As the Rouzan debate heats up, some Baton Rouge residents remain adamantly against the idea of change, while others claim the city needs to come out of the “horse-and-buggy” era. University students and professors living in Southdowns and surrounding neighborhoods know it is almost impossible to drive through the area without eyeing a yard sign marked “Support Rouzan” or “Reject Rouzan.” Scheduled for the Jan. 23 East Baton Rouge Parish Metropolitan Council vote, the Rouzan proposal aims to progress the capital city by re-zoning the Ford Property, a 119-acre plot located in the heart of Baton Rouge. The proposal calls for re-zoning the undeveloped pasture on the south side of Perkins Road from A-1 Single Family Residential to a mixed-use Traditional Neighborhood Development. J.T. Spinosa, the re-zone applicant and Gulf Coast region developer, deferred the case hearing twice this past semester to iron out issues with residents in adjoining neighborhoods. Following the second deferral in December, a panel was appointed to work out a compromise between Spinosa and the residents in an uproar because of the initial proposal. With population density topping the list of worries, opponents are voicing concerns about traffic, sewer and drainage issues. Objecting residents seek to reduce the 800 residential units called for in Spinosa’s smart growth development. The initial TND proposal called for 400 single-family residential lots and 400 medium-density residential lots. The medium-density units include multi-story units such as townhomes, condominiums and apartment complexes. Additionally, Spinosa called for 100,000 square feet of land for commercial and office use and 28,500 square feet for public use. It also will contain a library, school, church, restaurant and more if the proposal is approved. The TND design follows all Smart Growth principles and encourages internal transportation. Since its appointment, the panel has met three times and plans to meet again this week depending on the availability of the most recent traffic study. The panel consists of representatives from three neighborhood associations, Spinosa, Metro Councilman Mickey Skyring and Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas, president and CEO of the Center for Planning and Excellence. Skyring said the four focal issues of panel discussion include density, traffic, sewer and drainage. But he did not discuss possible modifications the panel made to the proposal. “I’m not going into any of the details of what has been said or not been said,” Skyring said. “Everything is still under discussion. But it has been an extremely positive meeting.” Skyring said his opinion on Rouzan has not changed. “This is absolutely a step forward,” he said. “The library is for sure, the church and there is a school planned. And there is a commercial segment within the TND.” Thomas, Urban planner, said the number gap between what the developer wants and what the residents want remains large. “The neighborhood wants a lower number, and the developer wants to stick with what he originally proposed,” she said. “But to make that sort of mixed-use development work, you have to have a certain number of units.” Thomas said because Baton Rouge lacks examples of TNDs, it is hard for the neighborhood associations to have a favorable outlook. “What other TNDs have proven is that they do reduce traffic and the quality of life is very high,” she said. “They feel like it will affect the quality of their life in a negative way.” Many residents remain committed to their stance on Rouzan as they wait for a verdict on the issue. Nick Swindle, biochemistry senior and Southdowns resident, said he fears Rouzan will make the cost of living in the neighborhood increase. “There are Rouzan guys who will control the prices,” Swindle said. “Southdowns isn’t expensive at the moment. We’ve done some petitions against it.” Swindle said the development would also make traffic worse for the area. “There is a middle school in the neighborhood that causes traffic, I can’t imagine what a housing development would do,” he said. “Most people don’t want it to happen.” Donia Crouch, psychology junior, is another Southdowns resident against Rouzan for similar reasons. Crouch said her rent may eventually increase if the proposal passes with a favorable vote. “The reason we moved over here was because the rent was cheap,” Crouch said. “It’s a cute, quiet neighborhood. And if rent goes up, it will weed out the LSU students and bring in more families.” Crouch said other reasons for her position include the “lengthy and chaotic process” associated with the construction and the development components. “There’s going to be a grocery store there,” she asked. “I don’t think it’s necessary when we have one down the road.” But Southdowns resident and psychology professor Bob Matthews said the idea of the development radically affecting the cost of living in Southdowns is mere speculation. And unlike Crouch, Matthews said he supports Rouzan specifically because of the buildings it will bring to the area. “I like the idea of a library,” Matthews said. “It will be good if people in Baton Rouge do a little more walking.” Mary Jane Hebert, Baton Rouge native and Southdowns resident, said the city needs to become a progressive one and can no longer be the quaint city it was in 1940s. “If we don’t become a progressive city, we’ll fall through the cracks and be a town with one subdivision after another with each one trying to upstage the one before it,” Hebert said. “Baton Rouge doesn’t have enough options for people. I’m very adamant about it, and I’m very passionate about it.” Hebert said she does not care if the development increases the cost of living in the surrounding area. “Are you supposed to keep a city back because you don’t want to pay more,” she asked. “The big problem is that everybody is only interested in what affects them and their situation.”
—-Contact Natalie Messina at [email protected]