By KAREN LAGRANGE COX
Cliff Guidry, owner and developer of the Villas at Albertson, L.L.C., now named Parkway Villas, requested an amendment to the development contract between the City of Broussard and the Villas. The Villas is a residential development consisting of one hundred and fifty-two units. It is located on Albertson Parkway across from Broussard Commons between Morgan Street and St. Des Porres Street in Broussard, Louisiana. A development contract outlines obligations, standards, and conditions by both parties for property development.
The original contract had Guidry’s cost liability as “one hundred percent cost for constructing a third lane along Albertson Parkway from Morgan Street to St. Des Porres as recommended by the City’s traffic engineer”. Guidry has said his liability should only be for the left turn lane on Albertson Parkway at the Villas and requested his liability be reduced.
City Attorney Gerald Delauney recommended sending the amended contract to the Attorney General for an opinion on whether it is legal and does not violate state law.
The first vote of the Council was to approve the amended contract between the City and Guidry to be sent to the Attorney General for an opinion to determine whether it violated state law. It was passed six to one, with David Forbes being the only council member to vote no on sending it to the Attorney General for an opinion.
The second vote of the Council on Ordinance #24-791 was to amend the existing contract with Guidry for the Villas at Albertsons, L.L.C. (Parkway Villas) and the City was approved by the City Council on March 12, 2024; however, it was approved with a contingency on the Attorney General’s favorable opinion on the amended contract. The ordinance was approved with a four-to-three vote (For: Jesse Regan, Heather Girourd, Kody Allen, Jeff Delahoussaye; Against: Angel Racca, David Bonin, David Forbes).
Mayor Ray Bourque assured Guidry he would get his Certificate of Occupancy for the forty-eight completed units, allowing renters to move in starting April 1, 2024.
BACKGROUND
January 27, 2024
During a discussion regarding the turning lane at the city council meeting held on January 27, 2024 (view video), City Traffic Engineer Bob Schmidt recommended converting the entire section of Albertson Parkway from St. Des Porres Street to Morgan Street into a three-lane configuration for a center turn lane. Schmidt made that recommendation due to that section of the road having a turning lane at St. Des Porres, then narrows down to two lanes, then widens again with a turning lane at the Villas, followed by another narrow section with two lanes, and finally a three-lane stretch at Morgan Street.
The City estimated the cost to establish the three-lane configuration would be between $650,000 and $700,000. However, Guidry said he should not be responsible for the cost of that entire section of Albertson Parkway for the third lane from Morgan Street to St. Des Porres. He said he should only be responsible for a left turn lane, if deemed necessary, from Alberston Parkway into the Villas. Guidry said the cost estimate he received is approximately $153,000 for a left turn lane at the Villas.
At the City’s request, Guidry said he had a traffic study performed by Dean Tekell; Tekell recommends a left turning lane on Albertson Parkway at the Villas. Guidry turned in the traffic study to Schmidt, who recommended the three-lane configuration.
Guidry said his traffic study showed a possible five percent increase in traffic due to the Villas, which may not even warrant a turning lane. Comeaux said the turning lane would be needed not because of increased traffic but warranted due to left turn conflict.
Bourque said in previous conversations he has had with council members and with Guidry, City Engineer Walter Comeaux, and Department of Public Works Director Mel Bertrand that when the road is widened for the three lanes, they would like additionally to have an overlay of the road done to prevent any seams in the road. Bourque advised the additional overlay is not a requirement but an option, and if it is done, the cost (about $200,000, which is part of the $650,000 – $700,000 cost estimate) for the overlay should not rest on the developer (Guidry).
Comeaux advised the stripes on that section of the road were almost gone, and the road was oxidized. He continued by saying the road would need to be widened on both sides by the Villas to put in a turning lane. He recommends that the road be overlayed to prevent any seams from causing deterioration from widening the road. Comeaux said the City should bear these costs.
Guidry asked Comeaux if drainage work would be needed along the road; Comeaux responded widening the road would necessitate drainage work. Guidry agreed about the need for drainage and then asked who would pay for that drainage; there was no response as to who should pay for the drainage work.
Council Member Jesse Regan spoke on the need for a precedent to be set for (the responsibilities of the city and the developer). Bourque said, “I do not remember any residential development where the city has improved, on the taxpayers of Broussard’s dime, … to improve infrastructure”.
Guidry said he has never had to pay from half a million to a million dollars regarding a turning lane. Guidry asked Bourque if the city would not need these road upgrades soon anyway due to the city’s growth. Guidry continued, asking, “If this project wasn’t being built, would the city have to overlay the road because it is said there are issues there? Would the city redo the road properly, widen it according to what Bob (Schmidt) suggested as to not to have the turn lanes start and stop … because that is the correct thing to do?” Bourque replied that, in his opinion, they (the city) would overlay the road. Bourque asked Schmidt if he was correct in saying the widening of the road would not be necessary if a turning lane were not being put in, to which Schmidt said that is generally correct.
February 20, 2024
Ordinance #24-791 was introduced at the Broussard City Council meeting on February 20, 2024 (view video). Regan offered a motion on the ordinance to change Guidry’s contract amount from one hundred percent to ten percent, which was approved with a vote of five to two. Jesse Regan, Heather Girouard, David Forbes, Kody Allen, and Jeff Delahoussaye voted for the motion to have Guidry pay ten percent of the left turning lane. Voting against the ten percent motion were Angel Racca and David Bonin. Failed modifications to Regan’s motion included Racca requesting Guidry’s liability for the third lane to stay at one hundred percent, Bonin requesting Guidry’s liability to be seventy percent, and Forbes requesting Guidry’s liability to be fifty percent.
Council Member Jesse Regan calculated two hundred sixty-six homes within the 100-400 blocks of Albertson Parkway in Mon Jardin, Jordan Estates, and Southfield subdivisions. All pour into Albertson Parkway, which has no turning lanes into these subdivisions, nor currently needs turning lanes.
Regan proposed that Guidry make a payment to the City, which will be held in escrow, or obtain a Letter of Credit from his bank amounting to ten percent of the estimated cost of road widening and turn lane construction work that is determined to be needed on Alberston Parkway, from Morgan Street to St. Des Porres Street. Whether Guidry provides an escrow payment or a Letter of Credit, it will be held until December 31, 2025. If it is found that a left-turning lane is needed, the escrow funds/letter of credit will be used. If a turning lane is not found to be necessary by December 31, 2025, the escrowed funds will be returned to Guidry, or the letter of credit will be canceled.
