Gas station owners and land developers are suing the Jefferson Parish Council over its decision to cast off plans for a gas station on a portion of land in Marrero. The area is said to be a part of the former Hope Haven orphanage.
The Advocate reported that the plan of cutting down several trees at Barataria Boulevard and Wichers Drive to make way for a RaceTrac gas station prompted the public to demonstrate an outcry. The trees are standing on the property that was used to be part of the Hope Haven complex, which was established in the 1920's to help poor and orphaned boys. Residents in Marrero argued that the trees were part of a history in West Bank.
Property developers such as the Marrero Land and Improvement Association and RaceTrac are required to acquire re-zoning, re-subdivision and other approvals before they could construct a gas station. Jefferson Parish's Planning Advisory Board approved the project. However, the council,led by district councilman Paul Johnston, cancelled the permit and denied the requests on January 27 .
According to Nola, Marrero Land and RaceTrac sued the parish and its council for rejecting the project on Friday. The developer argued that the decision was arbitrary and capricious. Representatives of RaceTrac said that there is no law in the 'site' which protects the trees and that legal justification was absent in denying the project.
This is not the first time the officials of the Jefferson Parish barred a company from establishing a plant or station in Marrero. The parish also accused Vertex Refinery Plant of producing foul odors that cause breathing problems for some residents, says WDSU News.
The lawsuit claims that Johnston announced the denial of the council was based on the presence of 'trees' on the property. It was also indicated that 'neighborhood opposition and development was not fit for the area.' Stephen Dwyer, a RaceTrac lawyer, told reporters that the lawsuit doesn't come as a surprise.
