[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish Grants Permits To Provident Complex

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish Grants Permits To Provident Complex

Taffaro: We Have Little Choice

POSTED: 4:16 pm CDT October 24, 2011

UPDATED: 4:26 pm CDT October 24, 2011

WDSU

The Provident complex consists of several communities: Magnolia Park, Parc
Place, Riverview and The Woodlands. More

CHALMETTE, La. -- The St. Bernard Parish Council has authorized the release
of utility permits for a controversial apartment complex nearing completion.

Parish President Craig Taffaro said the decision was reached as the parish
faced fines as high as $100,000 a day for failure to comply with a judge's
order to allow power hook-ups to the Provident Realty development in
Chalmette.

Taffaro said the fight against that project will continue, and that the
Council has authorized him to pursue "every avenue that we legally can
pursue," but that Entergy would be authorized to connect meters at the
development by a Tuesday court-imposed deadline.

Taffaro said Monday's moves, while necessary, deviate from established
processes.

"We're finding ourselves in a predicament," he said. "We're at a same
crossroads we've been before. A judge has stepped in and ordered us to not
follow our local procedure, to not follow our local law, and (to) deviate
from that for the benefit of the Provident development."

Earlier this month, a federal judge issued the latest ruling against St.
Bernard Parish in the years-long battle over the apartments. The Court found
the parish in contempt for violating a 2008 Consent Order enjoining
officials to adhere to the Fair Housing Act.

A majority of the units at the Provident development will be leased to low-
and moderate-income individuals or families. Critics have said resistance by
government leaders amounts to discrimination -- a charge the parish has
repeatedly denied.





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