[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish stops construction of controversial apartments

[Westley Annis]

Have no idea if it's going to help but I'm lighting a candle or whatever it
takes to hope this works.

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	St. Bernard Parish stops construction of controversial apartments
	
	Published: Tuesday, February 22, 2011, 2:51 PM     Updated: Tuesday,
	February 22, 2011, 3:22 PM
	
	 By The Times-Picayune
	
	St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro has issued a cease and
desist
	order on construction of four mixed-income apartment complexes in
Chalmette
	that have been at the center of a long legal battle between the
parish and
	fair housing advocates.
	
	Taffaro said he issued the order Tuesday morning over concerns that
part of
	the land being used for the four 72-unit developments could be
considered
	wetlands. He said it's up to the Army Corps of Engineers to
determine if
	that's the case.
	
	Earlier this month, the St. Bernard officials appeared ready to
allow the
	developments to move forward in the wake of a string of federal
court
	rulings against the parish for preventing Provident Realty Advisors'
	proposed $60 million project. U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan
had labled
	the parish's attempts to block construction of the developments as
"racially
	discriminatory.''
	
	The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also filed a
complaint
	against the parish, alleging its zoning laws discriminate against
	African-Americans by not allowing enough rental and affordable
housing.
	
	St. Bernard officials have maintained that the parish already has
affordable
	housing and that adding more would reduce property values and
undermine the
	single-family character of the community.
	
	The fight against the multifamily apartments began in 2008.