Madisonville Subdivision Gets Support From St. Tammany Zoning Commission

 Will a new subdivision, proposed to be built along Interstate 12 and Jessikat Lane, be accepted by local residents?

A new subdivision of close to one hundred homes is set to be built in Madisonville and will be part of a development of 450 existing homes. Although there has been some opposition from residents in the area, the St. Tammany Parish Zoning Commission approved the groundwork with a vote 6-4 to rezone a part of the land from commercial to residential.

 

A new subdivision of close to one hundred homes is set to be built in Madisonville and will be part of a development of 450 existing homes. Although there has been some opposition from residents in the area, the St. Tammany Parish Zoning Commission approved the groundwork with a vote 6-4 to rezone a part of the land from commercial to residential.

The new homes will be built on 19 acres of undeveloped land close to Interstate 12 and Jessikat Lane that recently changed from being zone commercial to residential and 33 acres that are already zone residential. The land is owned by local home developer Paul LaGrange and is under contract to be purchased by Andrew Cahanin with DSLD Homes.

"Had the zoning not changed, the amount of traffic could have been extremely detrimental to the surrounding area. Generally, residential uses generate much less traffic than commercial in a more predictable pattern,” according to commissioner Patrick Fitzmorris.

Residents in the area are concerned because fifty of the existing homes and the new development will share a single access road to get in and out.

"When I look at this piece of property, it needs new access. It’s one way in and out. It’s completely unsatisfactory,” said commissioner Kenneth Ress.

DSDL says this will not be the case. The new home development will not be as dense as the other developments surrounding it. There will be only two homes per acre. There will be a plan to improve Jessikat Lane which is currently a gravel road that runs along the edge of what will be the new development and make it an access point to the new homes.

Residents do not agree because of the traffic backups already that are a hassle on a daily basis. The backups are caused by the narrow roads. Along with the bad traffic flow, flooding and drainage issues are also a battle. The boost in population will just add to both of these issues.

“This area is basically land-locked. Rex (Avenue) is maxxed out. I’ve been on it. And I dodged the kids and the very deep ditches on both sides. It’s a difficult decision at this point, because the access is just not appropriate for any development at this time,” replies commissioner Nelwyn McInnis.

DSLD's attorney Paul Mayronne says that the rezoning is just the first step in the process. There will be a traffic study and a hydrological analysis.

“You don't build a project until you can demonstrate the traffic and drainage will be appropriately handled," he said. "We believe we can do that, but we can’t prove it until the zoning change.

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Part of Wadsworth Property Rezoned By St. Tammany Parish Council

 

When residents of any community hear that there will be a manufacturing and logistics project close to home, they often fear what it will do to the environment around them. St. Tammany Parish residents are questioning the rezoning of a part of the Wadsworth property at the intersection of La. 1088 and Interstate 12 close to Mandeville.

John Crosby, a developer, wants to build an 800-plus acre industrial corridor on the site. He assures the St. Tammany Parish that the project will bring good jobs to the area and will not harm the environment. Residents spoke their concerns at the Parish Council at a town hall meeting about the impact on traffic and drainage.

Currently, the land is zoned for a mixture of different residential zones and a planned business campus zoning. Crosby is no stranger to these kinds of projects. His company developed The Sanctuary in Mandeville and has a good reputation for being environmentally friendly.

The plan for the site is to have 15 to 20 sites with the smallest being 25 acres. The buildings will be large and look like office buildings.
He also promised to use surfaces that allow rainwater to reach the underlying soil, such as crushed limestone or pavers with plantings in them, sometimes known as living concrete. Other features will include large swales covered in vegetation. With these steps in place, there will be less runoff and better water quality that does run downstream.

"It will not be a wasteland. It is something you are going to be proud of," he said.

Target or Office Depot, Amazon, FedEx, or UPS are some of the businesses looking to locate distribution centers at the proposed project. He explains that what they will be using the land for will not be noxious or offensive and will not pollute the air or water.

This is not enough for Nancy Wagner, who fought a high-profile and successful battle against the proposed Medline medical equipment distribution center that was planned to be built near Covington. She does not see how they will keep from destroying the environment such as plastics and paint manufacturing. Deed restrictions can only go so far, and she believes they cannot be relied on to enforce zoning matters.

Residents still questioned the project even with the jobs that could potentially be generated there. Crosby does point out that more people who grew up in the area, will stay in the area if they have jobs to go to. The kind of companies that are in discussion to be part of the project will be companies that will attract and hire college graduates.

"Where are we going to put all those people," David Jones, a member of Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany asked. "Apartments," someone in the audience replied.

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A Rise In Home Building In Rural Markets

The National Home Builders Association (NAHB) has seen a new housing trend with the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest quarterly NAHB Home Building Geography Index (HBGI) found that residential construction is growing faster in lower density markets.

“We expect the virus could affect future housing preferences for those currently living in the hardest-hit, high-density environments like central cities and that housing demand will continue to increase in medium- and low-density communities,” said NAHB Chairman Dean Mon.

“The first quarter HBGI data reveals that construction growth expanded over the last year more quickly in low population density areas than high-density regions,” said NAHB Chief Economist

Robert Dietz. “This trend will continue as households seek out single-family homes further from urban cores, particularly as telecommuting continues in greater numbers.”

The report reveals that proximity and affordability were two of the biggest catalyst in the shift. People are now second-guessing living in metropolitan areas after the public health crisis hit. During the COVID-19 pandemic, metro residents were more vulnerable because of the crowded living conditions, mass transit, insufficient health and public sector infrastructure. Builders are starting to look outside of metropolitan areas where the land is cheaper and there are more building opportunities.

“The HBGI data is consistent with the fact that housing costs are increasing fastest in large metro suburban counties and smaller metro areas with populations under 1 million where demand for housing is high but supply constraints are tight,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.

“Supply-side issues that are hurting affordability and raising costs for builders include excessive regulations, labor shortages, rising material costs and a dearth of buildable lots in mid- to high population centers.”

All national economic geographies in the country showed a 9.1% growth increase in the suburbs over a one-year moving average. In the education and health services sector (EHS), 4% made up the total single construction and made up close to twice the growth rate in the multifamily construction over the past year. The HBGI also found that the education and health services sector was the top quartile of counties and totaled 25.7% above the total employment sectors.

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How Often People Move Can Impact the Housing Market

Just like any other consumer product the more something is in demand the better the market for it. The housing industry is no exception to the rule. Everyone needs a place to live so this, in turn, affects every aspect of the housing market from real estate to lending to title. The data collected

regarding if and when people are moving can interpret if the housing market is thriving.

There are a variety of sources and people interpreting the data collected. This can hinder a potential home buyer’s research when it comes to the housing market. There are many “spin doctors” who want to influence the public and might be steering them in the wrong direction. When it comes to research, there are many ways to discern what is fact and what is fiction.

Go to the facts, remember for the most part numbers don’t lie. The Census Bureau is a great neutral source. The Census Bureau is supervised by the Economics and Statistics Administration within the Department of Commerce.

The history behind the Census Bureau is interesting within itself. Founded in 1790 when Secretary of

State Thomas Jefferson appointed U.S. marshals throughout the country to collect data on the 3.9 million residents. For the next 150 years, the six question census added many categories that included manufacturing, agricultural, mining, fisheries, native language and others. In 1940, data on housing was added (other than the names of those living in households) and the real estate industry began using the data to predict the health of the housing market.

The homeownership rate is an important statistic to focus on as a baseline to research. An interesting fact according to the census, is that the homeownership rate has held steadily for approximately 60 years. According to housingwire.com, the ” rate is calculated on the proportion of households that are owner-occupied and has continuously held strong in the 60-70% range throughout the years.”

Throughout the years the highest at 70% was in 2005 and the lowest at 62% was during the recession.
Statistics in migration patterns show that 43% of people move due to housing-related issues, 27% move because of family-related issues, 18.5% move because of employment issues and 10.6% move for other various reasons. The Southern Region of the country has seen the largest migration pattern.

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Streetscapes on Interstate 12 Interchanges in St. Tammany Parish

As Andrew Grant the famous author puts it, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”  This is a focal point when it comes to the streetscapes on Interstate 12 interchanges in St. Tammany Parish.

“The first impression of St. Tammany needs to be a positive one. We want them to like it and come back. This is our one good chance to make a good first impression”, says administration spokesman

Ronnie Simpson.

St. Tammany Parish has six economic districts that are focusing on improving.  Parish officials point out that improving these districts by giving each district their own unique design standards will enhance St. Tammany’s appearance making it more attractive for residents, visitors, and potential home buyers. Each district will be given its own name, custom sign, unique banners, landscaping, tree preservation, sidewalks and the use of swales and rain gardens to manage the storm water.

“The vision for each of these districts is to underscore the distinctive identities of each of these communities and to entice the visitor or the resident driving by to come into that community,” Parish

President Pat Brister. “This is a proven strategy for increasing economic development by enhancing the attractiveness of the community and the businesses within the community, and as a result, commerce and revenue are increased.”

Potential names and designs are already on the horizon for the six districts’ I-12 interchanges.  A list of names include, Coquille District at the interchange of Louisiana 1077, Arts District at the interchange of Louisiana 21, Little Creek District at the interchange of Louisiana 59, Fontainbleau District at the interchange of Louisiana 1088, Centerpoint District at the interchange of Louisiana 434 and Crossroads District at Airport Road.  Concept designs are already in place for some which include Coquille District’s logo of the lighthouse along Lake Pontchartrain in Madisonville and Little Creek District’s logo which shows a bicyclist along Tammany Trace.

A 3/4 cent sales tax, approved by the parish earlier this year, is anticipated to bring in approximately $4 million which will be allotted to economic development projects.
“Essentially what we’re talking about is each of these districts are the front door of our parish as people come in and out of our parish,” Simpson said.

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Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) Port Marigny in Mandeville

They say that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and that is the plan Steve Oubre, Project Designer at Architects Southwest, says about the lakefront traditional neighborhood development (TND) Port Marigny on the Mandeville lakefront. Port Marginy will be patterned after the “historic character” of Old Mandeville. The 78-acre project site is located on the former Pre-Stressed Concrete

Products plant just east of Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

The waterfront development’s updated figures and renderings were presented to the Mandeville Planning and Zoning Commission July 28, 2015, and the project will only be allowed to proceed with the City Council’s approval. The City Council will hold several more meetings to allow Mandeville’s resident’s opinions to be heard before voting their final approval.
Mandeville’s residents, who attended the standing-room-only, meeting July 28, 2015, were able to ask important questions about the project’s density and potential traffic problems the new development could create. Many believe the developers of Port Marigny plan to build too many housing units which will cause traffic congestion in the area. The proposed development plans include building 429 “New Urbanism” new

homes for sale which include apartments (multi-family housing), condominiums and single-family homes on large home sites. In addition to the new construction housing units there will also be 60,000 square feet of commercial space, a 150-slip marina, a 120-room boutique hotel, a park and a town center that would feature a statue of city founder Bernard de Marigny. Traffic Consultant Rich Hall will address these concerns and has already taken preliminary traffic counts. He plans to take additional counts once school begins in August.

Richard Muller’s, attorney for Marcus Pittman owner of the property which the abandoned concrete plant sits on and who is providing guidance for the proposed project, described the focus of the project is to “facilitate the development of a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use, waterfront development that provides strong fiscal benefits for the city.” Residents who will own a new construction unit in the residential community will have narrow setbacks, large lots, sidewalks, service alleys with back access garages, streets no longer than 650 feet, and the multi-family homes will be four stories high including commercial space on the first floor.

Oubre is confident in the project. Oubre stated that his goal was to “build to the historic character” of neighboring Old Mandeville. “Old Mandeville was done right,” Oubre said. “We’re trying to replicate it.”

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