By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – The Slidell City Council recently passed on a chance to purchase 96-acres of unimproved land in the city limits that would likely improve drainage for many homes that currently flood.
But apparently there are members of the St. Tammany Parish Council who believe that was a mistake and are trying to save the opportunity to use the land to benefit hundreds of residents in the eastern Slidell area who still face flooding potential with heavy rains.
After the Slidell Council voted 5-4 last week to pass on purchasing the Pinewood Country Club property, several members of the Parish Council on the eastern side of the parish are pursuing the hopes of partnering with the city to buy the land and use it to improve drainage.
Parish Council Members Michele Blanchard, Chris Canulette and Gene Bellisario have stepped forward with a plan to work with the city to still buy the land, with the parish help, so residents in the northeast corner of the parish, down to the southeastern corner of the parish, could benefit from the retention ponds on the Pinewood property.
“I think the property is critical to the eastern side of the parish, particularly near Slidell, as a way to do many different things that could improve drainage and reduce flooding for a lot of homes,” Blanchard said.
Bellisario said he was “stunned” when he learned the Slidell City Council failed to follow through and buy the land.
“To me it was surprising they didn’t buy it since it seems clear the property could help drainage a lot, but once they passed I still thought it was something we should pursue since it can help city and parish residents alike,” he said.
“When it comes to flooding there are no boundaries—water doesn’t know anything about parish and city, rich or poor, black or water,” he said. “So we need to do anything we can to help city and parish residents, and I believe that land could do a lot.”
The trio of Slidell-area council members has already approached the parish Chief Accounting Officer Gina Campo and asked her to discuss the purchase with Parish President Pat Brister.
Parish officials are looking into the feasibility of utilizing the property for drainage and Brister declined to comment on it at this early stage of the situation.
The council members all agreed that the eastern portion of St. Tammany is seen as one drainage basin, with the Pinewood Country Club property in the middle. They agreed that utilization of the land in general, particularly improving the retention ponds already on the property, could offer a lot of potential to improve flooding for homes in that area, especially south of there since they could limit the total amount of water going south during heavy rains.
“We are viewing the area from Haas Road north of Slidell to the Fritchie Marsh, far south,” Bellisario said. “There is so much interconnectivity of drainage so if we can improve retention ponds along the way it has to help.
“Our job as public officials is to see what we can do to help city and parish residents when it comes to drainage and flooding,” he said. “I was stunned Slidell council members didn’t want to buy it for that purpose so I want to see what we can do together before we lose it.”
Blanchard added to that point, noting “this is 96 acres of non-concrete green space in the city limits. There is the possibility to develop it to many things, but I think that could bring adverse consequences for many residents when it comes to flooding.
“If we can find a way to save it and partner with the city to improve drainage that would be a great thing to do, rather than allow development of the land,” she added.
When the Slidell City Council voted down the purchase last week it was apparently near the time city engineering officials had obtained more data that showed the potential to use the land to improve flooding. However, that data was apparently not released during the meeting before the Slidell officials voted 5-4 against buying the land.
The City Council meeting turned into over three hours of comments from the public, then disputes between council members on the issue.
Mayor Freddy Drennan came out in support of buying the land, but did not release any new information from the engineers other than to say over 200 homes in the area are listed with “repetitive loss” situations involving flood waters.
Pinewood officials, who currently owe debtors over $1 million, are continuing to operate the club and golf course until a situation is arrived at to sell the property.