NEW ORLEANS — The now-empty former Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies building is prime real estate, sitting on a bustling Metairie Road. While developers are already eyeing the property, Old Metairie residents are worried traffic and drainage could get worse if the wrong buyer moves in.
Wednesday, the Jefferson Parish Council listened to concerns as residents packed into the meeting room. The council discussed five measures related to the site.
"Essentially these concerns are first the flooding potential, the overwhelming of the drainage system already at its max. Second, increased traffic. Third, loss of green space and last, possible commercialization of the property," said Muffin Balart who organized a group called Concerned Citizens for the Responsible Redevelopment of the Haynes Tract.
Balart said she's collected nearly a thousand signatures from residents who want to keep the property zoned for single-family residential use, not commercial use.
"I'm in favor of making it green space, making it possibly a park," said JP resident, Clayton Cangelosi.
Jefferson Parish council members reminded residents it's not up to the parish council who the school board sells to, but any changes to zoning would require a parish council vote.
"What we're trying to do is be proactive, not reactive," Council Member Jennifer Van Vrancken said.
She proposed a motion that states the council will 'take any and all actions necessary' to ensure the property maintains its current zoning as single-family residential.
"We only want residential and preferably lots and lots of green space," Van Vrancken said.
"We want to make sure we look at every possibility of green space within this Haynes development," Council member Ricky Templet said.
The council also adopted resolutions to conduct a zoning or land use study and create what's called the 'Haynes Redevelopment Advisory Committee' with representatives from neighborhood civic associations.
Another resolution passed will allow the parish to accept pro-bono work from a landscape architect who has already offered to analyze the property to figure out the best ways to incorporate green space and water retention on the land.
"The council, they were attentive. They heard us and I can only see good coming out of this," Balart said after the meeting.
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