Hole in state-owned land along Highway 90 sits near popular kid bike path
When a problem occurs in the parish, it can be a difficult enough situation to solve. But if that problem happens to occur on state-owned land inside the parish, the situation can become extremely complicated.
Such an event began last month when Luling resident Craig Duplantis saw a sink hole (approximately 4 feet deep and 12 feet long) beginning to develop in the ground of a field in front of his home. The hole, which is located near Highway 90 between Sonic and Occasion’s Restaurant, is in a dangerous area because of the many children that ride bikes or walk through the land to get a tasty frozen treat in the afternoons.
Because of that safety hazard, Craig felt it was his duty to notify the parish. A month later, the hole was still there and Craig’s wife, Paula, decided to take matters into her own hands by contacting the state directly.
“When nothing was done about the hole, I called the state and they said that no one had notified them about anything,” she said. “We just felt like the hole was an accident waiting to happen. Kids ride their bikes through that land all day to go to Sonic. How terrible would it be if one of them fell in?”
When two calls to the state failed to elicit much of a response, Craig went out to the hole and barricaded it himself using yellow caution tape.
“We knew we had to do something,” Paula said. “If anything would have happened, we would have felt terrible.”
After the area was barricaded, a supervisor from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s Luling unit went out to the area to survey the damage. It turns out that even though the hole is on state property, the parish will have to take a look at it first after all.
“There is a sewer cover close to the hole and a pipeline underneath at the bottom,” a spokesman for the DOTD’s Luling office said. “St. Charles is going to have to send someone out to look at it before we get involved.”
Parish spokeswoman Renee Allemand-Simpson said that getting involved first in any problem on state land can be hazardous for the parish.
“The parish will contact the state to make sure they are aware of the problem, but that is really all we can do if it is not a parish-owned property or right-of-way.” she said. “If the parish government steps in and makes a repair that has not been authorized by the state, the parish can be held liable for any problems that may arise.”
But even though the parish can’t get involved directly in a problem on state-owned land, Allemand-Simpson said that they will do everything they can to make sure it gets solved.
“The parish’s hands may be tied when dealing with these types of issues on property that is owned by another entity, but the parish cares about community safety and will assist through the proper channels to address this concern and others like it,” she said.
Allemand-Simpson said she has also contacted the state directly about the hole to make sure the problem is addressed. According to Allemand-Simpson, a contact with DOTD has stated that their department is in contact with the parish’s wastewater department in regards to the issue.
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