Should neighborhoods be able to limit development before city-parish upgrades drainage?
Metro Councilwoman Chauna Banks says it might be time for East Baton Rouge Parish to hold a discussion on whether to halt new residential construction until the city-parish can upgrade its drainage system so it doesn't  as it seems  flash-flood every time there's heavy rain. But she doesn't want East Baton Rouge to try a parishwide ban like one being discussed by its neighbors to the south. While Ascension Parish leaders are considering a broad ban, Banks on Monday criticized the attempt. Instead, she says, East Baton Rouge should perhaps give neighborhoods and subdivisions the option to petition the Planning Commission to implement moratoriums on new construction. Doing so would help flood-prone areas while the city-parish grapples with underlying flooding issues, she said. "I've always thought there should be a moratorium in much of the south/southeast area where there is a lot of new home construction but didn't believe it's something I should pursue because I don't represent those people," she said. "Other than Baker, my area does not flood often. A lot of our flooding issues are based in that (southeastern) area." However, Banks said, she has received a few calls from residents in other parts of the parish wondering if the city-parish would also entertain the idea of a moratorium after hearing that Ascension leaders are considering it following the most recent flooding last month. Parts of the region was hammered May 17-18 by more than 13 inches of rain, causing major street flooding throughout the parish  something that has become somewhat of a common occurrence any time there's torrential downpours within short time spans. As of Monday, the Mayor's Office had verified reports that at least 1,202 homes and businesses took on water that week. In Ascension Parish, leaders are poised this week to vote on a parishwide building moratorium while they mull over policy changes related to future growth, which include drainage fees, tighter construction standards and reducing housing density. Banks called their response a "knee-jerk reaction" that wouldn't be as productive as leaders there might think. "I think East Baton Rouge needs to avoid that," she said. "All of Ascension is not flooding. If you deal with it from a parishwide point of view, you're going to have a lot of hits and misses. You need to be strategic." The Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge recently posted a statement on its website regarding moratoriums, saying they shouldn't be considered as the solution to flooding issues. "Sound infrastructure planning is not a short-term fix," the statement reads. "It is a long-term process that requires diligence, commitment, and professionalism on the part of professional planners and elected leaders." Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up  Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome has repeatedly said municipal drainage systems aren't designed to handle the amount of rain that storms of recent years are producing. When residents in Woodland Ridge recently asked the city-parish officials about enacting a moratorium, Broome never hinted one way or the other whether she would support one. Only that she's willing to "keeping the lines of communication open" between her office and citizens. She also pointed to the series of drainage projects the city-parish has on tap, which she said would likely address a lot of the flooding issues plaguing the parish right now. Councilwoman Laura Adams says her constituents are pressing her for answers on their progress  one of them being the parish's Stormwater Master Plan. The plan, which is only partially complete, will be a compilation of local hydrology data the city-parish will use to prioritize flood protection projects going forward. Not for years It will still be years before East Baton Rouge residents see any work completed on the multi-million dollar flood-prevention projects that wer  Adams will ask the Mayor's Office for that update on that work at Metro Council's June 23 meeting, the same day Banks is asking the council to discuss building moratoriums. "We've been inundated with emails, phone calls, text messages, social media messages from people saying, 'It's been five years since 2016 floods, what are we doing?,'" Adams said. "I know that the city-parish is taking steps to make sure we do everything possible to mitigate this type of event. People need to start seeing progress." Adams said her district was the city's hardest-hit during last month's flooding. Her questions to the administration will revolve around what things can the city-parish do immediately to address the issue, what will get accomplished in the long term and when, and what expectations should the public hold regarding the current capacity of the parish's drainage system. Discussions around moratoriums would likely coincide with some of that, she thinks. "We know when you move to Louisiana high water and flooding is always something in the back of your mind," she said. "How to get the city-parish to a place where people feel confident that what needs to be done is getting done is what we need to know."