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

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!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.