[StBernard] Residents appeal as St. Bernard council cracks down on blight

[Westley Annis]

Residents appeal as St. Bernard council cracks down on blight

wwltv.com

Posted on September 17, 2012 at 10:12 PM

Updated today at 10:21 PM

Tania Dall / Eyewitness News

Email: tdall at wwltv.com | Twitter: @taniadall

CHALMETTE, La. -- St. Bernard Parish is cracking down on abandoned and
storm- damaged properties. The parish's solution? Put those properties on a
proposed demolition list.

Dozens of people showed up to the St. Bernard Parisch Council Champers to
figure out if many of their storm damaged structures will be torn down by
the parish or saved.

"Their biggest problem is with the outside, the cosmetic appearance," said
Daniel Robertson.

Robertson's mom and step-dad own a Chalmette home. It's been in his family
since before Hurricane Betsy and was destroyed once again by Hurricane
Katrina.

"This half is done all the way back. There's a bathroom. We even put a
kitchen in it and laundry room. There's technically three bedrooms there, a
hallway, all carpeted. I painted the walls myself," he said.

Robertson said the house could be torn down despite various improvements.

"My mother has fought with this parish for at least the last four months,"
Robertson said while speaking to the council. Robertson joined many others
inside the St. Bernard Parish Council Chambers to fight pending demolition
of their properties.

This Chalmette home is one of 55 structures on a list here in St. Bernard
Parish that could be demolished.

Council members are ultimately deciding on a case-by-case basis to demolish,
not demolish or extend the time for property owners to renovate.

"In 2009 you signed saying you could put this structure back together, and
here we are four years later," said St. Bernard Parish resident Cecilia
Galladora.

Homeowners like Galladora are getting a third chance. She said financial
setbacks and theft have made fixing up her storm-damaged home slow-going.

"As far as I know it looks like they're giving me an extension," Galladora
said. "So I'm happy for that. I understand completely where they're coming
from, really. It's been quite a while."

Time that continues to leave dozens of properties across the parish
abandoned or neglected.

St. Bernard Parish officials say something has to give, but Robertson
disagrees.

"My grandmother's house is actually on the corner," Robertson said. "Our
options were to finish this one or finish hers."

As for Robertson's family, their hearing has been pushed back to October.

St. Bernard Parish Councilman Guy McInnis said so far only one property was
set for demolition Monday night.