOUR TIME IS ON YOU.
BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO TELL YOU, THANKS.
SO THE A HUNDRED
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU'RE OKAY WITH BLIGHTED DEVELOPMENTS IN FRONT OF MAYFAIR, BUT YOU'RE NOT OKAY WITH THOSE ON HOW I TRIED TO GET THE PROPERTY BACK FROM THOSE OWNERS.
SO BASED UPON THAT INFORMATION, I'M TELLING YOU, I HAVE WORN OUT THE CARPET AND THE ELEVATORS TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, TRYING TO FIND A RESOLUTION, TRYING TO FIND AN OPTION C FOR YOU GUYS.
SO THIS PROPERTY COULD BE CHANGED.
WE'VE HOSTED MEETINGS WHERE I'VE ASKED PEOPLE, WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT CONCESSIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE MADE? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU? WHAT DIFFERENT THING DO YOU WANT HERE? AND THE, THE RESPONSES HAVE BEEN, BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
THEIR RESPONSES HAVE BEEN, WE WANT A GREEN SPACE.
THE RESPONSES HAVE BEEN, WE WANT THIS TO REMAIN RESIDENTIAL.
WELL, I GO TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND I ASKED THEM, HOW DO WE DO THIS? AND THE RESPONSE FROM THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS BEEN, WE CANNOT REINHOLD COME, CAN YOU PLEASE COME UP? CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OPEN SPACE.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IS REQUIRED? AND THEN YOU CAN, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY THIS DEVELOPER UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING? IF THERE WERE DEVELOPED UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING, THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE WOULD
[02:35:01]
REQUIRE 7% OPEN SPACE ON THIS PROPERTY.IF THEY DEVELOPED UNDER THE BARE MINIMUMS, UNDER A S A SPUD ZONING, WHICH IT, WHICH THEY ARE REQUESTING, THERE'D BE REQUIRED 15% OPEN SPACE.
THE PLAN BEFORE YOU TONIGHT PROPOSES 41% OPEN SPACE ON THE SITE.
SO YOU SO 41% OF OPEN SPACE IS COMPARED TO JUST BE CLEAR.
SO EVERYBODY CAN UNDERSTAND 41% VERSUS 7% UNDER THE SO 7% FOR GENERAL OFFICE.
THEN YOU ALSO PLEASE TELL ME, WHAT IS IT DESIGNATED FOR IN FUTURE BR YOU SHOULD BE OURS.
OUR LONG RANGE, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE CITY, BATON ROUGE AND PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
IT LAYS OUT A PLAN FOR 20 YEARS.
IT DESIGNATED THIS ENTIRE PROPERTY MIXED USE ARTERIAL MIXED USE ARTERIAL ALLOWS MULTIFAMILY AND COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE DEVELOPMENT.
IT WOULD BE EASY FOR ME TO SIT UP HERE.
TO SIT UP HERE AND PANDER TO EVERYONE AND TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR.
IT WOULD BE EASY FOR ME TO SIT UP HERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S DO 90 DAY DEFERRAL.
THIS WON'T BE WHAT IT WILL BE.
THAT WOULD BE AN EASY OPTION FOR ME TO TAKE AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE.
IT'D BE NICE FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO SIT HERE AND WORRY ABOUT WHATEVER POLITICAL ASPIRATION I HAVE NEXT AND PANDER TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU AND SAY, I HAVE OPTION C AND AS A UNICORN, I DON'T HAVE THAT LEISURE.
I HAVE ASKED MULTIPLE CONSTITUENTS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS IF WE VOTE AGAINST THIS? WHAT DO YOU THINK A NO VOTE IS? AND I'M TELLING YOU TONIGHT, A NO VOTE IS A SEVEN STORY.
BUILDING A SIX STORY BUILDING 75 FEET HIGH.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS.
SO THERE'S A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPROVE THE COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS WITHDRAWS HER INITIAL MOTION TO DEFER.
DO YOU REDRAW YOUR SECOND? WHAT MADE YOU SAY OH, MS. CALL ME WAS AUGUST 2ND.
SO WE GO BACK TO YOUR MOTION TO APPROVE.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKER.
THERE WAS A SECOND BY COUNCIL, MANY D REMEMBER, DON, IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO THE MOTION TO APPROVE? IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO THE MOTION TO APPROVE HAVING NOTHING TO MOTION? AWESOME.
WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON OUR MACHINES.
MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE.
I JUST DON'T VOTE THE SAME ARISSA.
I CAN VOTE FOR YOU IF YOU WANT.
70 DAYS MS. BANKS, SEVEN YEARS.
CAN YOU JUST SAY FOR THE RECORD, JUST RECORD WINDOWS.
MR. GARRETT, MR. GARRETT, I VOTED NO MISSING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION HAS BEEN MOVED IN A JAR OF SECONDED, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, MS. ROCCA HAS PROVIDED, UH, DINNER FOR ALL OF YOU AND THE ROOM IMMEDIATELY TO THE LEFT DINNER HAS BEEN PROVIDED.