[StBernard] Residents Can't Live in Trailers at Home During Demolitons, and More

[Westley Annis]

Residents Can't Live in Trailers at Home During Demolitons, and More 

November 5, 2005

By: Steve Cannizaro


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Residents can't live in trailers at home during demolition process: traffic
lights back on Paris Road at St. Bernard Highway and Judge Perez Drive;
commercial fishermen can apply to have boats salvaged; owners of flooded
swimming pools asked not to empty them.

St. Bernard residents who get FEMA trailers set up at their homes are being
cautioned that because of safety concerns they will have to move into a
group trailer area when the parish's demolition process starts in their
neighborhood.

"Interim'' group trailer sites are being established for people to check
into when the process starts in which unsafe structures have to be
demolished. One site will be at the old Delchamps supermarket parking lot in
Meraux and an anticipated group site using a portion of East Judge Perez Dr.
just east of the Violet Canal bridge.

Parish government hasn't announced when the demolition process will begin,
but are optimistic that the process will be implemented within the next
month or so.

Demolishing homes would present safety issues for anyone living in a trailer
at a home in the same neighborhood where the process is taking place, said
St. Bernard Parish Council member Craig Taffaro Jr.

"Those whose trailers at their homes would be required to move into an
interim trailer,'' but only during the period in which demolition takes
place in their neighborhood. "FEMA will not allow demolition to take place
at a house with a person in a trailer adjacent or nearby", Taffaro said.

"We're asking people to consider going to a group site if they are willing
to do so'' before going into a trailer at their home, he said.

But Taffaro emphasized that no one should refuse a trailer when FEMA calls;
if FEMA offers a trailer for their home site they can take it there, then
move to a group site when demolition starts in their area.

Those with questions can call Taffaro at 504-401-3654.


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Motorists in St. Bernard Parish should take notice that the first traffic
lights are working again in two locations in Chalmette, both on Paris Road,.
One is at the intersection of St. Bernard Highway and the other at the
intersection of Judge Perez Drive.

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More than 30 commercial fishermen have signed up to have their boats
salvaged by the Coast Guard, according to Parish Council member Ricky
Melerine.

He said applications are available in the Parish Information Center, a gray
office trailer directly behind the parish government building in Chalmette.
The trailer, which has a wooden deck, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday
through Sunday..

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Swimming pools that were flooded at residences may look bad but probably
shouldn't be drained unless owners are sure they can refill the pool,
according to a contractor for St. Bernard Parish government.

Pools could crack and cave in, said Dick Witt of Advanced Clean-up
Technologies Inc., ACTI, which is doing work related to health and safety.
Witt said that in some areas of the parish there may not be enough water
supply to refill a pool, leading to the other possible problems.

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