News

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Need a Free Tree??

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The Garden District Civic Association received a grant from the MidCity Redevelopment Authority for a neighborhood project. Since we’ve lost some trees in recent years to wind, ice, and Father Time, we decided it was time for a tree planting throughout the neighborhood. We partnered with Baton Rouge Green and got some free consultation from resident landscape architects to choose a variety of native species. There are small, medium, and large tree options.

So, if you want a free tree, fill out this form

If you don’t want a tree but are interested in volunteering for the tree planting, you should fill out the form as well.

The form closes on October 6th.

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jcwproductionsNeed a Free Tree??
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Spotlight: Our Garden District Neighbors

The Advocate recently published an article on our famous gardener and environmentalist, Ginger Ford. She is doing her part to create habitat for pollinators and has planted 29 gardens, most of which dot the corners on Camellia Avenue. Read more about her here

If you would like to spotlight someone in the neighborhood, please let us know. We’d love to share your story with our neighbors.


                                   

We’ve had a few new additions to the neighborhood. A few GDCA board members have recently had new babies. Meet EvaKate Fields and Sadie Gremillion! 

EvaKate is 10 months old and is in the 99th percentile for height, 93rd percentile for weight, and 98th percentile for head circumference! That’s one big baby! She loves singing “Old McDonald” and playing peek-aboo, and can say mama, dada, and baba (bottle). Her parents Isabella and Clayton are “having so much fun watching her grow.” Clayton has served on the GDCA board since April of 2022.  

Sadie, 6 months old, is 16 pounds and is 26 inches tall. She recently learned to sit up on her own, and is actively trying to eat everything. She loves going to the aquarium and has already made a best friend at daycare. Her parents are Steven and Ashley Gremillion, who long for a full night’s sleep. Ashley has served on the GDCA board since April of 2022 and is currently serving in the role of vice president. 

If you would like to spotlight your child or someone in your family, please let us know. We’d love to share your story with our neighbors.





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Jacob LuneauSpotlight: Our Garden District Neighbors
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Summer/August Crime Update

Here’s the most recent update from our police officer that monitors the neighborhood, Corporal Seth Gauthier:

In July, there were 8 major incidents. There were 3 vehicle thefts on 7/11, 7/20 and 7/23 where vehicles were taken from residences in the Garden District. Two separate events occurred during the evening of 7/27 and the morning of 7/28–there were 5 vehicle burglaries within close proximity in the neighborhood, and these are being associated with a single/group of suspects. Force was used in these vehicle burglaries to gain entry into the vehicles and valuables were taken in several of these incidents. 

Cpl. S.D. Gauthier, Baton Rouge Police Department

As always, in case of an emergency, contact 911 for immediate assistance. If it is a non-emergency, but Police are needed, you can contact the BRPD Police Dispatch Center at 225-389-2000. If you would like to pass information to Cpl. Gauthier or the other Patrol Officers, you can contact Justin Kozak at [email protected] or Ted Magee at [email protected], and they will forward that information to Cpl. Gauthier and the other officers.

Remember to cover the basics – lock your car doors, don’t leave things in plain view, and don’t leave anything of value inside your vehicle, such as purses or firearms. If you have a security camera installed, it’s amazing how much the footage collected can help officers at times. Also, report street light outages and other safety issues through the Red Stick Ready website or app. Stay safe!  



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Jacob LuneauSummer/August Crime Update
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2023 GDCA Annual Meeting Recap

On Sunday, February 25, The Garden District Civic Association (GDCA) held its annual meeting at Leola’s, with nearly 40 in attendance. Speakers, including GDCA President Justin Kozak, Councilwoman Carolyn Coleman, Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis, BREC, and CSRS, primarily focused on the neighborhood’s notorious flooding, the potential rezoning of Barracuda Taco Stand, and an update on the University Lakes Project.

Helmed by board member Hance Hughes, the Stop the GD Flooding campaign has had significant momentum in its genesis, having already met with the City of Baton Rouge (City) and initiated a study of our water lines. CES trucks have started running cameras in lines at Park and Tulip and will unclog if necessary. The City plans to survey the lines on Cherokee and Tulip to identify the root cause. “While it’s disheartening that much of our community continues to experience devastation, I’m encouraged that the City has moved swifter than expected,” Hughes said. “We remain vigilant and optimistic that we can come to a sustainable solution.” Everyone is encouraged to send photos of flooding – both past and (potentially) future – to the campaign’s Instagram account.

The concern about the rezoning proposal for the St. Rose lot behind Barracuda Taco Stand is directly connected to our flooding. Currently, the residential dirt lot is being used as unofficial parking for the new outdoor restaurant, and the City recommends rezoning it commercially for a parking lot. Barracuda owner Brett Jones has secured alternative options for parking elsewhere because he, in congruence with the GDCA, agrees that not only will a commercial concrete lot set a bad precedent for future businesses in our walkable community, it will exacerbate our flooding issues. The GDCA has presented an opposition letter to the City and plans to meet with its leaders soon. 

Other updates

Councilwoman Coleman has spoken with Fred Raiford, director of transportation for the City of Baton Rouge, about the neighborhood’s drainage issues and will provide updates following last month’s meeting. She also asked attendees to contact her office for help if they ever have problems with 311.

Commissioner Lewis previewed multiple updates coming to our inbox related to energy and water bills. We can expect a slight increase in our water bills to build up an emergency fund. Also, Entergy plans to add a $5.50 Disaster Ida fee to our accounts for the next 15 years. Finally, he shared that there are intentional efforts from his office to provide alternative energy sources to Entergy for the community.

Reed Richard of BREC and Mark Goodson of CSRS shared that Phase 1 of the University Lakes Project should begin in late Spring. Our neighborhood and adjoining areas can expect minimal delays once the project kicks off. BREC is partnering with the City to develop watersheds and a greenway from Dalrymple to Downtown Baton Rouge.

Get Involved

Water plants – The neighborhood sign at Park Boulevard/Government has been raised in height, and the soil improved. There will soon be new landscaping with native plants, and we need consistent support with its watering. 

Maintain the alleys – Potholes, poor lighting, and overgrown vegetation are the biggest problems in the alley. We ask neighbors to assist with keeping it clean and cut back. Doing so helps with safety and utility services. You can read more about our alleyways and how we can keep them clean and safe. 

Protect the live oaks – Kimberly Coffey and The Live Oak Love Collective have made beautiful gains in getting sections of Park Blvd cleaned up and beautified. We hope to improve the medians on Cherokee/Park and Kleinert/Terrace next, but we need neighbors to pitch in support. 

Contact us at [email protected] to volunteer and learn more ways you can get involved in our community.

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Jacob Luneau2023 GDCA Annual Meeting Recap
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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