St. Martinville – The St. Martin Parish Council voted against implementing a no-parking zone on both sides of Orchard Park Drive near Cecilia at the council’s meeting on Feb. 3.
Several Orchard Park residents spoke at the meeting in opposition to no-parking restrictions, which had been proposed by Councilman Vincent Alexander after a request by one resident.
Alexander had proposed tabling the matter until the March 3 meeting. He later explained that he had informed the person who had asked for the no-parking restrictions that the vote on the matter would be held on March 3. The council voted 6-3 against deferring the matter until March 3 after three people attending the meeting spoke up to oppose delaying the vote. Alexander, Corey Melancon and Chris Tauzin voting in favor of the delay.
Kenneth Girod said the person who requested the no-parking signs told him that the signs were supposed to only be in front of his home. He also said he called Alexander and got the impression that the council had already made up the decision collectively to approve the no-parking signs along the road, and that’s why he got involved in opposing the signs.
“I never had a problem with anybody parking in front of my house, as long as they don’t block my driveway,” Girod said. “Everybody in the neighborhood, they feel the same way.”
He added that there are other issues the council should address before no-parking signs on Orchard Park Drive.
Tauzin explained that no decision had been made, and that the council had invited the public to speak about the matter at the committee meetings two weeks earlier and at that meeting, and that a decision would be made that night based on the consideration of whether the council felt the signs were necessary or not, taking into account the public feedback.
“I just want the record to show that nobody on this council has made a decision on what’s going to be done until we take in all the information and hear all your concerns,” Tauzin said.
Girod said that a petition presented to the council at the committee meetings two weeks earlier showed that he feels the majority of residents are against the signs.
Patrice George, who put together the petition opposing the signs and brought it to the council, said nobody was coerced into signing the petition and she also opposed the no-parking signs.
Andrew Babineaux said that Alexander had not used the correct wording when he proposed the sign, because he said the residents of Orchard Park wanted the signs, and that meant all the residents wanted them.
Parking
Babineaux said the Sheriff’s Department has never been called to remove cars parked on the side of Orchard Park in its 25 years of existence.
He also said that the issue started when he helped a “young African-American entrepreneur with his trail ride that he does annually.”
Another complaint had been that someone parked on the road —apparently during the trail ride — had urinated by their vehicle. Babineaux said that the person was standing between the door and the cab of his very large pickup truck, and that nobody saw an indecent exposure as a result.
Babineaux suggested placing “Do Not Block Driveway” signs instead, or using speed bumps with signs saying to slow down because of the speed bumps.
He also said that people have family functions, parties and other events where people park alongside the road, and allowing no parking on the roadside would hurt the residents along the road.
Babineaux then accused Alexander of fibbing to the council and trying to manipulate the council members.
Once the public hearing portion closed, Alexander addressed the issues brought up.
Alexander said that after being informed that a resident wanted a noparking sign in front of his house, he went out and took measurements, then spoke to Jason Castille, public works director for the parish. Alexander said Castille recommended noparking signs for the entire street and that they couldn’t be just in front of one house, so he went with the recommendation of the public works director.
Alexander also said that if first responders such as ambulances, fire department vehicles or sheriff’s vehicles were trying to go down the road with cars parked on both sides, that could cause a delay in saving someone’s life or property, and that was his safety concern for the street.
Alexander also noted that at least six or seven of the people who signed the petition did not list Orchard Park Drive as their home address. He said some listed Apple Street, Grape Street and Kiwi Street as their addresses.
Those streets are on a loop accessed only via Orchard Park Drive.
Alexander said that there is another petition in favor of the no-parking signs with the signatures of at least half the residents of Orchard Park Drive, but that he had mistakenly told the person with the petition that they should bring it to the March 3 meeting, not the Feb. 3 meeting.
“The main thing is, ladies and gentlemen, I was elected to represent the people in District 7, and that’s what I do,” he said. “When (he) called me, I went and answered his call. He asked for the noparking signs, and he had several reasons for it.”
Tauzin then called for a vote on whether to pass the ordinance prohibiting the parking of vehicles on both sides of Orchard Park Drive.
The ordinance failed on a 7-2 vote with Alexander and Tangie Narcisse abstaining.
Registrar of Voters
The council also appointed a new registrar of voters for the parish after the resignation last month of longtime registrar Patricia Guidry, which was effective Jan. 31.
The council voted 9-0 in a roll-call vote in favor of naming Tricia Hammon the new registrar.
The council interviewed candidates for the position at a special meeting on Saturday. Other candidates for the job were Jamie Angelle, Marvin Crockett and Jessica Devillier.
Appointments
The council passed resolutions reappointing Jennifer Stelly to serve on the Atchafalaya Trace Commission; appointing Hoyt Louviere to serve on the Spanish Lake Game and Fishing Preserve Commission; confirming and clarifying the reappointment of Dr. Daniel Rawls on the St. Martin Parish Water & Sewerage Commission No. 1 Board; and reappointing Leroy Gros to serve as a member of the St. Martin Parish Water & Sewerage Commission No. 1 Board and confirming and clarifying his previous term’s expiration date.
In other business
Parish attorney Lee Durio announced his candidacy for Breaux Bridge City Court Judge at the meeting, citing his years of service in the parish and community as well as elsewhere.
The council also ruled to show cause for nuisance properties on a parcel at Shady Oaks Lane, at 1062 David Road in St. Martinville, at 1157 Cormier Road in Breaux Bridge and at 1057 Florence Drive in Breaux Bridge, addressing each and giving owners time to clear the properties while working with the parish planning and zoning department.
The council also met as a board of adjustment to grant an exception to Geoffrey Gallet to build a singlefamily dwelling on property zoned I-1 (Light Industrial) at 1756 Main Highway in Arnaudville; and to Shannon Neuville and Kortni Neuville to build a singlefamily dwelling on property zoned C-1 (Light Commercial) at 1313 Burton Plantation Highway, Lot No. 4 in St. Martinville.
