More than 50 people wearing bold stickers representing their position packed the City-Parish Planning Commission’s meeting Tuesday night at the Governmental Building downtown to discuss the possible rezoning of the Southdowns area. The Southdowns neighborhood surrounding the Ford Property located on the south side of Perkins Road will have to wait for a verdict on the area’s rezoning issue. The commission announced the issue would be deferred until Dec. 10. This is the second time the issue has been deferred. “The mayor has requested that the applicant defer in an effort for him to intervene and try to work with the surrounding neighborhoods, so it will not be discussed tonight,” said Troy Bunch, the commission’s planning director. The Ford Property is a single-family residential area. The proposal calls for a rezoning, which would make it a traditional neighborhood development. It will include single-family residences and businesses such as restaurants and offices. Gill Morin, coordinator for the CPPC resource center, previously told The Daily Reveille the purpose of the proposal is to treat internal traffic issues by providing businesses – such as a grocery store – within walking distance from the residents. If passed, the rezoning proposal will affect the residents of such areas as Pollard Estates. The majority of the area’s residents are strongly opposed to the proposal. The general consensus of the residents is that the idea is worthwhile, but the Ford Property is not the right place for it. “The idea itself is good, but not in the area they want to put it in,” said Teddy Amar, finance junior and Southdowns resident. Some residents said the main issue was traffic. “I am completely against it because I believe it’s going to cause an extreme amount of traffic,” Amar said. “It will make the traffic worse.” Laura Bennett, social work graduate student and Southdowns resident, said the plan will turn Southdowns into a drive-through neighborhood, like the Garden District. “Basically the rezoning would extend the street that [my fiancee] and I live on to be like a thru street,” she said. “So there would be a lot of traffic, less security, that sort of thing.” Renee Nebel, president of the Pollard Estates Civic Association, discussed a few other issues with the plan. Nebel said the plan will not work with the surrounding area, which is virtually surrounded by water. The area’s roads, sewage and drainage will not be able to handle the rezoning. Consequently, this will cost the city more money. “All of our neighbors have signed a petition,” Bennett said. “There are posters, neighborhood meetings, all sorts of things. These are professional people taking their personal time to try to make a difference, trying to keep the rezoning from happening.”
—-Contact Lindsay Rabalais at [email protected]