The request, from Ursin “Sonny” Boudreaux of Chauvin Lane in Franklin, was for the council to consider the idea about the property, which is located near the Baldwin Bridge.
Boudreaux, who did not speak during Wednesday night’s council meeting, wrote in a letter to his neighbors that he was contacted by a company wanting to lease about five of his 20 acres.
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“Their plans are to transport the scrap yard, six trucks per day, Monday through Friday, with the last truck leaving around 4 p.m,” he said in the letter.
He said the remaining portion of the property, about 15 acres, would act as a buffer zone between his neighbors’ properties and the industrial site.
The Parish Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the Parish Council vote against the rezoning proposal, presenting them with a petition with more than 60 signatures opposing the idea.
The petition stated the opponents had health, property value, safety and noise concerns.
Camelia Soprano was one of the opponents who appeared before the St. Mary Parish Council on Wednesday.
“We are not opposed to new businesses and industries coming to our parish. St. Mary needs to grow,” Soprano said.
“We just ask that thought be put into where these companies locate.”
Soprano also pointed out concerns about barges being located on the property, citing an incident in Lydia where the bridge broke in the wake of flooding from Hurricane Ike.
“We’re sure you are familiar with the amount of flooding the area received due to Hurricane Rita and again for Ike,” Soprano said.
“You also must be familiar of the destruction of the bridge between Lydia and Weeks Island due to the barge that broke loose and struck the bridge during the flooding from Ike. The barges in the area they are wishing to rezone would also be subject of breaking free during flooding and striking the Katy Bridge, the old Baldwin Bridge and the railroad bridge.”
She commented about children who live and play on Chauvin Lane, “… a very narrow road that will be used by this company to truck the scrap metals out. That street runs through a strictly residential area and is the only way for these trucks to come in or out.”
In other business, the council passed a resolution to raise the tipping fee at the parish landfill in Berwick by $1 per ton to maintain operational costs.
After the meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Bo LaGrange said the cost would be passed on to the five municipalities in the parish — Morgan City, Berwick, Patterson, Franklin and Baldwin, that have a solid waste disposal agreement with the parish, to dump residential garbage at the facility.
“What we did here tonight will probably cost each of those municipalities an extra 10 cents per household. Now, whether or not their leaders pass this cost onto them, that’s up for them to decide,” LaGrange, said.
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