[StBernard] St. Bernard Council agrees to sell fire station to Murphy Oil

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Council agrees to sell fire station to Murphy Oil
by Paul Rioux, The Times-Picayune 
Friday April 18, 2008, 10:27 AM
The St. Bernard Parish Council will sell a storm-damaged Chalmette fire
station to the adjacent Murphy Oil refinery despite objections from a
handful of residents who fear the refinery plans to expand into their
neighborhood. 


The $200,000 sale of the Jacob Drive fire station is part of a buyout
program for properties contaminated by a million-gallon oil spill at the
refinery during Hurricane Katrina.

Murphy has agreed to let the parish continue using the station until a new
one is built a few blocks away on five lots the company is donating. 

The new location on Lena Drive is 50-percent larger and will provide space
to build a firefighter training center with a classroom that could be used
by community groups in the evenings, Parish President Craig Taffaro said at
Tuesday night's council meeting. 

While expressing appreciation for the improved facilities, a few neighboring
residents opposed the deal, saying they don't want Murphy to use the land to
expand the refinery. 

"Of course we're for a new fire station, but we're also for our
neighborhood," said Suzanne Kneale, who called for the property to be used
as green space. 

Daniel Dysart, a Murphy attorney, reiterated the company's pledge not to
expand its refining or oil storage operations beyond its pre-Katrina fence
line. Murphy officials said they have no plans for the newly acquired
property, which is expected to be used as a fire station for another year. 

The council approved the sale 6-0. Councilman Kenny Henderson, who works for
Murphy as a project supervisor, abstained from the vote and left the room
during the discussion. 

After approving the deal, the council passed a resolution saying it would
not consider rezoning the sold land, which is zoned commercial, until Murphy
completes a land-use plan for properties in the buyout area with input from
neighboring residents. 

The refinery is seeking to rezone three other Jacob Drive lots from
residential and commercial to heavy industrial to accommodate a petroleum
testing lab and parking lot. 

Murphy has spent $52 million to purchase 465 of the 571 properties in the
buyout area, which extends four blocks west of the refinery. The buyout
program is part of a $343 million settlement of a federal class-action
lawsuit stemming from the oil spill.