St. Charles Parish spent $32,800 to buy land for a community park in Des Allemands last August, but now, two months later, it’s still not clear when construction will start. On Aug. 9, residents thought the issue had finally been put to rest after the parish acquired a 2-acre parcel on J.B. Green Road from L.J. Frickey.
The idea for the park is nothing new, and, in fact, dates back to the spring of 2001.
From the outset, the initiative has been steeped in controversy, with residents arguing the pros and cons of building a park in an area that has a reputation for crime.
On Jan. 10, 2005 an ordinance to approve “the act of sale” was adopted by the parish council, 6-2, with Desmond Hilaire and ‘Ram’ Ramchandran voting against it.
The question now is, when will construction start – and when will the park be ready?
Officials contacted by the Herald-Guide couldn’t answer on short notice, saying even “a guess-ti-mate” or “ballpark timeline” wasn’t appropriate.
Observers chalk up the delay to the mess left by Katrina, which has stretched local governments to their limits .
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