[StBernard] Strip of wetlands found on portion of St. Bernard Parish mixed-income housing site

[Westley Annis]

Strip of wetlands found on portion of St. Bernard Parish mixed-income
housing site

Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011, 7:12 PM     Updated: Thursday,
February 24, 2011, 7:12 PM

 By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune 

The Corps of Engineers on Thursday announced it has found wetlands on a
section of land where a controversial St. Bernard Parish multifamily housing
complex is under construction.

The corps issued a cease-and-desist order for construction the portion of
wetlands on the site south of West Judge Perez Drive and west of Lafitte
Parkway. Ricky Boyett, a spokesman for the corps, explained that
construction can continue on all others parts of the site that are not
wetlands.

While Boyett on Thursday was unable to provide the exact size of the
wetland, he said it runs in a straight line along most of the eastern side
of that site.

It appears that will only delay one of the four mixed-income apartments
under construction, the one abutting Judge Perez and catty-corner to the
Wal-Mart. Another complex is under construction on the same parcel of land,
but along St. Bernard Highway across from the Chalmette Battlefield. It
appears that its construction will remain unaffected, officials said.

St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro issued his own cease-and-desist
order Tuesday morning on construction on both apartments complexes on that
parcel and said it was up to the corps to determine whether wetlands were
present.

Construction can continue on the two other sites, one on Patricia Road just
west of the Wal-Mart and one on Rose Avenue a half mile west of Paris Road
and north of Virtue Road.

The project's developer, Provident Realty Advisors, can apply for a permit
to mitigate the wetlands. If a permit is granted, the project could move
forwardwithin 90 days, officials said.

The four, 72-unit mixed-income apartment complexes in Chalmette have been at
the center of a long legal battle between the parish and fair housing
advocates.

St. Bernard officials have maintained that the parish already has enough
affordable housing and that adding more will lower property values.

Fair Housing advocates have fought the parish in the court, prompting U.S.
District Judge Ginger Berrigan to labeled 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.

Earlier this month, the parish allowed the project to proceed before the
wetlands issue was raised.