LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLE – For some business owners in St. Charles Parish, the law regarding landscaping of their place of business may be a nuisance to comply with. However, the parish’s Department of Planning and Zoning is practicing what it preaches. Surrounding the department’s office in Hahnville is a flower garden, filled with butterfly iris, Indian hawthorne, lantana, sweet olive, lily of the Nile, loropetelen and day lilies. Near the entrance to the building, one mini-garden is also adorned with a sign – “Planting and Zoning.” It is largely the work of development review planner Steve Romano, who claimed full responsibility for the playful sign. The idea of the gardens was bandied about for months as the parish council considered a revision to the landscaping ordinance. Originally, developers had to set aside a minimum of 10 percent of the site unoccupied by a structure for landscaping and open space. However, Romano said, some business owners would set aside space and leave it bare and never maintained properly. Therefore, a tougher law was put into place May 21 after an 8-0 vote of the parish council. The new law mandates 15 percent of the site’s unoccupied area, with one-third of that space located in the front yard, landscaped and maintained. As the council members discussed the changes, “We got to thinking that the front of our building looks pretty shabby,” Romano said. “We may as well practice what we preach.” With that, Romano began making plans to create the gardens. He approached Jennifer Osburn of Martin’s Garden Center in Luling, who designed most of the gardens, suggesting plants which were colorful, drought-resistant and easy to maintain. Soil was provided through Palmer “Poochie” Cheramie, assistant director of public works, and Romano bought the landscaping timbers himself. More help came from the County Agent’s office and 4-H Club students. He also installed an irrigation system, but with the rains this summer, he has not had to use it. Romano, who has worked for the department since May 1999, having previously worked as a planning consultant for a New Orleans engineering firm, has little practical gardening experience. However, he does pull weeds and toss the office’s used coffee grounds into the cypress mulch beds. There are also tiny plastic pink flamingoes, blue heron and hummingbirds which further compliment the gardens. “It also provides a sample garden to give ideas to others,” he added, for those stuck on what to place. And, from old gnarly bushes, a feast for the eyes greets visitors to the office. “We wanted to walk a mile in their shoes,” Romano concluded.