LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLE – St. Charles Parish is “a victim of our own success,” according to Planning and Zoning Director Bob Lambert. With such pluses as a low crime rate, excellent school system and attractive, growing neighborhoods, the parish is undergoing an explosion of residential and commercial development. “The natural result is demand on services will increase,” Lambert continued. Preliminary U.S. Census figures released recently posted St. Charles Parish with a population of 48,072 persons. Official figures will be released April 1. The parish is swelling at the seams with 19 new subdivisions under development, including a massive, 2,000-home development in the shadow of the Hale Boggs Bridge in Luling. However, the constraints of wetlands provide the only real barrier toward future development. Lambert continued, “There’s really not that much land left for development.” Parish President Albert Laque commented as well, “According to the subdivisions on board and those under development, the parish looks pretty good.” Laque added that the next 10 years will mark landmark growth, especially in Luling. Another sign of growth Laque noted was a presentation parish officials made Wednesday to Gov. Foster to propose a new domed stadium to house the New Orleans Saints be located in St. Charles Parish near Des Allemands. “The sky would be the limit if that came through,” Laque commented. Hahnville, Luling and St. Rose are growing. The census listed 2,792 residents for Hahnville, 11,512 for Luling and 6,540 for St. Rose. Destrehan, at 11,260, has nearly reached its limit, with most of the development centered on the bridge. Future residential development, though, will extend to the outer limits of the parish, including Montz, now at 1,120, Ama, with 1,285, Bayou Gauche, with 1,770, and Des Allemands, with 2,020 residents. A large tract of open land near Davis Pond is planned for development as well, Laque said. “And the lots are going to get bigger,” Lambert said, as St. Charles Parish tries to keep the ambience of country living by staying away from smaller subdivisions. The challenge for the parish will be maintaining the lifestyle which attracted the additional population, while keeping up on the demand for increased services. “In a word, it’s scary,” Lambert said. That’s not how Laque sees it, though. He commented, “Everything depends on the economy, but we feel real comfortable about the future here.”