Nearly 100 Hahnville residents opposed expansion
Under opposition from Hahnville residents, the Lafayette developer who proposed the 200-lot Cypress View subdivision has withdrawn the project.
St. Charles Parish Councilman Terrell Wilson said Guidry Land Development of Lafayette withdrew its purchase agreement pending for the Fashion Golf Course last week.
The move followed Wilson’s June 8 town hall meeting with residents airing concerns about the project that he said focused on limited street access, and wastewater and drainage issues that would accompany the planned 200 additional houses.
“No matter what he told the people, they didn’t want it,” Wilson said of developer Cliff Guidry. “They were very vocal about drainage. There is major opposition to his plan to build 200 homes.”
Parish Planning Director Michael Albert said the developer also withdrew the rezoning and subdivision applications for the project.
“The parish currently has no applications for development of the site,” Albert said. “I have not spoken directly to the developer on why the application was withdrawn.”
Cliff Guidry, president of Guidry Land Development, could not be reached for comment as of press time.
Wilson maintained residents’ concerns were “a tough reality” that has to be addressed and the recent heavier rains put a finer point on the issue.
While residents’ main concern was drainage issues that could come with a project calling for adding 200 houses to their community, he said they also wanted to know how the existing streets, which offered limited access, would accommodate another estimated 430 vehicles that could come with the expansion.
“If someone wants to build more than 200 homes, they need to provide their own drainage because we can’t afford to do it,” Wilson said.
With these concerns in mind, the councilman said he has been meeting with parish officials on how to deal with District 1’s growing pains.
But he also expected a revised proposal from Guidry Land Development dropping the proposed lots to around 80 since he had learned Fashion Golf Course property owners had given the developer a 60-day extension on its purchase agreement.
Wilson anticipated any new plan for the project was going to be a difficult sell to the residents who would be negatively impacted.
“It’s irresponsible to accept growth knowing there isn’t enough infrastructure to support it,” he said.
The councilman said he’s gotten letters from residents calling for a moratorium to halt any further growth in Hahnville. They’re saying water is coming up on the streets and ditches are collecting water, as well as complaining they had to get sandbags to stop flooding because of the area’s intense growth making the situation worse.
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