[StBernard] Legal Battle Heats Up Over Chalmette Housing Project

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Thu Jun 23 08:23:26 EDT 2011


Legal Battle Heats Up Over Chalmette Housing Project



Judge: St. Bernard Parish's Attempts To Block Construction 'Racially
Discriminatory'



POSTED: 10:42 pm CDT June 22, 2011

UPDATED: 12:16 am CDT June 23, 2011

CHALMETTE, La. -- Fair housing advocates filed an emergency motion in
federal court Wednesday to hold St. Bernard Parish in contempt of court
after they said the parish defied a federal judge's order to turn on power
for a controversial mixed-income housing development.

Parish President Craig Taffaro said a federal judge's order to turn on the
electricity for the housing development violates the parish's right to
govern itself. Proponents of the development said the latest move comes as
no surprise.

"The judge said very simply and plainly, 'Authorize the power and water, and
let's move forward.' We're saying the parish has to comply with that order,"
said James Perry, the executive director of the Greater New Orleans Fair
Housing Action Center.

The legal battle between St. Bernard Parish, Texas-based developer Provident
Realty and the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center has been going
on for years.

Perry, who runs the nonprofit agency fighting to get the $60 million
mixed-income housing development built, said the construction is well under
way, but to this day no building permit has been granted.

"First they said it was the environment, then they said it was the
construction permits, then they said it was this and that," said Perry.

A federal judge said the parish's attempts to block construction are
'racially discriminatory,' but Taffaro denied that allegation.

"The developers have misused race as a screen to shield their own singular
motive of profit at the expense of a recovering community," said Taffaro.

In the past, Taffaro has filed for restraining orders, asking for a cease
and desist, but all were denied.

On Wednesday, Taffaro said he went to state agencies overseeing financing
and asked them to review the project and freeze funding, citing improper
drainage, incorrect elevation levels and improper installation of utility
poles. He said allowing the construction to move forward violates the
parish's Constitutional rights.

"What we have been forced to accept is a systematic stripping of local
governing authority which has resulted in deep-rooted concerns for the
ability to maintain the appropriate structure of our community's
redevelopment," said Taffaro.

Chalmette native Doug Reed said it's not an issue of race, but of economics.
He said he is worried the project will affect property values.

"I've got a million dollars of my hard-earned money invested here," said
Reed, who owns four condos and commercial property nearby. "I'm trying to
make some money from this--with my own money--and I've got to compete with
tax dollars that are funding this next door to me at an exorbitant rate."

Perry said the racial slur painted on the development several months ago
proves there is a racial undercurrent in the parish.

"The idea that that is what we're up against in 2011 scares me to death,"
Perry said.

Taffaro said he also had concerns about the default of a $40 million loan on
a similar project by Provident in Texas in 2009. He's asking the Louisiana
Housing Finance agency or LHFA and the Office of Community Development to
investigate whether the developer declared that on the application for
community development block grant money to fund the project.





Read more: http://www.wdsu.com/news/28327894/detail.html#ixzz1Q6L79KCI





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