ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / July 15, 2000

LAPLACE – The majority of streets and houses in the Cambridge subdivision appear neat, clean and well-tended.

Looks can be deceiving.

“A code enforcement officer would have his hands full here in Cambridge,” said Kay Durr, resident and member of the Cambridge Civic Association.

As she drove through the quiet streets she pointed out abandoned houses with broken windows, garbage and overgrown lawns. She passed a burned-out hulk of a house remarking that since the fire, no effort has been made to repair the residence.

“This is discouraging to people trying to move into this area,” said Durr.

“This has been a problem for 10 years.”Melissa Faucheux, parish council representative for the district Cambridge is located in, is trying to do something about it.

After complaining to the parish administration in private, Faucheux made her displeasure public at last Tuesday’s parish council meeting in Edgard.

She said she has asked the administration three times to look into certain problem areas in Cambridge and other subdivisions without any success.

“I get continual complaints of windows being broken, fences knocked down, potential drug activity and eyesores,” said Faucheux.

Like most of the subdivisions in the area, Cambridge does have a list of rules and regulations that homeowners are required to obey.

“There are covenants,” said Durr. “But nobody follows them.”Durr and other concerned residents of the subdivision are worried that if the administration doesn’t do something to stop the spread of blighted housing in the area it will attract the wrong kind of people. For Durr, thecriminal element is already in the neighborhood.

“I’ve watched them dealing drugs and stand on the corner smoking dope,” said Durr.

The administration says it is trying to tackle the problem.

Henry DiFranco, director of Public Works and Utilities, told the council action is being taken.

“The houses that were pointed out have been written up, boarded and secured,” said DiFranco.

Part of the problem is that there is no one to enforce the codes and covenants within the parish.

Parish President Nickie Monica had hired on enforcement officer last June, but the man resigned shortly after. The council has insisted that Monicahire at least two code enforcement officers.

Tuesday Monica informed the council he had finally hired one code enforcement officer.

After being trained and commissioned through the St. John Sheriff’sOffice, Edmond “Skipper” Songy will soon be out in the parish citing guilty homeowners for code violations.

Monica said he is in the process of hiring a second officer.

Anybody with any code violations to report can either fax Monica’s office at 652-4131 or page Songy at 793-8429.

DiFranco told the council, “We know there are plenty of problems. It’s justa matter of time until we get to them all.”

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