[StBernard] SLAB REMOVAL CONTRACTS LET IN ST. BERNARD

[Westley Annis]

SLAB REMOVAL CONTRACTS LET IN ST. BERNARD 

 

Thousands of slabs remain where a residential home once stood and reminds
neighbors of the ongoing recovery in St. Bernard Parish.  The Road Home
Program which offered homeowners an alternative to rebuild their home gave
way to a flurry of demolition activity since Hurricane Katrina.  Over 8,500
demolitions have been completed in St. Bernard Parish with the vast majority
of those being residential structures.  The problem of the remaining slab
has been an obstacle for the parish's clean-up efforts for some time.  But
with a pilot of nearly 300 slabs having been removed and dozens of
additional contracts in place, the winter and spring demolition activity in
St. Bernard Parish will once again be in full swing.  With thousands of
slabs to remove and a June 2010 target date, slab removal activity will
result in demolition crews in virtually every part of the parish.

 

The St. Bernard Parish Housing, Redevelopment, and Quality of Life
Commission has pushed for an organized and systematic approach to the slab
removal process.  Commission Chair, Parish President Craig Taffaro, Jr.
echoed member concerns not to leap frog the slab removals, "we have a
definite universe of slabs, so it makes sense to complete a street before a
contractor moves on to another street".  Commissioners and Council members
Fred Everhardt and Wayne Landry added their request that all areas of the
parish be addressed simultaneously.  BBEC, the company chosen by the state's
Louisiana Land Trust, explained that the parish has been divided into over
30 zones and the zones will serve as guidelines for the work to be divided
into so that all areas of the parish are receiving slab removal at the same
time.  BBEC explained that with a June deadline all areas have to be worked
on at the same time.

 

The funding for slab removal has not been easy to come by and has largely
been a debate within the FEMA - St. Bernard partnership for a couple of
years.  FEMA has held their ground that the slabs are ineligible work as
they pose no danger to the community.  The removal of those slabs purchased
through the Road Home program has been satisfied through funding by the
Louisiana Land Trust for the current contracts.  Final discussions are
taking place to incorporate the non-LLT slabs into the removal process.
Former LRA Executive Director Paul Rainwater granted a request from the
parish to fund a portion of the slab removal of non-LLT properties based on
"blight removal" which is in line with meeting at least one of the three
national objectives established by HUD for the use of the community
development block grant funds.  Rainwater recognized the impact of the slab
removal on redevelopment in his statement, "it is clear that where blight is
removed, the likelihood of redevelopment goes way up and slabs are included
in that formula".

 

In terms of redevelopment, the slab removal activity will clear the way for
the parish's Lot Next Door program as well.  Taffaro explained that one of
the two remaining pieces that stands in the way of lots being transferred is
the removal of slabs.  LLT has stated that it is not planning to allow lots
with slabs on them to be transferred.  Taffaro says that everything else
that needs to be done prior to closing on the Lot Next Door purchase will be
able to be completed so that when the lot is cleared, the closing can
quickly follow.  The remaining issue for closings is the approval of the
final version of the purchase agreement with LLT.  LLT representatives
report that they are optimistic that the approval will be done within a
week.

 

The total cost of the slab removal process will likely top 8 million dollars
as lots are backfilled with sand and graded.  With that amount of work,
Commissioner and Council member Mike Ginart asked for safeguards to protect
the millions of dollars in street repair work and other related improvements
that may be damaged during the slab removal process.  BBEC offered
assurances that any damage would be rectified and that the public should
contact them to identify any damage to streets, signs, curbs, etc that may
be caused by the slab removal activity.  Residents may call the parish's
resident's services office at 278-4224 to report any issues with the slab
removal process.

 

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