LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / September 3, 2000

LULING – A 29-acre site for a school site was accepted Wednesday by the St.

Charles Parish School Board from the developers of Ashton Plantation. Thesite is near the front of the development at River Road.

Ashton Plantation Estates is to be developed between Interstate 310 and the town of Luling, with 1,347 lots. The site accepted by the school board iscontemplated to eventually have both a K-3 and 4-6 elementary school, along with space for a gymnasium.

“It’s absolutely the best site,” board member Mary Bergeron commented.

“It’ll fill our needs very well.”In addition, according to consultant Joey Murray, the 29 acres will include 14 acres set aside for soccer and football fields, outdoor basketball courts and a gym. In order to develop these an agreement would need to be made withthe parish’s parks and recreation department.

Ashton’s developers are headed to the next meeting of the parish’s Planning and Zoning Commission for approval of their final plat. That meeting is setSept. 7 at 7 p.m. in the parish council chamber of the courthouse. Approvalby that panel sends the plat to final approval by the St. Charles ParishCouncil, expected at the Sept. 18 meeting.Murray told the school board that acceptance of this particular site had several advantages, including favorable soil conditions, no clearing required, minimum fill required and an initial, immediate donation of a 19-acre portion, with a seven-year option of the remaining 10 acres at $1.50 per square foot. “It’s a very good deal,” Murray told the board. “The developers of Ashtonare ready to move forward.”The other major alternate site was one alongside I-310, where a half-million dollars in fill was needed, along with the clearing of a forested area. Also, itwould not be immediately available, as Site No. 1 is now.Murray added that this is the first use of the parish ordinance requiring a certain set-aside of acreage in a major subdivision for a school site. Whenapproved, similar developments such as Willowdale and Ormond did not require such from those developers.

Board member Mary Bergeron urged acceptance of the site, and the motion was made by John Smith, seconded by Alfred Green, with approval unanimous by the board.

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