A recent report discussed how Jefferson Parish is proceeding with the recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina, specifically addressing property demolitions.

Jefferson planning demolition of homes

Although Hurricane Katrina did not leave Jefferson Parish with scores of buildings quavering on their foundations, such as those that abound in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, the parish administration could nonetheless demolish a handful of homes and businesses damaged by the hurricane.

Unlike New Orleans, where local government has unilaterally tagged certain houses for demolition, Jefferson will take down buildings only with the consent of the owners -- or after the administration has given ample warning to those who are not repairing blighted properties.

"We have no intention of tearing down houses without the knowledge of the owner," Deano Bonano, a top aide to Parish President Aaron Broussard, told the Parish Council on Wednesday.

Bonano said the administration is compiling a list of owners who have called seeking help to tear down their houses. Some Parish Council members also have pointed out buildings that have decayed since the hurricane and might pose a threat to public health or safety.

This week, the administration will submit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency a plan outlining how Jefferson plans to handle the condemnations. Once FEMA accepts the plan, the parish will dispatch structural engineers to ascertain whether houses indeed pose an imminent danger of collapse.

The parish needs the endorsement of the engineers because the federal government has agreed to pay for the condemnation of fragile buildings only. Bonano said that only those buildings that pose an immediate hazard -- not those that were merely damaged -- will be demolished.

"Some people might see an opportunity to demolish a house and build a new one, but they have to fit the criteria," Bonano said. He estimated that only a few dozen buildings would have to be razed.

Councilman Chris Roberts has a bull's eye on several apartment complexes on the west bank, including some along Holmes Boulevard, where he said he has not seen a landlord working on property since the Aug. 29 storm.

"These were problem areas that we were working on before Katrina, but they have only become worse since the storm," Roberts said. "It appears that the roofs came off, and there is mold inside that presents a health hazard. Nothing has been done to secure the property since that time."

Roberts said he is pleased that the parish has a chance to use federal money to address blight, but he also will propose that council members be allowed to use their "discretionary funds," now earmarked for capital projects in drainage, sewerage and streets, to help demolish blighted property in their districts.

Councilman Byron Lee said people had been squatting in Marrero in a Garden Road motel all but abandoned by its owners after the hurricane.

"It is a blight on the community," Lee said. "Those type of properties are owned by people who have disappeared and are not taking responsibility for them. Apparently some people do not care about the property they own."

Councilwoman Jennifer Sneed, whose district includes neighborhoods such as Metairie Club Gardens and the Maple Ridge and South Beverly Knoll subdivisions that steeped in water for as long as two weeks, warned that the administration should not punish elderly homeowners who have not have the means to tackle damaged houses yet. Others, however, urged the administration to move aggressively against eyesores.

"Some folks were consistently not maintaining their property before the storm," Roberts said. "They need to understand we are not dealing with this lightly."

To view the online report please click on the following link:

FEMA Jefferson Parish Demolitions