Ordinance waiver denied

It all started seven years ago but came to a head with the potential sale of 10 acres of land owned by Anjanette Hebert.

There was no denying Hebert did not intend to violate or circumvent the parish’s subdivision ordinance, but with the law as it is written being what it is, the police jury felt Thursday morning it could not, in good faith, grant Hebert’s waiver.

“If we were voting on intent, it would be no problem, but we have to vote on the law and I’m not going to break the law,” said Juror Julie Borill.

As moved by Juror A.J. “Fatty” Broussard, and seconded by Borill, the waiver request by Hebert was denied in a unanimous vote. Jurors Alton “Al” Stevenson and A.J. “Jay” Credeur missed Thursday morning’s special meeting and Juror Jimmie Pellerin arrived later.

Hebert explained multiple times that she did not want the power of a subdivision owner and that the landowners in the area, including herself just wanted to be left alone to live in the country.

“That’s not what we wanted,” she said. 

Several police jurors pointed out that the landowners still can it would just be a matter of giving the area a name.

Still, Hebert could not fathom why the police jury was harkening back to a sale that occurred seven years ago, which set the ordinance in motion, was causing this much headache.

However, as pointed out in jury attorney Brad Andrus’ written opinion, the statute of limitations on the misdemeanor fine associated with the violation seven years ago was up.

What brought the situation to light, however, was a question by an attorney for the latest potential buyer of Hebert’s land. After selling five tracts of land, a sixth potential sale of 10 acres is pending sale for commercial use.

Hebert explained that the potential buyer wants to purchase the land for storage of equipment. But, as the jury pointed out, the ordinance is there to protect neighbors to make sure a “biker bar or whatnot doesn’t pop up in a residential area.”

They continually told Hebert that it would just be a matter of presenting basic restrictions along those lines to the potential buyer.

“I personally do not want that power,” said Hebert. “I don’t know why this is so hard.

“All we want to do is live in the country. We want to live unrestricted.”

Jurors continued to try and reason with Hebert, pointing out that the property in question has all the makings of a subdivision  minus an official engineering plat and a name.

Hebert persisted, however, that was not what she or the landowners in the area wanted.

Also in the special meeting, jurors unanimously approved the cost to repair Vie Terre Beau Bridge with a motion to include up to $2,500 in mobilization costs for the contractor. If more money is need for the contractor to return to the site, the matter will have to be brought back to the jury.

Also unanimously approved were the final plat of Mire Estates, LLC, and the preliminary and final plat of Harry Mire Subdivision.