St. Tammany is a victim of economic growth - St.

Tammany News
(Covington, LA) - January 31, 2005
January 31, 2005 | St. Tammany News (Covington, LA)

According to a report in this newspaper, St. T ammany Parish President, Kevin Davis, has "unveiled
s 10-year $1 billion infrastructure plan to handle the burden of future population growth in the
Parish." How all this will be financed is not quite clear, but President Davis does his home work on
such matters and he will handle that problem. We should be thankful he is planning now for a
population growth in the Parish that is expected to reach 245,000 by the year 2010. In the
meantime, I just hope we don't become victims of all this population and economic growth.
Consider this. Mandeville has cleared the way for building a large Rouses Market on the East
Causeway Approach. I have nothing against Rouses Market, and the store in Covington probably
has made a positive economic impact in that area. And I'm sure city planners are hoping the store
does the same for the Mandeville area. What concerns me, though, is that this development opens
the door for more commercial development on the East Causeway Approach. It won't be long
before it will look just like the West Causeway Approach that now is rapidly becoming the Veteran's
Boulevard of St. T ammany. T he West Causeway Approach stretches for a little over two miles
from Highway 22 to the Causeway bridge. Within this two miles, there are 26 cuts into the
southbound roadway and 21 in the northbound that access three schools, residential subdivisions,
commercial developments and a school zone speed limit of 25 MPH that is in force during rush
hour traffic. What started out as an easy access road to the Causeway Bridge is now an avenue of
denuded pine and oak trees that have been replaced by concrete with hundreds of parked cars
making for a nightmarish adventure for commuters and other travelers. T hen consider this. T he
St. T ammany Parish Council recently rescinded the moratorium on development along Highway
22 from Mandeville to Madisonville. T hat's all we need. More traffic on a road that is already over
choked with too many cars and trucks. And with all the current development on Highway 190 and
north of Covington, the traffic relief we now enjoy on this road with be short lived. When this planet
was created, there was a master plan to provide a balanced environment---so many trees to
absorb carbon monoxide and produce oxygen, enough water to make sure living things could
grow and pure breathable air. A gallon jug will only hold a gallon of water. T rying to pour more into
the jug will only cause a mess with the overflow. Similarly, this patch work and unrestrained
development is causing our environment and quality of life to overflow into an abyss from which
they may never return. All this means is that we really are becoming a victim of population and
economic growth, not the beneficiaries. Along with this, we are being strangled by urban sprawl
that is caused by poorly planned development that spreads out from urban areas, causing
increased traffic, pollution, and taxes. We have urban sprawl right here in St. T ammany. Except for
developers and some businesses, it is doubtful if anything good comes from urban sprawl. But
government officials and economic planners in the Parish keep touting St. T ammany as one of the
fastest growing areas in the state. "Bigger" is the mantra. But this economic and population
growth is causing a financial burden on most of our citizens. It's certainly not making the greater
majority of us richer and more prosperous. Just take a look at your recent property tax bill, for
example. T hen, there is the extra burden on the Parish infrastructure--- roads, utilities, drainage,
schools, safety and emergency medical services that according to President Davis is going to take
a lot of money to keep pace with the Parish's anticipated growth. Apparently, the economic benefit
from all this development is not sufficient to provide the additional needed services right now.
T hat's the reason the Parish is tagging an impact fee on to all building permits and this cost, of
course, will be passed on to customers. But these fees won't stop this uncontrolled land
development. Some sanity must prevail in order to stop the rape of our environment because the
natural beauty and quality of life that St. T ammany offers are being diminished. Of course property
owners have the right to develop their property. But, there is a long standing principle of law that
states if some speech or action results in a clear and present danger to the public, then
government has an obligation to cause that speech or action to cease. It just seems to me that
the rampant residential and commercial development taking place, often approved by planning and
zoning commissions over the objections of citizens, present a clear and present danger to our
environment. Unabated, this reckless land use will become even more of a danger to the
generations that follow us. So, until President Davis gets all that infrastructure improved, for most
of us, all this growth has done is give us probably the largest minimum wage jobs in the state,
dangerous traffic congestion, high levels of air pollution, higher property taxes, more expensive
living, concrete replacing the pine and oak trees, and an increase in major crimes. LOU GAVIN is a
business management consultant and a regular contributor to T he News Banner."
Copyrig ht © 2005 St. Tammany News. All rig hts reserved.