Find out about the latest news in Madisonville, Louisiana as well as St. Tammany Parish. We will keep you “tuned in” to all of the information about Southeast Louisiana as well as the real estate industry in general. Many new home buyers are concerned about the market, mortgage information, and builder trends. We plan on keeping you as up to date as possible on these and many more topics. There is a lot going on in the Greater New Orleans area, so you will have plenty to read!

Former New Orleans Executive to Become St. Tammany Parish’s First Economic Development Director

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Don Shea, the former CEO of the New Orleans Downtown Development District, will become St. Tammany Parish’s first economic development director next month. Shea, who is currently executive director of the Jacksonville Civil Council, will join the parish government Jan. 28 and will be tasked with shifting St. Tammany’s economic development efforts into overdrive. His appointment is expected to go before the Parish Council for ratification on Jan. 3.

don-sheaParish President Pat Brister, whose 2011 campaign featured economic development as a linchpin, said Shea got high marks from both Jacksonville and local references. “He’s exactly the person we were looking for,” Brister said.

Shea served as executive director of the Shreveport Downtown Development Authority before taking a job in 2010 as the first chief executive of the Jacksonville, Fla., Civil Council, which consists of various city business leaders tasked with improving the economic climate in the region. He is also a founding member of the City Downtown Investment Authority in Jacksonville.

He also served a seven-year stint as president and CEO of St. Petersburg (Fla.) Downtown Partnership and as president of Capital Center Inc., the management company for the downtown business improvement district in Jackson, Ms. Shea began his career at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, working there in a variety of assignments, according to his resume. Following that, he was Director of Area Planning and Development at Medical Area Service Corp., a consortium of Harvard Medical School, its teaching hospitals and other higher education institutions in the Boston area.

Earlier this year, Shea was one of 12 candidates seeking to become executive director of the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, the state-chartered agency formed to combat blight in the city and put properties back into commerce. The job went to Jeff Hebert, Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s blight policy director.

Shea, who from 1990 to1995 headed up the New Orleans DDD, said Friday he looks forward to getting back to the area for both personal and professional reasons. “I was very pleased with the aggressive nature of both Pat Brister and the Parish Council in establishing a robust economic development effort in St. Tammany,” he said. ” I couldn’t be happier to be getting back to the region.”

A report on the Jacksonville Daily Review website quotes Jacksonville authorities saying Shea he did a good job launching the Jacksonville Civic Council.

A Massachusetts native, Shea has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst and a master of city planning degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in Cambridge.

Brister, who took office in January, has made economic development a major priority for her first term. She has pushed to get more hotel occupancy tax money allocated to economic development in St. Tammany to match what is spent in other parishes.

With more economic development funding in place and Shea set to come on board, Brister said, “Now we’re ready to play in the big leagues.”

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St. Tammany Parish Council to Consider Lowering Impact Fees on Developers

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Home builders and other developers in St. Tammany Parish likely will be getting a belated Christmas gift next month in the form of lower impact fees that they must pay the parish government to offset the effects of growth. The St. Tammany Parish Council, on behalf of the administration, has introduced an ordinance to reduce nearly all of the fees developers pay to mitigate the impact of new homes and businesses on road and drainage infrastructure.

Fees on each single family home, for instance, would go from $3,077 to impact-fees$2,191, a reduction of about 29 percent, under the proposal. Fees on multifamily dwellings would drop from $1,487 to $1,039 per unit, a 30 percent decrease.

In 2005, St. Tammany became the first parish in the state to begin collecting impact fees on projects in the unincorporated areas. The fees were put into separate road and drainage accounts and used to build new roads, improve highways and make drainage improvements, such as large retention ponds. The fees have generated about $7.5 million per year for roads and $7.3 million for drainage.

The impact fee law calls for periodic review of the charges, and the proposed reduction is based on a complicated formula taking into account such things as road and drainage needs, the number of vehicles and miles traveled on major roads, and the amount of development in the parish, Chief Administrative Officer Bill Oiler said. Duncan Associates of Austin, Texas, came up with size of the fees when they were put into place in 2005 and is proposing the lower fees, which would take effect next month if approved by the Parish Council.

“We had no idea what would happen with the fees” this time around, parish Planning Director Sidney Fontenot said, noting that raising the fees could have been a tough sell to the Parish Council. “It’s a formula-based fee, not a political figure pulled out of the air.”

On the commercial side, the ordinance creates some new classifications, but nearly all call for reduced charges.

Retail projects, for example, would go from $3,003 to $2,401 per 1,000 square feet.

Office space would move from $3,343 to $2,798 per 1,000 square feet.

Institutional developments would drop from $3,343 to $1,265 per 1,000 square feet.

Only developers of mobile home parks would see an increase. Their fees would rise from $573 to $983 per pad.

Developers will continue to receive credits toward the fees for certain drainage and road improvements they make in connection with their projects.

Susan Meyer, president of the St. Tammany/Washington Parishes Home Builders Association, said her group was aware of the proposal and is pleased the fees, which get passed on to home buyers, will apparently be lowered.

“I think it’s really important that they do this,” Meyer said. “Anytime you have impact fees, it’s detrimental to development.”

Meyer said her company, Conbeth Development of Covington, and others have lost some business to neighboring Tangipahoa Parish over the years due to impact fees in St. Tammany.

“We’re happy about it,” she said of the proposed reduction. “It’s good for business and for people who are building homes.”

St. Tammany officials had considered an impact fee ordinance for more than 10 years before finally adopting the law in late 2004.

Home builders were vocal in their opposition to the initial draft of the law, saying the fees could hurt the industry by raising house prices. They later gave their approval to an amended version of the ordinance.

Oiler said he did not know how much money the reduced fees would generate, as it would depend on the amount of residential and commercial building the parish sees.

Parish officials said the lower fees proposed by Duncan Associates result from numerous factors, including the many major road and drainage projects the parish has completed in recent years, fewer vehicles and miles traveled on major roads because of high gasoline costs, the lower cost of construction due to the economy, as well as a general slowdown in home and commercial development.

“The combination of these factors caused the price to go down,” Fontenot said.

When the fees were enacted in 2005, they applied to all unincorporated areas of the parish. Under the amended ordinance to be considered by the council next month, the fees would apply to all unincorporated areas south of the urban growth boundary line, which runs east-west across the parish just north of Pearl River, Abita Springs and Covington. Above that line, the fees would still apply to commercial developments and residential projects of such size that they must go through the Planning and Zoning Commission.

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Holiday of Lights Will Herald 20th Anniversary of the Tammany Trace

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When the annual Holiday of Lights exhibition begins Dec. 7, St. Tammany Parish will mark two important anniversaries. For starters, it will be the 13th year that Holiday of Lights will have bathed a section of the Tammany Trace in twinkling light.

But the parish also will use the event as a way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the purchase of property that would eventually become the Trace -– the only Rails to Trails conversion in the state.

Holiday of Lights will open Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. when many thousands of lights willholiday set aglow the Koop Drive section of the Tammany Trace just north of Mandeville. There will be sparkling Christmas trees, a 160-foot tall “Tower of Lights,” as well as many other lights and displays adorning the area. Also that night, there will be rides for the youngsters, and Santa Claus will be on hand to hear the wishes of all good children.

The display will be open until 8 p.m. each evening through Jan. 2.

Live entertainment is scheduled Dec. 7-8, and again on Dec. 14-15 from 6-8:30 p.m. Santa will be on site each of those days, as well.

The full lineup includes:

Dec. 7 – 6:05-6:20 p.m., Abita Springs Children’s Academy; 6:20-6:45 p.m., Kehoe France; 6:45-7:15 p.m., Mandeville Show Choir; 7:15-8:15 p.m., Mandeville High School Choir; and, 8:15-8:30 p.m., Captain Papillion.

Dec. 8 – 6-6:45 p.m., Northlake Academy of Music; 6:45-7:15 p.m., Woodlake Elementary; 7:15-7:45 p.m., Marigny Elementary; and, 7:45-8:30 p.m., Captain Papillion.

Dec. 14 – 6-6:30 p.m., Lancaster Elementary Choir; 6:30-7 p.m., Mary Dee’s Dance Studio; and, 7:15-8:30 p.m., Northshore Music Academy.

Dec. 15 – 6:05-6:35 p.m., St. Tammany Children’s Chorus; 6:35-7:05 p.m. , Lake Castle; and 7:10-8:15 p.m., Milliken Farms Animal Education.

A patron’s party, which is open to persons 21 and older, will be held Dec. 6 from 6-10 p.m. at Koop Drive. The soiree’ is held each year to honor benefactors of the Trace. This year’s party will feature barbecue ribs and beans, raw oysters, gumbo, a carving stations, libations and more. There will be a silent auction for items including restaurant gift certificates, wine baskets, art, sports memorabilia and more. Entertainment will be provided by the Ed Barrett Jazz Trio and The Meanies. Tickets to the party cost $50.

“We want the people who donate to the Trace to be recognized, to see how we progress from year to year, and to unveil our latest expansions,” said St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister. “What better time of the year to do it than in December (the anniversary of the acquisition of Trace property )? Our patrons can look around and know that their dollars have been put to good use.”

The idea of the Tammany Trace gained momentum in December, 1992, when St. Tammany Parish Government acquired the right-of-way of the property from the Illinois Central Railroad. Today, the Trace winds 31 miles from Covington to Slidell and is used by approximately 300,000 persons each year.

Holiday of Lights is the Trace’s largest annual event and is made possible by generous sponsors and by the hard work of Trace staff and volunteers.

For information on Holiday of Lights, the patron party or to become a sponsor of the festivities, call 985.867.9490.

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Popular Mandeville Public Market Gets New Contract from City Council

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The popular Mandeville Trailhead Market was given new life by the City Council Thursday night with the approval of a one-year agreement with the contractor who has operated it for the past 10 years. Last month, the council raised several questions on a resolution authorizing Mayor Donald Villere to execute a one-year renewal with Donna Beakley to run the market, which features gourmet foods, plants, crafts and other items.

mandeville-trailheadInstead of passing the resolution, the council voted to extend Beakley’s contract for two months to allow the market, which is staged every Saturday in Old Mandeville, to continue without interruption.

Several market vendors attended Thursday’s meeting to support Beakley and applauded the council’s decision to renew the contract. Mayor Pro Tem Rick Danielson explained that the decision was deferred last month because council members, four of whom are newly elected, did not have a clear understanding of how the market worked. “We now have a much better understanding of how the market is managed,” said Danielson, who said the questions were not intended to cast doubt on the Beakley or the market itself.

Under the contract, the city pays Beakley $15,000 a year to coordinate the market. Each vendor pays $15 a week to set up booths at the market. Beakley is allowed to keep the fees, which she says she uses to offset expenses. The market draws an average of 35 vendors each week, but can attract up to 70 during the holiday season.

Council members were told they would receive regular reports on the market’s activities under the new agreement. The market draws between 150 and 400 shoppers each week, depending on the time of year.

The council Thursday night also cleared the way to launch the city’s long discussed water tower project. The council approved a resolution to authorize Mayor Donald Villere to enter into a $211,306 contract with Richard C. Lambert Consultants, LLC for engineering services for the tower on Rapatel Street at the far eastern side of the city near Fontainebleau State Park.

The issue was brought before the council in October, but was deferred because of concerns with the wording of the proposed contract. On Thursday, the contract was approved with little discussion. The entire water tower project is expected to cost about $2.3 million, city officials said.

The city currently has one 750,000-gallon water tower on St. Ann Street and a second decommissioned tower on Monroe Street that is leased to communications companies for cell phone antennas.

Construction of a new tower would improve water pressure, especially for fire fighting, facilitate future expansion of the Mandeville water system and allow the city to shut down the St. Ann Street tower for maintenance, officials said.

The engineering contract is mostly for foundation work on the tower, which will be similar to the St. Ann Street tower.

An ordinance aimed at preventing bow hunting mishaps in Mandeville was introduced at Thursday’s meeting. Sponsored by Councilman David Ellis, the measure would disallow the use of high-powered bows within the city limits.

Ellis said some Mandeville residents became concerned after a man was cited last month for trespassing in the Sanctuary subdivision, where police said he had been deer hunting with a bow. The ordinance is designed to strengthen laws that currently disallow the use of firearms in the city. It would make it unlawful for anyone to shoot a bow with a pull weight of 30 pounds or greater within the city “except for persons acting in the necessary defense of life or property.”

If put it place, the law would not prevent Boy Scouts or students at Mandeville High School from using low-powered bows for archery practice.

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St. Tammany Parish Public School System Celebrates Higher Performance Scores

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Even by its high standards, the improvement in performance scores by the St. Tammany Parish public school system was significant. For the fifth consecutive year, the district increased its score and did so in grand style, becoming one of just seven school districts in the state given a grade of A, according to statewide scores released Monday by the Louisiana Department of Education.

Overall, its score jumped 10.3 percent to 122.8, and 10 of its 54 schools increased its score by a full letter grade.

school-system“I called the 10 schools and thanked them for their effort,” said Superintendent Trey Folse. “It’s a tough job right now being a public school principal. We’re going to be going to each one of those schools and personally thanking the faculty.”

“I called the 10 schools and thanked them for their effort,” said Superintendent Trey Folse. “It’s a tough job right now being a public school principal. We’re going to be going to each one of those schools and personally thanking the faculty.”

Sixty percent of the district’s schools received an A or B, including 15 earning an A – up from 12 in 2011-12. There were no failing schools in the district for the second consecutive year, and only three schools – or 5.5 percent – received a D.

As has been the case the past several years, St. Tammany continued to outperform all other large districts in state of 20,000 or more students. In fact, the five districts ranked ahead of it have 11,000 fewer combined students than does St. Tammany.

Mandeville High, which was ranked 14th overall of the state’s 1,302 schools, earned the district’s best overall score with a 155.7, moving past Pontchartrain Elementary, also in Mandeville, which had held the honor three consecutive years. Fontainebleau High near Mandeville was 21st overall in the state with a score of 149.9, and two others – Northshore High (33rd) near Slidell and Pontchartrain (34th) – ranked in the top 50. Four other schools – Tchefuncte Middle (66th), Lakeshore High (75th), Slidell High (79th) and Magnolia Trace Elementary (99th) finished in the top 100.

“We’re really excited, and this is representative of a lot of hard work by a lot of people,” Folse said. “This starts with our students and their families, and then the teachers and the school administrators. … We’ve been talking about team work for a few years now, and I think today is a great example of what it means to be part of Team St. Tammany.”

Fontainebleau experienced the most significant baseline performance score increase in the district, going from 127.6 to 149.9, and Lakeshore was second, jumping from 108 to 129.1.

All but two schools earned a better grade this year than last, and only one – Chahta-Ima Elementary School in Lacombe – saw a significant decline in its overall score, going from a C to a D. “We’ve already been in there and have been working with them” even before the scores were released, said Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Cheryl Arabie. Chahta-Ima, Alton Elementary and Brock Elementary, both in Slidell, were the only schools to receive a D.

“We always provide additional support to the schools that may have taken a little dip,” Arabie said.

The greatest improvement came in the district came in its high schools, where all eight either received an A, improved from last year’s score or both.

“We had so much growth, and we’re going to celebrate that today,” Folse said. “… We’re already working on our plan for next year.”

Three new schools received grades for the first time. Joseph Lancaster Elementary in Madisonville earned an A, while Henry Mayfield Elementary near Slidell and Abney Early Childhood Development Center in Slidell each received a C.

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St. Tammany Parish Council Approves Plan for 214-Lot Subdivision Along Tchefuncte River

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Overriding the Zoning Commission, the St. Tammany Parish Council has approved a rezoning request for a 214-lot residential development along the Tchefuncte River south of Covington. Plans for the 150-acre River Club subdivision, south of Interstate 12, call for homes on three different lot sizes.

A cut would be made into the bank of an oxbow along the river to create a canal and some waterfront lots in the subdivision, the plans show.

Despite some opposition, the Parish Council voted 12-2 Thursday night to add a Planned Unit Development zoning designation to the property, which is currently zoned MD-1 (medical residential district), A-3, (suburban district) and A-4, single-family residential.

Paul Mayronne, a lawyer representing land owner Delta Land Holding Co., asked the council to override the Zoning Commission, noting that the project received a favorable vote of 4-2 from the commission on Aug. 7 but needed six votes to gain approval.

The plans call for 123 homes on 100-foot by 150-foot lots, 68 homes on 60- by 120-foot lots, and the rest garden homes on 45- by 65-foot lots. About 55 acres of green space is included in the plan. Under the existing zoning, 232 lots would be allowed.

The zoning staff’s report said the proposal meets the objectives of the parish’s future land-use plan and would create an “excellent transition” between the different abutting developments while preserving the natural environment. The staff had recommended approval of the rezoning request.

But Rick Wilke, representing the Association of Associations umbrella organization over parish homeowner associations, asked the council to uphold the Zoning Commission’s denial.

Wilke said he objected to the creation of the canal and said the plan calls for crowding as many homes as possible in the buildable area. He noted that of the approximately 55 acres of green space in the plans, much of it is canals and wetlands that are not usable.

“In my opinion, the design is poor,” he told the council.

Barbara Dodds of the League of Women Voters of St. Tammany, also voice her opposition, saying the group had objected to the proposal when it first surfaced in 2008.

In a written statement, Dodds said, “… digging canals … and then cutting a large hole in the river bank to access the river is a highly questionable way to justify this project.”

Flooding may worsen because of the project, and the Tchefuncte’s water quality will be adversely affected from runoff from the canals, she said.

In response, Mayronne said, “With all due respect, we like the design. We think the design works.” He said the development cannot proceed without state and federal permits.

The developer has secured a water quality permit from the state Department of Environmental Quality, as well as a coastal use permit from the state Department of Natural Resources, Mayronne said. They are awaiting a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.

It remains unclear whether the project requires a scenic rivers permit from the state, he said.

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