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Some subdivision construction deferred, others up for approval after May flood
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BATON ROUGE – Homeowners push back on plans for a new subdivision Monday night after flash flooding in May. They are worried growth will bring more drainage problems and increase flooding.
There are multiple building proposals on the EBR Planning and Zoning meeting agenda. Some homeowners asking for construction to slow down are getting what they want.
“There’s a lot of fear of the unknown and I think we need to listen to that right now,” EBR Metro Council Member Denise Amoroso said.
Two major subdivisions sit in Amoroso’s district, including a 26-home lot on S. Harrell’s Ferry Road, and 23 townhomes on Jones Creek. Amoroso is deferring both projects Monday night.
“We need to make sure the developers are doing their due diligence and make sure their drainage is good,” Amoroso said. “We’re not saying no to these developers, we’re just saying we need some more time and the constituents do too.”
One subdivision still up for approval is Garden Hill off Tiger Bend Road. Developers are looking to build 62 homes across 13 acres next to the already existing Rose Hill neighborhood.
“We want to make sure that whatever is put in place is something that can be maintained and the water needs somewhere to go and we need the Baton Rouge problems to be solved,” said Crystal Lewis, who is the secretary for the neighborhood H.O.A.
Lewis and her family live in Rose Hill off of Tiger Bend Road. Their homes would back up to a proposed subdivision called Garden Hill, which is still up for approval.
“We can respect for the desire to grow, but all of the aspects of this are going to be negative for us,” Lewis said.
Lewis and her neighbors are trying to halt this construction while government officials are discussing if the parish is ready and able to keep up with more homes popping up near existing neighborhoods.
Councilmember Chauna Banks is also deferring a large residential development that would contain more than 900 homes on Old Scenic Highway. The deferred projects will be discussed in a month.
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