With approvals in hand, the River Road Estates subdivision will begin construction after a former Saints football player unsuccessfully attempted the project.
Although the St. Charles Parish Council approved a waiver that cleared the way for the project’s construction at Monday’s meeting, lengthy discussion was dedicated to drainage with the development rather than its history.
The Hahnville project, originally called Berkshire Estates, was approved for construction by the parish’s Planning Commission.
Located between 16011 and 16061 River Road, the residential development will have 101 lots instead of the initially planned 110. Some 11.35 acres of the 42-acre parcel will be developed.
Councilman Terrell Wilson said he had dedicated considerable time discussing the area’s drainage problems. He said the 40 Arpent Canal is the issue, but also the ability to get the water to the canal.
But Wilson said with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit in hand to improve the canal and with the subdivision being done in phases, the development would be beneficial.
Hahnville resident Gerald Tregre said the work was needed. Tregre recounted a recent rainfall that brought nearly a foot of water to his door and then remained on the ground for days.
Parish Public Works Director Clayton “Snookie” Faucheux said the Corps permit to allow cleaning the canal’s heavy overgrowth came in January. Faucheux agreed that he’d witnessed firsthand the area’s problem with standing water.
“It just sits there,” Faucheux said. “There is no drainage.”
Original property owners who once handled the drainage maintenance are gone, he said, leaving canal maintenance to the parish.
Matt Falati, engineer with Meyer Engineers in Metairie, who represented project owners Cypress Ventures and River Road Estates LLC, told the council that measures were being taken to improve drainage with the development.
The first phase of the project will include about 60 lots. Development is expected to start next month and take about two months to complete.
Falati said the property was acquired after the bank foreclosed on it. The lot sizes and configuration are similar to the original project.
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