[StBernard] Ambitious Demolition Process Being Pushed- Recovery at the Heart of Push

[Westley Annis]

Press Release 2-5-08

Ambitious Demolition Process Being Pushed- Recovery at the Heart of Push

There has been some confusion about the recent posting of the latest list of
houses condemned by St. Bernard Parish Government.  The most recent list
(attachment Z) that was filed was the final list submitted and perhaps the
most aggressive list of condemnations from parish government over the period
of recovery since Hurricane Katrina damaged or destroyed some 26,000
households in St. Bernard Parish in August 2005.  Parish President Craig
Taffaro acknowledged, "Admittedly, there are some addresses that were placed
on the list and posted that were inspector error.  However, the
comprehensive approach to follow the posting and notification process for
every house that could be identified as not being habitable is a necessary
step as we move toward resolving the demolition challenges that are under
review- every aspect of our recovery is at stake relative to this."

In a nut shell, here is the condition.  St. Bernard faces the challenge of
an overstocked housing market.  With projections of population hovering
around 25,000 - 30,000, a major part of the solution to this surplus is to
take as many houses down as possible in order to stabilize the rest of the
economic market in St. Bernard.  Certain specific steps must be followed in
order to get a structure through the demolition approval process.  Public
notification and posting are two of those steps.  Councilmember and local
attorney, Mike Ginart urged the administration to go as far as possible to
make sure that proper notice is given during this process.  Most recently,
general notices were begun in hopes of not missing any structure that may at
some point be in question of meeting minimum housing standards/blighted
issues.  CAO Dave Peralta commented in this approach, "This means that some
houses being worked on may have been included in the general notice process.
On behalf of parish government, we offer an apology for any distress or
inconvenience that is caused as we move through this notice process."

Jerry Graves, Director of Community Development, further explained the
process.  Once a house is posted and listed and there is an objection by the
owner, the owner can simply sign an appeal with the Office of Community
Development and that appeal signature will trigger a course of review during
which the owner will have the opportunity for a hearing before any
demolition work commences.  Within the appeal form there will be specific
milestones or benchmarks that the owner will be directed to meet and
document as progress in order for the owner's appeal to remain in place.  It
shall be incumbent upon the home owner to document his/her progress from the
time of the notice until a hearing date in the future.  The signed appeal
also allows for accurate contact information for the owner.  The Office of
Community Development can be reached at 278-4310 and beginning after Mardi
Gras, the office will be setting after 4:30 p.m. appointments to receive
appeal signatures as needed. 

The practical side of this demolition process is that the Louisiana Land
Trust, LLC is scheduled to receive some 5,000 to 6,000 properties, of which
most will be in the St. Bernard Parish demolition request proposal.
Additionally, there are several hundred houses that remain in clear blight.
So, although those properties that some owners are repairing may have been
included in the condemnation notice, the timing of moving those homes
through will follow the properties that come through the LLT purchases and
those that have remained ungutted and unrepaired.  There are also houses
that may already be in the system for demolition even if someone removed the
posting.  This explains in many cases why one house in worse shape than
another in close together and only one seems to get posted.  This latest
posting process will address all of the properties to ensure that a few as
possible have fallen through the cracks.

Taffaro further emphasized, "In order to move the parish's recovery forward
in all aspects, there are going to be issues that make sense for the whole
but not as much for the individual.  "Our goal is to continue to recover our
community in a broad sense while balancing the individual needs of our
residents."