Council advances annexation

• By ROY PITCHFORD
• Advocate Westside bureau
• Published: Jun 24, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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PORT ALLEN — The City Council took a major step Monday to add about 380 acres to the city limits for a proposed traditional neighborhood development.

The action could ultimately mean 2,500 new residents for the city, along with new businesses and increased tax revenue. Council members approved introducing an annexation ordinance for the site between La. 1 and the Mississippi River between Port Allen and Brusly.

A public hearing will be held at the next regular council meeting, July 9, and the matter could be voted on then.

Almost all of the property to be annexed is where developer Rawlston “Bubba” Phillips plans to create Riverview, a “traditional neighborhood development,” with a mix of houses of differing sizes, town houses and businesses in a pedestrian-friendly layout.

But the location of Riverview is not contiguous to the current  boundaries, so the ordinance calls from annexing a strip of La. 1, leading from the present city limit to the proposed entrance to Riverview.

Introduction of the ordinance was approved 4-1, with council member Hugh Riviere casting the only dissenting vote at Monday night’s special council meeting.

Phillips has stated that the inspiration for his plan is the River Ranch traditional neighborhood development in Lafayette.
In other action, the council:

• Approved a local services agreement between the city and West Baton Rouge Parish government for road work on Commercial Drive in the Westport industrial area.
• Voted to allocate $120,000 from excess general fund revenue in the 2007-08 fiscal year budget to help pay for the Commercial Drive road work project.