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West Side Advantages


timelordnerd

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After looking at BR's recent development, New Orleans, and thinking of advantages the city has this one came up. The advantage is that while most state lines are created along the river Louisiana to some degree is not. BR controls both sides; and advantage no other cities have. So I was thinking what could the city do if EBR and WBR became one large parish? Any thoughts?

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It's safe to say that EBR has enough problems and doesn't need WBR's issues (Port Allen for one cones to mind). Also, Baton Rouge doesn't control West Baton Rouge parish.

I know, but I think that there would be good results from a merge, or at least the city getting everything up to Port Allen.

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It's safe to say that EBR has enough problems and doesn't need WBR's issues (Port Allen for one cones to mind). Also, Baton Rouge doesn't control West Baton Rouge parish.

 

It would seem fair to say Baton Rouge controls both sides of the river in LA...being the state capital and all. I'm not sure how he meant it, but he would be correct if that's what he meant. (i.e. no other state on the lower Mississippi controls large portions of land on both banks of the river. 

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It would seem fair to say Baton Rouge controls both sides of the river in LA...being the state capital and all. I'm not sure how he meant it, but he would be correct if that's what he meant. (i.e. no other state on the lower Mississippi controls large portions of land on both banks of the river. 

Yes, that's what I meant and was wondering if the city or state could further develop that area if they chose to.

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After looking at BR's recent development, New Orleans, and thinking of advantages the city has this one came up. The advantage is that while most state lines are created along the river Louisiana to some degree is not. BR controls both sides; and advantage no other cities have. So I was thinking what could the city do if EBR and WBR became one large parish? Any thoughts?

No reason for it to be one parish.  There is no precendent for that either.

 

Regardless of how you slice it, it still costs $500 million to build a river crossing there.   The advantage (and disadvantage) is that Louisiana controls its destiny along that stretch of the river.  

 

WBR is growing in the Brusly area.   There is limited amounts of developable land for residential, but there is a tremendous amount of development already occurring in the industrial sector.  

 

A river crossing (probably including freight rail and vehicular lanes) is needed somewhere in the Brusly area. 

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No reason for it to be one parish.  There is no precendent for that either.

 

Regardless of how you slice it, it still costs $500 million to build a river crossing there.   The advantage (and disadvantage) is that Louisiana controls its destiny along that stretch of the river.  

 

WBR is growing in the Brusly area.   There is limited amounts of developable land for residential, but there is a tremendous amount of development already occurring in the industrial sector.  

 

A river crossing (probably including freight rail and vehicular lanes) is needed somewhere in the Brusly area. 

 

There is a huge amount of land in WBR that is suitable for residential development. Mostly to the northwest of Port Allen on the other side of 415. There's simply not much incentive for landowners to develop it. They're making bank farming it. 

 

If the demand could be created in parts north of the intracoastal, WBR could really take off population wise. Port Allen High really needs to step up its game.

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That's not entirely true. Much of the land that isn't already agriculture are wetlands.....and much if the empty space you see is occupied by pipelines and othe infrastructure that makes residential development on a large scale difficult. There's also a lack of demand in the north west side of the parish because of school zones and rural amenities.

The demand that does exist is in the Brusly area. Brusly is trying to reroute that rail line around the city and eliminate the service roads.

I think Port Allen is beyond repair at this point. They have no desire to step up their game.

On the other hand, Pointe Coupee around False River is seeing slower, higher end residential development. The public schools are bad but there are a few private schools around and The False River area is more desirable than anything in WBR. It won't be large scale development though.

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West Baton Rouge is ugly, flood prone, incompetent leaders and really only suitable for industrial plants.

The incompetent leaders are in Port Allen.....and it isn't any more flood prone than EBR or AP.

 

IMO, most of the people from the west side of the river in cajun country are far friendlier and more open minded (especially out towards Lafayette).   I can see why someone like you would hate it.  

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That's not entirely true. Much of the land that isn't already agriculture are wetlands.....and much if the empty space you see is occupied by pipelines and othe infrastructure that makes residential development on a large scale difficult. There's also a lack of demand in the north west side of the parish because of school zones and rural amenities.

The demand that does exist is in the Brusly area. Brusly is trying to reroute that rail line around the city and eliminate the service roads.

I think Port Allen is beyond repair at this point. They have no desire to step up their game.

On the other hand, Pointe Coupee around False River is seeing slower, higher end residential development. The public schools are bad but there are a few private schools around and The False River area is more desirable than anything in WBR. It won't be large scale development though.

The agricultural lands are what I'm referring to. 

 

Pipelines run near and even through neighborhoods all the time. A pipeline runs directly behind the neighborhood my parents live in. One actually runs directly through a brand new subdivision in Youngsville that my brother just moved into. Not a fantastic idea, but it happens every day. Especially if there's a strong demand for quick, affordable homes (i.e. Youngsville).

 

I'm aware that there is not currently heavy demand for new housing in WBR north of the intracoastal and I acknowledged that--not trying to dispute where the current demand exists. 

 

Pointe Coupee's master plan calls for a more direct route to I-10. There's talk there of possibly extending the Rougon Road north to Highway 413 just east of New Roads. Instead of taking LA 1 around the entire curve of the river, they'd be cutting through "the island" to get to and from 190. It's an interesting idea that would bring NR somewhat closer to everything else. 

 

The thing about Pointe Coupee is that most of the landowners are not only making a fortune farming, they're also making (have long since made) a fortune in oil. There's little incentive for some of the largest landowners to develop, aside from the property directly on False River.

 

That could change if the Zachary Taylor Parkway is ever 4-laned, bringing more traffic, etc. through Pointe Coupee. It's a tremendously beautiful place. Certainly ideal for higher end development. 

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West Baton Rouge is ugly, flood prone, incompetent leaders and really only suitable for industrial plants.

 

Places like Central, Livingston, and Ascension actually struggle much more with flooding than West Baton Rouge does. West Baton Rouge's location on a floodplain has actually afforded them very good drainage. Water naturally flows away from the high ground near the river and into the swampland that lies beyond the fields. 

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Pipelines run near and even through neighborhoods all the time. A pipeline runs directly behind the neighborhood my parents live in. One actually runs directly through a brand new subdivision in Youngsville that my brother just moved into. Not a fantastic idea, but it happens every day. Especially if there's a strong demand for quick, affordable homes (i.e. Youngsville).

 

 

There's way more pipeline infrastructure in WBR (especially south of 190) than in Youngsville.    The area more closely resembles St. Gabriel in that respect south of 190.   4 or 5 converge and cross the river north of Rosedale road.  

 

I don't think large scale residential development is feasable until you get east of LA415.   I'll have to see the school district maps, but that area is less desirable than Brusly currently.  There is some development out there, but it's fairly slow and almost exclusively large homes on estate sized lots (1-5 acres).

 

I have relatives that bought a boat load of land out off Poydras Bayou road and built their dream house on it.   They work downtown and at LSU, and claim that they should have moved out there much sooner.   They spend alot of their time on False River.   I've been out there a couple of times....it's very pretty.    You can actually see the top of state capitol at night from their house.  

Places like Central, Livingston, and Ascension actually struggle much more with flooding than West Baton Rouge does. West Baton Rouge's location on a floodplain has actually afforded them very good drainage. Water naturally flows away from the high ground near the river and into the swampland that lies beyond the fields. 

 

This is absolutely true.  

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That could change if the Zachary Taylor Parkway is ever 4-laned, bringing more traffic, etc. through Pointe Coupee. It's a tremendously beautiful place. Certainly ideal for higher end development. 

 

Don't let the secret out.  That's a georgeous part of the state.   St. Francisville (and the area north of town towards Woodville) and New Roads/False River are some of the prettiest parts of the entire region. 

 

New Roads is surpisingly affluent because of the Tuscaloosa trend from 30 and 40 years ago.   That whole stretch all the way out to Opelousas is a giant oil field.   Many land owners are very wealthy, and the economy there is based on oil and gas.   It's still an adorable small town, but it is still independent and is far from being considered a suburb.   My wife used to like to go antique shopping out there, and we'd go to the little restaurants and stores on the lake.  

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Don't let the secret out.  That's a georgeous part of the state.   St. Francisville (and the area north of town towards Woodville) and New Roads/False River are some of the prettiest parts of the entire region. 

 

New Roads is surpisingly affluent because of the Tuscaloosa trend from 30 and 40 years ago.   That whole stretch all the way out to Opelousas is a giant oil field.   Many land owners are very wealthy, and the economy there is based on oil and gas.   It's still an adorable small town, but it is still independent and is far from being considered a suburb.   My wife used to like to go antique shopping out there, and we'd go to the little restaurants and stores on the lake.  

I agree. I worked at a house near Maringouin, that's a very quaint little town. It's difficult to consider anything there a suburb. I'll have to explore the area more in depth once it cools down.

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I agree. I worked at a house near Maringouin, that's a very quaint little town. It's difficult to consider anything there a suburb. I'll have to explore the area more in depth once it cools down.

 

Take LA1 out towards New Roads, check out their downtown shops, and eventually make it out to St. Francisville over the new bridge.   One of the best scenic drives in the area....beats the hell out of anything in East Baton Rouge or the popular suburbs.

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Take LA1 out towards New Roads, check out their downtown shops, and eventually make it out to St. Francisville over the new bridge.   One of the best scenic drives in the area....beats the hell out of anything in East Baton Rouge or the popular suburbs.

Know of any place with good food and beer? I haven't even seen the new bridge. Haven't been up there and stayed for quite a few years.

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Know of any place with good food and beer? I haven't even seen the new bridge. Haven't been up there and stayed for quite a few years.

It's been a few years for me as well, but I'll give it a shot. We did pass through the area in 2012 and ate at a place called Hot Tails in or near New Roads and was shocked at how amazing the food was. It was a little hole in the wall place, but we stopped because there was a line out the door and around the building to get a seat. Amazing.

Article about Hot Tails:

http://www.businessreport.com/dine/6062013/Louisiana_Seafood_King_torn_between_opening_new_restaurant_in_Baton_Rouge_or_New_Orleans

Not Your Mama's Cafe on 190 east of Livonia is better than almost anything I've had in Baton Rouge. Service is terrible and there will be a wait, but it's totally worth it. Very well decorated little place too. Big bar if I remember correctly.

Satterfield's is an okay choice. There's a bar on the lower level by the boat launch. Don't remember much about it but we'd fill up our boat right there at their dock. I remember there being a 1930s Ford Model F in the front of the building on Main Street though. There's another place down the hill on the lake in that area that was good too.

After looking on google maps, it may have been Morel's or Dockside maybe? I don't remember. Saw a boat race from one of those balcanies before. I imagine all of those places are much busier during the summer.

After typing this out I think I need to add "food" as a west side advantage. What they lack in quantity they more than make up for in quality. Maybe I need to schedule another trip down there this year. Not too many restaurants like that in the Atlanta burbs. Fewer people gave us the weird look for being an interracial couple on that side of the river too.

I always thought it was both interesting and strange to cross the river and suddenly be in a rural area. Reminded me of crossing over into Iowa from Omaha and Council Bluffs being nothing but endless corn fields.

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Thanks! Me and my father ate at a restaurant with an (I think) upstairs balcony on the lake about 6-7 years ago. I do remember boats docked right up to the building.

 

It is strange to see that, imagine how travelers feel when they see the sign in Iberville saying Baton Rouge is 5mi away. I thought it was weird in West Memphis as well to see it being completely rural. Strange than New Orleans, Alexandria, and SBC aren't like that.

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In fairness, there are only two interstate exits in WBR on 10, and that bridge is no picnic. The LA415 exit is very built up as well with hotels, travel stops, and some industrial centers.

Much of the suburban growth is spread out south along LA1 between Port Allen and Brusly. Brusly and Addis have more typical suburban ammenities and a good bit of residential growth for it's size. Some of the houses being built out there are huge.

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