Mossy Oak PUD Gone, Another Development Pending

At the Ascension Parish Council meeting of November 4th about 100 citizens wore red in opposition to the proposed Mossy Oak and all PUDS. Citizens left feeling victorious because the Council voted unanimously against the proposed Mossy Oak development on Babin Road. Three councilmen were absent (Clouatre, Joseph and Loar) As chair, Councilmen Bell chose not to vote and Councilman Schexnaydre recused himself because of his connections with the project. The next day, Friday, there was some confusion about the legality of the vote. On Saturday a written legal opinion from parish attorney, Toni Falterman, was released. She stated that according to the Charter Section 6-02 C(8)  "An ordinance shall be enacted at a public meeting, when voted upon favorably by at least a majority of the members of the governing authority..." The opinion further stated there is no reason to reconsider the matter, however, the Council may wish to reconsider the vote "out of an abundance of caution."


Because the Mossy Oak PUD was not on the November 18th agenda, we can be confident this proposed PUD is gone. However, another development is being proposed for this property by the same developer; details are unknown.  Citizens must continue to follow this proposal and attend the Planning & Zoning meeting when this item is put on their agenda.    

PUD Concept to be Discussed at Strategic Planning

Monday, November 22nd, the Strategic Planning Committee will discuss the Planned Unit Development (PUD) ordinance at their meeting in the Gonzales Courthouse at 6:00 p.m.  There will be an opportunity for the public to comment on this agenda item during the meeting.  This is the first in many steps to review the PUD concept and the high density it has brought to Ascension. The PUD overlay must also be addressed. Citizens are encouraged to attend. 

Two Commissioners Appointed, One to Go

Citizens attended  the November 18th meeting of the Ascension Parish Council to ask that three new members be placed on the Planning & Zoning Commission. Numerous citizens addressed the Council. The Gonzales Courthouse was packed with an overflow into the hall as the Council appointed two new members recommended by the Personnel Committee; J.B Esnard and Daniel Satterlee. Although recommended by the Personnel Committee, Chairman Alan Krouse was not reappointed because of opposition from the public due to his continued support for the proposed Master Plan which was rejected by the people and the Planning and Zoning Commission on September 20th.  The Personnel Committee will meet in the near future to recommend one of four remaining applicants to the Full Council for the vacant position to be filled. It appears this appointment will be made at the Council Meeting on December 2nd in Donaldsonville.  While Esnard and Satterlee were unanimously approved, the vote for Alan Krouse was controversial. Councilmen Adrian Thompson, Chris Loar and Dennis Cullen supported the reappointment of Mr. Krouse while Councilmen Dempsey Lambert, Todd Lambert, and George Valentine opposed the reappointment.  Councilman Randy Clouatre broke the tie vote by opposing the appointment of Mr. Krouse. Citizens will not rest until all three appointments of the  Commission are filled with new members. 

Appointments to Planning & Zoning Commission

Tuesday, November 2nd the Personnel Committee made up of Councilmen Cullen, Lambert, Johnson, and Thompson (Loar was absent) met and interviewed nine applicants for the Planning and Zoning Commission. There are three positions open for appointment.  The three up for reappointment reapplied; Chairman Krause, Commissioners Sliman and Barre'. All three support the proposed Master Plan that failed and was rejected by the people. Deliberations were made in private and afterwards Chairman Todd Lambert announced that the committee will recommend the following three for appointment;J.B. Esnard, Alan Krause, and Daniel Satterlee. The Full Council will vote on these recommendations on November 18th at their regular meeting which begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Gonzales Courthouse. 

District 8 News (Dutchtown, Duplessis)

PUBLIC HEARING ON MOSSY OAK PUD

What is a PUD?  The acronym stands for Planned Unit Development and permits more density than present zoning allows.  Opposition to this type of development continues to swell.  It is part of the “smart growth” movement that allows more homes on less land. Citizens are working with elected officials to abolish the ordinances that allow this type of growth.  

Join others on November 4th at the Parish Council meeting at the Donaldsonville Courthouse on the 2nd floor, @6:00 p.m. Citizens are required to fill out a public comment card prior to speaking.  Speakers will be allowed three minutes to make comments during the public hearing.  

Please wear red to show opposition to all PUDS.

Mossy Oak will consist of 175 homes situated on 35.63 acres between Babin Road and Hwy. 74.  Eighty percent of these lots will be 50' lots with zero lot lines.  Mostly due to pipelines and wetlands on this property, 20.21 acres will be green space.  It also seeks to have 2.18 acres on Hwy 74 rezoned from RM (Medium residential which allows 3 units per acre) to MU-2 (Mixed Use-2 which allows 4 units per acre with commercial).  This area will be adjacent to a day care center.  The plan does not clearly specify what businesses would locate here.

For more information contact:  Greg Duplessis at 241-8315, Ranell Farrar at 673-8201, 

or  Denise Theriot at 647-6794.  If you would like to sign a petition, contact Michelle Harris at 677-8666 or Gregg Duplessis.

ATTENTION SENIOR CITIZENS!

You may qualify to freeze the value of your property and keep your taxes from being raised through assessment. 

Every year property owners have an opportunity to review the information on the assessed value of their property.  This is a 15 day period when assessment lists are open for public inspection, usually in September.  The last reassessment of property by the Assessor’s office as required by the State of Louisiana was in 2008.  Reassessments are made every four years.  The next reassessment of property will be in 2012.

If you are 65 years of age or older, have a service connected disability rating of 50% or greater, or are permanently and totally disabled as determined by a final non-appealable judgment of a court or as certified by a state or federal administrative agency you may also qualify for a special assessment.   In 2009 your adjusted gross income must be $64,410 or less.   A “special assessment” freezes the value or assessment of your property.  This means that the value of your property shall not be increased above the total assessment shown on the tax roll in the year that you qualify for the special assessment level.   Property owners will still pay taxes, but the value of their property will not be increased as long as they are residing on this same property.  This will apply only to property receiving homestead exemption. 

The one page application can be obtained at the Assessor’s office in Donaldsonville or Gonzales. Applicants must provide name, address, birth date, social security number, and adjusted gross income reported on Federal Income Tax Returns for the year prior to applying.  Incomes must be combined if you and your spouse file separately.   Contact the Assessor’s office at 647-8182 for more information.

What is happening with the Master Plan?

After hearing the possibility that the Planning Commission intended to reverse their previous vote on September 20 to kill the proposed Master Plan, members of Concerned Citizens of Ascension Parish (CCAP) attended the meeting last night, October 13.  Some commissioners were planning to add the issue for reconsideration to the agenda with a 2/3 vote.   However, they were not able to accomplish this because a unanimous vote was required by law and Commissioners Clouatre, Marchand and Nance continue to stand with the people. 

Meanwhile, we continue to wait for the Planning Commission to schedule meetings to go back and update the current thirty-nine page Master Plan as decided in their original September 20^th motion. When discussions of the Master Plan are scheduled, we will post it here.