By LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / April 13, 1999

HAHNVILLE – The St. Charles Parish Council argued with, but approved anexchange of property with Dorvin Development in Ormond. The exhange willhelp the parish add drainage improvements to the area.

Dorvin originally developed Ormond Country Club Estates, an area which has since received a string of drainage improvements while enduring major floods, especially in 1988 and 1995.

First, the parish quickly approved the revocation of land originally donated by Dorvin for the proposed East-West Roadway, which was never built.

Dorvin, in return, gave up a tract of land to be used for the planned Stanton Hall Crossing drainage project, which consists of installing a multi-barrel aluminum box culvert on Stanton Hall Drive at a cost of $263,285.90.The agreement hit a snag as council members angrily disputed the terms of the exchange, which included exempting the 15 acres of Dorvin property from the recent subdivision moratorium, drainage impact study and a $5,000 payment.

“We’ve spent millions and millions of tax dollars to improve drainage there, and Dorvin can’t eat $5,000?” an outraged Parish Councilman Brian Champagne said. He suggested expropriation as an alternative.Parish attorney Randy Lewis responded that expropriation would be much more expensive than the $5,000 payment and delay the badly-needed drainage improvements.

Councilman G. “Ram” Ramchandran added, “The moratorium is to speed upprojects, and Stanton Hall is our biggest bottleneck.”Councilman Barry Minnich chimed in, “I don’t mind eating a little crow, if it’s cleaned a little better.” He added he would reluctantly support theexchange for the people’s sake. “I don’t want to vote for it but I ambecause I don’t want to see anybody else flooded.”Councilman Terry Authement burst: “You want us to waive the drainage study, waive the moratorium, give them a jump on developing and pay them $5,000?” Councilman Ellis Alexander added, “I’m appalled at this! We’re giving them permission to develop 15 more acres without a drainage study? We don’t know and we don’t want to know? This is B-S…bureaucratic shenanigans!”Dorvin attorney Bobby Raymond, following a hurriedly-whispered negotiation with Lewis, agreed to eliminate the $5,000 clause of the agreement.

Tregre pointed out the negotiations were already nearly concluded with Dorvin when the subdivision moratorium was enacted. “This is thecheapest solution than to buy or expropriate the property.”The exchange agreement passed by a 6-2 vote, with Alexander and Champagne voting no, and Councilman Dickie Duhe absent.

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