Marty Carlson had an article in Fax Net Update this week about the Walker Place Development. For those who are not familiar with the proposed development, here are the basics.
In 2005 the City sold a 24.8 acre tract in south Bossier to U. L. Coleman Company for development. The original plan for the development of the property did not include a curb-cut to Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, and the only access was Walker Place.
After Coleman purchased an adjacent tract of land, they acquired access to Barksdale Boulevard.
At that point Coleman decided to expand the scope of the development to include not only townhouses and apartments, but a commercial development as well. In 2006 they asked for a curb cut on the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, so that they could have 3-way access into the development.
The City Council said no, and voted that there would be no new curb cuts on the parkway as it was designed to facilitate traffic and not be used for ingress/egress.
After a couple of years of negotiation, Coleman filed suit against the city in U. S. District court on December 26, 2008.
The case is still ongoing.
Appearing at a meeting at Friendship Methodist Church last week that attracted about a dozen people, developer Linc Coleman said “The city is playing Russian roulette. If the city wins, they kill a billion-dollar economic development and they will spend well over a million dollars doing it,” said Coleman. “If they lose, they spend well over a million dollars doing it.” Coleman says that between 1,400 & 1,950 jobs will be created in the development.
City Council President David Jones says “The people are only hearing one side because we cannot speak until this is out of litigation,” said Jones. “All I can say is they might be careful on how much they can believe until they hear the other side.”
It seems pretty obvious that the case will be settled in court. If 3 years of negotiations between Coleman and the city didn’t produce any results, it’s doubtful that a solution will pop up while the case is being litigated.
Marty summed up her article with this: “Walker Place Development is an excellent addition to south Bossier.
A curb cut for the development is a supremely poor idea.”
Uh. Who has been paying the $1,000,000 in legal fees? I thought the City had a budget problem? Why would they pay $1million to fight a curb cut on a $150 million project.
ReplyDeleteIs this something the Tea Leaves Persons can check into?
Does anyone know how much the city spends on legal fees? Is this somehing that is done in house or do they hire lawyers outta town to do the work?
ReplyDeleteMr. Coleman - why don't you go to Shreveport to build your development - Maybe Bossier wants a good ole boy to build it instead
ReplyDeleteAre you a good ole boy Mr. Coleman?
If not, maybe you should figure out how to join that club.
I agree with development, but not at the cost of quality of life. Arthur Teague has helped make Bossier a better place by decreasing communiting time. Bossier should try and rehabilate older areas. Airline drive is miserable and we do not need another. No curb cuts!
ReplyDeleteMr Coleman, you're a day late and a $800,000 house for half price short. Had you been the first to give Lo Walker a deal like John Good did you probably would have gotten a multi-level parking garage to go along with your endeavor.
ReplyDeleteThe development will bring better quality of life by creating jobs and generating income for the area. The last time I checked south Bossier is an older area in need of rehabilitation.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 4:04-
ReplyDeleteYou could look into it and submit it to the "Tea Leaves Persons" tipline. We need all the help we can get.
Hey Anon 4:04 (Tea Brain) its not Tea Leaves Persons its Tea Party Patriots. They gotta a website tipline at SBTPtips@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteThey are getting stuff on all these public entities that spend our tax money on city/parish cars, trips to Wash, D.C., concert halls, cyber buildings, garages,and legal fees to fight developers that aint in the click, and other stuff - then fail to provide us roads, enough police and fire, good schools where the teachers get paid enough to survive, etc.
Now that everyone gives a C__ _ P about where their money is going -its gonna heat up.
he is not getting a curb cut - his project numbers are bogus - and no one gives a crap - i assure you - all this hot air will not generate walkers, campaign money and effort to get lazy people out of their comfort zones and go vote - aint going to happen
ReplyDeleteAnnonymous 4:04 A Public Records Request was filed with Bossier City Attorney Jimmy Hall, to obtain what the city has spent to date on legal fees just for Walker Place litigation, through the end of March, 2010. Here is a copy of the letter, and here is the response. FYI, the actual package from Mr. Hall's office contained nearly 100 pages of detailed billing information.
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/2c6qjcp
http://tinyurl.com/2476rss
This morning's BPT has a story regarding. Even Coleman says the curb cut was "grandfathered".
ReplyDeleteAnyone have the minutes of those workshop meetings when Coleman made his presentations to the City Council?
http://www.nwlanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21411&Itemid=56
Lets be honost with ourselves. UL Coleman Compnaines has been in business for 38 years and is one of the top tax payers in Bossier City and on the other hand we have our beloved city officals who were unaware of a $18 million bust in the budget. Give me a break we need several dump trucks to carry all the dirt on these guys. I do have several question? Why is the city spending over $700,000 on Angelle Drive in S. Bossier that goes no where, and over $600,000 on replacement lights for the parking garage they built for The Boardwalk 6 years ago. The city lays off fire and police,and hits us tax payers with more taxes. It makes me sick to watch how city officials take advantage of us. It appears that the city has spent over $400,000 of tax payers money to stop a curb cut? Are you kidding me, its to protect their own intrest at our expense. I am sick of forking over the bill for these guys.
ReplyDeletems springer - do you work for or are you financially associated with UL Coleman, the project or any of his companies?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8/26 8:22 That is a fair and necessary question. No, I do have any sort of financial interest with the U.L.Coleman Company, and never have. In fact, I do not deal in commercial real estate. I also have never represented a developer in any new construction development. The few new construction residences I have sold in the past were as a Buyer's representative, not as a developer's rep. Much to the dismay of my office manager, I only do a limited number of residential deals per year(just enough to pay my expenses and help my children with post-graduate education expenses). Thank you for asking the question though.
ReplyDeleteOf course Coleman says the curb cut was "grandfathered" in. Interesting that no one else says it was.
ReplyDeleteSo, the city council is spending our tax money on lawyers to defend them, while they are cutting police and firemen? Over a curb cut on Teague? Are you kidding me? Somebody justs want to get paid under the table...
ReplyDeleteIt was an obvious typo, but the sentence in my comment should have read, "No, I do NOT have any sort of financial interest......and never have." That was probably obvious, but I still wanted to correct my error. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDidnt yall get the news, the budget problems in bossier have nothing to do with any of this, its all because of the police and fire pension plans. At least according to David Jones.
ReplyDeleteLike always they use the fire and police as a tool against the citizens.
anonymous... Shreveport is a GARBAGE DUMP!! take one look at north bossier, south bossier, haughton area growing like wildfire!! can we say white flight?
ReplyDeleteAs for the City Council, only until recent criticism by the tea party people did they begin to keep notes at their workshop meetings. I refuse to believe they've been totally in the clear regarding any other record keeping, verbal contracts, etc.. Even Jimmy Hall acknowledged that they were required by law to keep minutes, but also said they didn't actually follow the law.
ReplyDeleteYou want to see a GARBAGE DUMP. Our city council and MPC originally had the current Coleman land planned to be a mobile home park, used car lot, and car wash. It appears to me that a luxury mixed use development would benefit the CenturyTel Arena and Riverfront Development District much better than the original uses. We have spent so much money on an underutilized parkway and a fabulous arena in the middle of nowhere. I hope all of Bossier City sees this development as positive improvement to our area. We can not stop the growth of our city and need to allow land plans like Walker Place, that you would only see in a place like Dallas, Atlanta or Austin, to move forward and reap its benefits for our community. What’s the hold up? I hope that all citizens in Shreveport and Bossier see if this development does not move forward the damages it will have to our arena district and the future of South Bossier long term. Why would the city want to hurt South Bossier and not let it grow and prosper? The city is currently destroying all future development for this area, unless they are waiting for someone else to move in this area that operates by providing perks to city officials. I still question Angelle Drive and the reason for this roadway to nowhere. Why would the city divide a large tract of city owned land? This is poor planning practice from all sense of design unless there intent is to have this in place paid for by taxpayers for the benefit of someone who they are working with. No one can argue that the city placed a roadway before the sale of land….I smell this trash a mile away. I can’t wait to here the reason why taxpayers are paying for a $700,000 road to nowhere.
ReplyDeleteAngelle Drive and the two natural gas stations are more examples of the city spending tax payers money without any regard or common-sense. However, you have a development like Walker Place that will bring revenue and jobs for the taxpayers of south Bossier and what happens, nothing. We need to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions and if the Bossier residents aren’t in their best interest - run them out of office.
ReplyDeleteThere will be plenty of new faces running for city council during the next election. I personally know of 3 or 4 people that have never held a public office that plan on running this next election.
ReplyDeleteGreat, well we need at least 7 and a mayor.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see developement in South Bossier....I do understand and agree with the city about keeping incoming traffic to a minimum on the Parkway though. Is there no compromise?
ReplyDeleteI'm all for the development! New growth is always good for an area. But I hate the idea of another curb cut. My wife and I commute Teague every weekday, and it's the best and fastest way to get to the interstate from south Bossier. A residential and commercial area is now going to open directly onto that? I can't see how that will help anyone. No one wants another Airline or Youree Drive.
ReplyDelete