Jan. 27, 3pm SLCA Exec Committee Meeting Minutes

Jan. 27, 2008, 3 pm, SLCA Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

Purpose of meeting:
Discussion of Staring Lane expansion and the 12 homes that are being removed
Plan/anticipation for Wednesday, Jan. 30 meeting with the city of Baton Rouge
What do we plan to do after the Jan. 30 meeting as a group?
Do we need to formulate a position statement?

Present at the meeting:
G. Shamlin II, Brunetta Shamlin, Gwen Shamlin, Pam Labbe, John Redd, Joan Herke, Bill Herke, Wayne Reed, Camilla Singleton, Frances Hammonds, Frank Hammonds, Judy Hammonds Barbay, David Herke, WinstonDeCuir, Pete Territo, Wanda Stewart, Patty Herke, Rick & Ursula Rodney, Yarsolov Losovyi, Willie & Eluth Waits, David & Clara Deculus.

Old business:
Nonpaid memberships; bylaws had been approved and agreed upon by the board; renewal of association paperwork was done lately. Fee was $5. Charter had been filed originally by Dr. Shamlin, who had paid for this.

New business:
Contacts with officials, consultants, engineers: Bill Herke was in contact with Brad Ponder. He would not give out any information at that time. Ponder said that individual property owners would be contacted on a one-on-one basis. Individual property owners will have to represent themselves; the city will not deal with the Association.

Mark Harmon, chief engineer with the Dept. of Public Works, Yvette Black, consultant with the group on Bluebonnet, and Travis Woodward with CSRS Inc. have been meeting with (or in some instances calling and/or sending letters to) the owners of 12 Staring Lane homes.

Traffic counts (source: Green Light Plan – available online):
Essen Lane: 14,000 to 22,000 cars a day
College Drive: 11,000 to 22,000 cars a day
Bluebonnet Blvd: 15,000 to 23,000 cars a day

Regarding the meeting with the city on Wednesday, Jan. 30:
Mayor Kip Holden will only be present the first 30 minutes to one hour of the meeting.

Possible questions that members might want to ask during the Jan. 30 meeting:
1. Will above-ground utility poles be used. Or will the wires run underground?
2. Will the city be digging up outdoor plants for relocation at the new homes for the 12 families that are being relocated?
3. Will pier-and-beam houses be allowed to be moved to another area of the property for those homeowners who have large areas of land?
4. Will those homes that remain on Staring Lane after the expansion experience a decrease in value?
5. Will there be sidewalks on both sides of the street?
6. Will there be a bike trial as was in the original plan?
7. Will there be speed bumps?
8. What will the speed limit on Staring Lane once it is expanded?
9. What will the environmental impact on expansion be? Will there be increased noise and pollution? Have these environmental studies been conducted yet?
10. Will a sound proof wall need to be put up, and if so, what will the cost of that be to tax payers?

People attending today’s meeting who have been approached by the city regarding their homes:
- Mr. Waites: (1026 Staring Lane) a letter was left in his doorway; he spoke over the phone with Travis and Black; the end of the area needed comes down the center of his house; he wants to move his home to the back part of his property but isn’t sure if the city will allow this.
- Mr. John Red: got a call three weeks ago from the Department of Public Works; he was told that he had to move (1024 Staring Lane); was told that it was a “done deal”; he has until January 2010 to be out; value of property would be given after two appraises was conducted; the highest bid would be accepted; rightaway comes across the center of his house; city will buy out the entire lot (possibly); If built on pier-and-beam, situation would be different.
- Claire & David Deculus: (1196 Staring Lane) were told same information at both Waites and Red. They were told they could hire their own appraiser at their own expense.
- Others affected couples are elderly and sickly (Collins).

Comments by Gwen Shamlin Jr.:
The only way to win in an imminent domain situation is to prove the interest of the individual outweighs the interest of the public.

Comments by Winston DeCuir Sr.: The city must pay the “highest and best use” (current value); subdivision restrictions can prevent commercial use zoning; appraisal will be made according to residential zoning; city is allowing two years for residents to move and purchase another home, transfer taxes, ownership, etc.; appraisals vary wildly.

Bill Herke suggested that everyone should check out:
http://www.condemnationlaw.com/ (law firm specializes in eminent domain). Suggestions of the people who run the site: Don’t sign anything; get an appraisal.

The Staring Lane Community Association wants to know what course of action we should take as an organization. Two of the three affected residents appear to be resigned to sell their homes to the city. One of the three is undetermined as to what his course of action will be.

Winston DeCuir Sr. said that city is required by law to assist those it buys the homes of in moving. They must relocate you. They need to find you a real estate agent, pay you an allowance to move, pay part of the cost to acquire the home (such as closing costs, etc.).

Brad Ponder has already said that everyone who is being affected has already been contacted. Gwen Shamlin Jr. suggested that we send certified letters to all parties to request a copy of the official plan. Remember: it is not just the final plan that is public information; all the preliminary drafts are also public information and accessible.

Mickey Skyring is not running for a second term. He has less than a year on his firm.

The main thing we can hope for now is just to be treated fairly. We are going to lose our sense of community. It’s is more than just the lost of 12 houses on the street.

SLCA wants to invite the media to the Jan. 30 meeting. Invite your neighbors. Hopefully each person attending today’s meeting will invite at least five more neighbors to join him or her.