[StBernard] Residents reveal neighborhood vision as Murphy expansion plans requested

[Westley Annis]

Tuesday April 8, 2008  3pm

At today's St Bernard Parish EFC Meeting (Executive Finance Committee),  Mr
Bourgeois of the St Bernard Parish EDC (Economic Development Committee)
recommended the Parish Council support Murphy Oil's application for State
and Local sales tax exemption on an approaching  $60 million expansion
through the state Enterprise Zone Program.  According to Mr Bourgeois, the
EDC recently voted in its March meeting to make the recommendation on the
expansion project's tax exemption application for a workscope  that is
scheduled to occur between January 1, 2008 through July 1,  2010.  President
Craig Taffaro stated that traditionally St Bernard Parish Councils have
supported such state sales tax exemptions  by Resolution to the State, but
that the parish doesnot traditionally exempt the project from the local
parish portion of sales taxes.   Councilman Mike Ginart had asked Mr Bo
urgeois to request Murphy provide a workscope of the refinery expansion to
the council and residents.  

On the same council EFC agenda,  District C residents revealed their
longrange plan for their neighborhoods' revitalization and the keystone
commitments and decisions from their elected officials to create and to
preserve the balance needed between their residential district and the heavy
industrialized processing side of the  Meraux refinery.  

These actions by the council will not only preserve the integrity of their
revitalized residential neighborhoods but will also provide for the
designation of a green zone buffer.  

The council was asked to consider an amendment to the Ordinance to sell the
Jacob Drive Firestation to the Murphy Oil Meraux Refinery.  The amendment,
if adopted as the residents propose, would include language to designate the
publicly owned property as greenspace use only.  The council was previously
petitioned for this amendment when the ordinance was introduced in August
2007.  The terms have since changed to sell the property for $200,000 and
contingent on the land/swap trade of a total of 5 (five ) parcels of Murphy
owned buffer zone property:  4 (four) parcels are residential and one (1) is
zoned neighborhood commercial.  

These buffer zone properties are on Lena, Ventura Drives and Judge Perez
(South) and are being offered as part of the sale to provide a replacement
firestation site including a parish emergency training facility.  The public
hearing and vote on the ordinance is scheduled for the next council meeting
on April 15th at 7pm.


Reminding the council that their neighborhood is not unlike any other St
Bernard Parish neighborhood and that the granting of a zoning change to
Murphy Oil Meraux Refinery to construct a laboratory on Jacob Drive  would
only create the inbalance { between a heavy industrialized refinery and the
residential neighborhoods }, council members  were asked to make a
commitment to the residents who have returned and restored their homes and
to their residential district by:  making NO ZONING CHANGES,  supporting a
lot next door property purchase for domiciled neighbors, and adhering to the
parish's master landuse plan which calls for a greenspace non-utilized
buffer around the refinery.  
Councilman Ginart and Council Chair Frank Auderer offered to setup a meeting
with refinery officials and the residents in the hopes of better
communications regarding the refinery's expansion.


The St Bernard Parish Planning Commission has requested the refinery make a
presentation of its future expansion plans at the zoning change public
hearing April 22nd at 4pm in the Government Complex Building CAO meeting
room.