By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE — St. John Parish council approved The Grove Subdivision, a 350-home subdivision of New Era Plantation that will be located between New Era and LaPlace Park subdivisions, at the Nov. 22 meeting.

Before approval of the ordinance, residents addressed concerns about possible heavy traffic flow and sewer capacity.

New Era Subdivision resident Charles Adams questioned how construction would flow in and out with all the carpenters, electricians and dump truck drivers trying to get materials to the site. He explained what a headache it will be if a new street for The Grove Subdivision is not constructed first to save New Era residence from inconvenience.

The Department of Planning and Zoning Director Adrienne Labat assured Adams that &#8220the construction traffic would come off Airline, and the water, sewer and street needs to be laid. The beginning of the construction will begin at Airline. The street will be put in at Airline before anywhere else. If there is any problem with the construction traffic traveling through Kara (Street) it will be addressed through the Sheriff’s Office or Code Enforcement.”

LaPlace Park resident Desiree Burger had serious issues with the ongoing sewer problems in the area.

&#8220As far as the sewerage issue goes, I don’t believe that the sewerage is going to be

fixed,” she said. &#8220I do believe that adding 350 more homes is going to add to our sewerage problems. I still would beg you to fix what we have before we go on and continue development. As soon as we get what we need to get fixed we could develop out of the ying-yang.”

St. John Director of Utilities Ralph Bean said, &#8220based on full development of 350 homes at 400 gallons per day per home, that is 140,000 gallons.”

Councilman Allen St. Pierre responded by saying, &#8220So, we already ate that 100,000 packaged plant?”

St. Pierre was referring to the item approved earlier in the meeting to construct a temporary package treatment plant at the River Road Plant holding an additional 100,000 gallons of sewage per day.

Bean replied that figure was at full development, and Councilman Steve Lee added that only 70 houses would be built per year.

Full development would take three to five years, according to Labat.

The council then passed the ordinance for the construction of the multimillion dollar Grove Subdivision.

&#8220We should begin the process in February,” said contractor/developer Ray Leach, owner of Ray Leach Construction and Development. &#8220We will probably start reserving lots Jan. 1, but construction will not start on the homes until around August.”

Leach said the subdivision will be constructed over a period of five years, five phases, with each phase building around 70 homes per year.