CONTACT:
Karen Turni Bazile, Executive Assistant to the President
St. Bernard Parish
504-278-4280 or 504-874-0980
APPEALS HEARINGS BEGIN FOR
CONDEMNED STRUCTURES
Complete policy
posted on the St. Bernard Parish website: www.sbpg.net
Since
February of 2008, the St. Bernard Parish Council has condemned a
number of structures which failed to meet the Minimum Housing
Standards mandated by the St. Bernard Parish Code of Ordinances.
Structures included on the recent condemnation lists range from
those which have not been gutted and/or secured to those which
have undergone substantial renovation and are nearly complete.
The purpose of the mass condemnation was to ensure that St.
Bernard Parish Government would not overlook any structure which
poses or could pose a threat to the health and safety of the
residents who have returned to St. Bernard Parish. Furthermore,
the timeframe for Federal Emergency Management Agency funded
demolition is rapidly nearing its end, making immediate action
absolutely necessary for the financial well-being and complete
recovery of the community.
The process
and policy, which is attached as a link on
www.sbpg.net, allows for property owners to appeal.
Appeals
hearings began on June 2 and will continue through the end of
the year. The hearings are conducted on Mondays through
Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. Please note that the location has been moved from Trailer
J-6 to Trailer K-6 behind the St. Bernard Parish Government
Complex at 8201 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette.
If an owner
cannot make the hearing, they must notify the Office of Safety
and Permits at 504-278-4310 that they will be sending a
designee.
Each
hearing will last no more than fifteen (15) minutes. Panelists
will be asked to submit their recommendations in writing at the
close of each hearing and will not be required to publicly state
their position. Recommendations will be taken into consideration
by the Department of Community Development, Office of Safety and
Permits, which will moderate all hearings and notify property
owners of all decisions regarding their structure.
It is not
the intention of St. Bernard Parish Government to demolish all
condemned structures. Rather, the parish intends to prompt the
rehabilitation of as many structures as possible while removing
those structures which are unlikely to be rehabilitated and are
most likely to pose threats to returning residents. The
Condemnation and Demolition Policy document has been devised as
an outline of how the condemnation and demolition process is
going to be implemented by SBPG over the course of the next
several months.
Property owners should try to meet the requirements to get the
necessary permits or bring to their appeals hearings proof of
progress on the structure, such as photographs or receipts for
expenses, in order to be granted a 90-day extension. When
bringing documentation of work or sales of property, do not
bring only original documents. Bring copies that you can leave
with the panel for review.
Also homeowners who have received a Road Home Award letter but
have not yet received their Road Home grant prior to their
appeal hearing should bring a copy of the letter with them.
CLICK HERE FOR
THE APPEAL PROCESS AND POLICY
(to download, right click and click "save as")
