News

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Stop the Garden District Flooding Update

What we learned at City Hall?

Members of GDCA Drainage Committee and Garden District residents met with Fred Raiford, EBR Director of the Department of Transportation and Drainage, and the Stormwater Master Plan project team February 16, 2022 at City Hall. They are aware and acknowledge that there are problems with drainage and flooding in the Garden District. According to engineers, the drainage system models show that the neighborhood should not be experiencing problems if our system is functioning properly. Therefore, they have reason to believe that there might be a localized problem in the subsurface drainage system.

Step One is to identify the unknown problem(s)

The City is sending their subcontractor, CES, to survey the subsurface drainage lines on Cherokee and Tulip to identify the problem. CES trucks have been seen in the area. If lines are clogged, they plan to unclog them. If there is no infrastructure problem identified, the city has agreed to pay the funding to HNTB engineers to design the solution. As of today, we have not heard from the City and HNTB on what has been discovered during the survey or identification of the problem.

If the problem requires infrastructure work, there is no funding for the construction of the solution. Funding would come from a grant; the application is due by the end of May. Grant qualification requires information on the homes that have experienced property damage.

WHAT YOU CAN DO!

PROPERTY DAMAGE? LET US KNOW!

If you or someone you know has experienced flooding in the Garden District, please complete the Stop the Garden District from Flooding: Photo/Doc Submission form and submit photos. If you have trouble uploading your photos/videos because of the size, please email a link to [email protected]. The City needs this information to apply for funding to fix the problem!

SHARE & TAG

Follow us on Instagram @StoptheGDFlooding. Share your photos of flooding so your story is heard.

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

  • Help determine what is happening. Get active if there are problems on your block.
  • Do NOT blow leaves and grass clippings in the street or drains.
  • Bag leaves and grass debris.
  • Ask your neighbors and their lawn service providers to stop blowing leaves and grass clippings in the street.
  • Pick up litter.

Follow us on INSTAGRAM @STOPTHEGDFLOODING

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Claire PittmanStop the Garden District Flooding Update
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WINNERS of Holiday Lighting Contest

UPDATE:

This year, you may have seen your GDCA board members out judging Christmas lights on a Baton Rouge Pedal Pub. This was the first time we held the judging in this manner, and we have discussed opening this up to the larger Garden District neighborhood next year because it was so much fun! These are kid friendly, and can negotiate a group rate for rides.

Winners of the contest received gift cards for two free rides, and the one-hour Pedal Pub ride for the judging was generously donated by Baton Rouge Pedal Pub. We hope that involving more of the neighbors in this annual event will get more of our neighbors to put up lights and get involved in the spirit of the holidays!

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Your Garden District board rode up and down every street and toiled over which houses were the best. It was a hard decision, but here are the WINNERS! Congratulations!!!

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Claire PittmanWINNERS of Holiday Lighting Contest
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More Live Oak Love – New maintenance to begin soon

by Kimberly Coffey, GDCA Oak Tree Campaign

The Garden District Live Oak Love Collective is thrilled to report that tree maintenance work is expected to commence on eight live oaks on Park Blvd, between Magnolia/Broussard and Terrace, within 2-3 weeks time. The folks on Kleinert Ave, between Drehr and St. Rose, are currently raising funds for the eleven trees on their block. Also, the neighbors on Cherokee Ave, between 22nd and Drehr, are preparing for an upcoming fundraising campaign for the eleven trees on their street.

Learn more or donate here on our website at the Live Oak Collective.

 

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Jacob LuneauMore Live Oak Love – New maintenance to begin soon
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Garden District Real Estate: October 2022

Recent sales in the Garden District have slowed, but not paused. Signals that the market is cooling are present with more sellers contributing towards the buyer’s closing costs and less buyer bidding wars. It’s very likely that the rising interest rates are causing the market to slow.

The following are figures pulled from within our estimated neighborhood area map. All home sales are based off of the past thirty (30) days (10/12/2022). The figures attached exclude all new construction sales and homes under 20 years old. The following figures are also based on single family detached residential property sales.

Sold Properties
Sold properties: 2
Average days on market: 56
Average Sold Price Per Square Feet Living: $241.00
Average Sale Price: $435,000.00

Active Properties
Active Properties: 19
Average Listing Price: $412,000.00
Average listing price per sqft living: $208.00
Median Listing Price:$369,000.00
Median Listing Price per sqft living: $220.00
Highest Listing Price: $895,000.00
Highest price per sqft living: $270.00

Pending Properties
Pending Properties: 6
Average Listing Price: $364,000.00
Average Listing Price Per SQFT Living: $220.00
Median Listing Price: $355,000.00
Median Listing Price Per SQFT Living: $220.00
Highest Listing Price: $500,000.00
Highest Listing Price Per SQFT Living: $244.00

To find out what your home is worth or if you are interested in buying a home within our area, please contact your local realtor. If you do not currently have a realtor, please contact :

Clayton Fields, Keller Williams Realty Premier Partners
Office: 225.664.1911
Cell: 504.481.2975
Email: [email protected]
291 Veterans Blvd, Denham Springs, LA, 70726
Each office is independently owned and operated.  Licensed in the state of Louisiana.

Anne Trap, Century 21, Investment Realty
Office:225.291.2121
Cell: 225.933.1633
Email: [email protected]
2435 Drusilla Lane, Baton Rouge, LA, 70809
Each office is independently owned and operated.  Licensed in the state of Louisiana.

If you are a realtor living within the Garden District and would like to advertise here, please contact us at [email protected].

All figures are deemed reliable and may not be 100% accurate. All figures are obtained through the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors MLS Services. These numbers do not include new construction sales.

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Jacob LuneauGarden District Real Estate: October 2022
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Garden District Real Estate: September 2022

The Garden District continues to see strong residential sales growth. Low housing inventory coupled with a strong buyer demand, along with several other key items, are driving the increase in property values in our area. Signs that the market is cooling are beginning to show with more sellers contributing towards the buyer’s closing costs and less buyer bidding wars. 

The following are figures pulled from within our neighborhood over the last ninety (90) days. These figures attached exclude all new construction sales.  

15 total home sales
Median active days on market: 2 days
Median Sale Price Per Square Feet Living: $213.96
Median Sale Price: $324,500.00

To find out what your home is worth or if you are interested in buying a home within our area, please contact your local realtor. If you do not currently have a realtor, please contact :

Clayton Fields, Keller Williams Realty Premier Partners
Office: 225.664.1911
Cell: 504.481.2975
Email: [email protected]
291 Veterans Blvd, Denham Springs, LA, 70726
Each office is independently owned and operated.  Licensed in the state of Louisiana.

Anne Trap, Century 21, Investment Realty
Office:225.291.2121
Cell: 225.933.1633
Email: [email protected]
2435 Drusilla Lane, Baton Rouge, LA, 70809
Each office is independently owned and operated.  Licensed in the state of Louisiana.

All figures are deemed reliable and may not be 100% accurate. All figures are obtained through the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors MLS Services. These numbers do not include new construction sales.

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Jacob LuneauGarden District Real Estate: September 2022

Metro Council Considers Regulations to Baton Rouge Short Term Rentals

The City is currently in the process of drafting regulations for Short-Term Rentals (STR). Currently, there is no ordinance in place governing STRs, however, a study has been completed and DRAFT regulations have been created. To learn more, see info from the City’s website here (See Section 9.3.6 of the report): https://www.brla.gov/2714/Short-Term-Rental-Study 

The GDCA understands that the residents’ quality of life and property values are extremely important. We have stressed to the City’s Short-Term Rental Committee the significance of making sure the public, neighborhood associations, renters, and owners of STRs are informed of new rules associated with these rental properties. Once the ordinance is approved, the GDCA will ensure that neighbors know how to address any issues that arise related to STRs. 

At the most recent meeting of the STR Committee, the GDCA shared this statement:

“The Garden District Civic Association appreciates the Short-term Rental Committee’s hard work to write this draft ordinance. We recognize that rules governing the STRs are extremely important for neighborhood residents’ quality of life and property values and look forward to having an ordinance in place. While the protocols involved in the enforcement have not yet been designed, we would like to stress how important it will be to make sure the public, neighborhood associations, renters and the owners of the short-term rentals are informed of what the rules are and how the chain of command involved in enforcement will proceed from the owners and renters being made aware of the rules to the neighbors knowing what to do if there are problems and being able to track any follow-up.”



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Jacob LuneauMetro Council Considers Regulations to Baton Rouge Short Term Rentals
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Recent Local Crime: Stay Vigilant

As many of you may already know, last week an LSU student was attacked and killed while waiting for the train to pass on Government Street. The members of the Garden District Board were horrified to learn about this crime committed during the early morning of September 16th. The proximity of the crime to the Garden District is troubling, and the sense that this was a “wrong place, wrong time” crime further heightens anxieties in the community. Like everyone, we hope that the perpetrator(s) are caught quickly and brought to justice.

Members of our community are the eyes and ears of BRPD, so if you or your neighbors have any information about this crime, please report it to the police immediately. BRPD encourages anyone who may have witnessed or has evidence (security footage) of this event or any others to contact Detective Justin Becnel (Cell: 225-413-8998; Office: 225-389-3848). Any information can be helpful to ensure the suspects are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Importantly: if you are a victim or witness to any crime, please contact or stay in contact with BRPD. 

Additional advice/notes from BRPD:

  • Stay vigilant. Most armed robbery suspects target distracted victims. 
  • High-quality residential surveillance video can be vital in solving a case. 
  • Vehicle burglars often transition to armed robbers when confronted. 
  • Cooperate as much as possible with armed suspects. Nothing you own is worth your life or serious injury.

Beyond this, we encourage residents to be proactive in terms of your own safety practices and behaviors. You may ask yourself:

  • Are we doing a good job of securing our homes?
  • Do we communicate regularly with our neighbors, and are we watching out for one another?
  • Are we locking our car doors consistently and not leaving things in plain view to tempt criminals?
  • Do we maintain good situational awareness (ie. not glued to our phones) as we move throughout the world?

Currently, about half of our annual membership dues go toward security patrols for the neighborhood. It’s important to keep your membership current and to encourage your neighbors to become members of the GDCA because the more dues paying members we have, the more security efforts we can fund. Stay safe out there!

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Jacob LuneauRecent Local Crime: Stay Vigilant
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New Tree Median Selected for the GDCA Oak Tree Campaign!

by Kimberly Coffey, GDCA Oak Tree Campaign

The GDCA Board has voted to make the tree median on Kleinert Ave between Drehr and St. Rose the next block we’re targeting for tree maintenance! Maintenance includes removing dead limbs, lifting the tree canopy to permit unobstructed vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and selective interior pruning to highlight the architectural majesty of the trees.

To gain a before-and-after perspective on oak tree maintenance, drive north on Dalrymple into the Garden District. The first block of Park Blvd, between Broussard/Magnolia and Terrace, provides a “before” picture – this block has not been serviced. The next block on Park Blvd, between Terrace and Perkins, was serviced in February of this year. Residents on this block report a host of benefits associated with this work.

The Kleinert Ave block between Drehr and St. Rose was nominated by a resident of the block and contains 11 trees. We’ll be looking to raise $11,000 over the upcoming months to perform this work (= $1,000/tree). You can learn more and donate right here on our website at the Live Oak Love Collective.

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Jacob LuneauNew Tree Median Selected for the GDCA Oak Tree Campaign!
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REDSTICK311

REDSTICK311 is a way for Baton Rouge citizens – the customers of our City-Parish government – to request services and report issues while “on the go,” and to offer enhanced options that can provide us with as much information about your needs as possible.

  • Spot a pothole while on your way to work? Snap a quick photo with your smartphone and submit it with your request for service, which allows our crews to know exactly what they are facing when they arrive on the scene.
  • Notice junk or debris that should have been picked up, or a blighted area that needs to be addressed? Report the issue via REDSTICK311 and use the app’s GPS feature to locate of the area in question.
  • Want to be able to receive real-time updates on your phone about how we are responding to your request? Through the app, we’ll keep you in the loop on the status of your service ticket and what’s being done to resolve the issue.

It’s all a part of how our City-Parish government is working to use technology and digital tools to better engage with and more efficiently serve the citizens of Baton Rouge.

Go to 311.brla.gov to download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can also make a request online.

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Jacob LuneauREDSTICK311

Latest Updates on Alley Maintenance and Trash Pickup

If you’ve taken a stroll down the alleyways in the Garden District lately, you may have noticed some vigorous plant growth. Perhaps you thought that the City was doing a poor job of maintaining it, but keeping the vegetation in the alley trimmed is actually the responsibility of the property owners that live adjacent to the alley.

Junk, trash, and debris should be placed in front of your house within the right-of-way between the sidewalk and the street, not in the alley. Be sure to ask your neighbors not to parallel park in front of the debris pile, or the truck will not be able to make a pick up.

Recycling carts and garbage carts may be placed in the alley, if that is your usual pick up area, but most cart pickups are made on the streets because the large trucks are unable to drive down most of the alleys. Also remember to leave three feet of space between your carts so the automatic lift has room to pick them up. 

If you’re cleaning up your leaf litter, bag your leaves and stack your branches (these don’t need to be bagged) three feet from your carts. Try to have branches no longer than 6 ft. 

If you’re new to the neighborhood, garbage is picked up on Tuesdays and Fridays. Recycling is picked up only on Tuesday. If a pickup is missed, call 311 or use the Red Stick Ready app to make a report. Find our more on our GDCA “Alley and Trash Guidelines” page.

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Claire PittmanLatest Updates on Alley Maintenance and Trash Pickup