To the editor:
District IV Councilman Paul Hogan has, for the last few months, embarked on a “crusade” to change our street name on Bayou Estates South. He cites its “similarity” to our neighboring street, Bayou Estates Drive.
As an employee of RJM (civil engineer), he helped to set up our subdivision in about 1994. He cites a call from one resident on Bayou Estates Drive over two years ago under the previous councilman as his original reason for this. He claims our street name must be changed for “public health, safety and welfare” in a March 14 letter to residents.
What utter nonsense! I passed a petition opposing a name change, and it was signed by 49 of 50 homeowners on our street (93 of 95 individuals). Ninety-eight percent of our street residents oppose a name change!
I addressed the Parish Council on April 7 and presented the petition along with photo and drawing handouts and explained that not one resident claimed ANY “health, safety and welfare” problems. The only health, safety and welfare problem on the street is the two RJM owned ponds next to the street. They are usually overgrown with plants unless a resident voluntarily cleans them. They are an “attractive hazard.”
We have been a subdivision for about 14 years. All of our legal papers such as titles on houses/lots/cars/boats/other vehicles are set up using our present street address. All of our bills, mail, businesses, driver’s licenses, paychecks tax returns, passports, checks, credit cards and every other item with an address are set up with our present address.
There is no evidence our street name is causing a problem.
The mail service has been poor over the years, but everyone in Bayou Gauche has that problem. Each of the two streets has ONE entrance into it, and they are clearly marked with huge signs. Each house is numbered. If someone can’t find an address, it is a people problem.
I asked for a sign in the middle of the loop at the end of the street with arrows pointing to each street to assist those who can’t read street names or numbers. My request has been ignored. No one has put in a work order.
To add insult to injury, Mr. Hogan is ignoring the 98 percent of residents who signed the petition opposing a street name change. He sent another letter dated May 30 and is still going to propose a name change at the June 16 council meeting and have a hearing and vote at the July 7 meeting! And this man is our representative.
Ninety-eight percent is an overwhelming majority! Mr. Hogan, the parish is loaded with street names that are similar – – Easy Street, Easy Court, Easy Street West, Easy Street East, James Blvd., James Drive East, James Drive West, Magnolia Avenue, Magnolia Court and Magnolia Street. These are only a few of the 65 or so I found on a map in a few minutes.
Why are you singling us out? Are you going to also harass, bully and intimidate other streets as well? How are we any different than these other streets? Are you trying to set a precedent to change the names of all of these other streets? I don’t see even one other councilman wasting his/her time on this nonsense. Get back to work on all the major problems in the parish and leave us alone!
(The Parish Council website is at www.st-charles.la.us for those who are interested).
Frank Whiteside
Bayou Gauche
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