"This has been the most difficult issue that I've had to deal with in the last four and a half years in my being in office."
--Councilman Bonano 10/16/24
The Meeting
The Jefferson Parish Council Meeting (East Bank) took place on October 16, 2024. There was quite a lot of business on the council's agenda, and OJCA's items of concern were combined for public comment:
- Agenda item 6, Summary No. 26339, Jefferson Parish Planning Department's Docket No. ES-177-23
- Agenda item 10, Summary No. 26340, Jefferson Parish Planning Department's Docket No. EZ-23-23
- Agenda item 13, Summary No. 26344, Jefferson Parish Planning Department's Docket No. SP-23-24
Each group -- In Favor and In Opposition -- had 45 minutes each to give public testimony.
A recording of the meeting is available at http://www.jeffparish.tv/categories/parish-council.
- 1:32:59 (1 hr 32 min 59 sec) starts with Councilman Walker making a joke and Ochsner speaking In Favor
- 2:10:55 (2 hr 10 min 55 sec) starts the neighbors' testimony In Opposition. There was no rebuttal.
- 2:56:45 (2 hr 56 min 45 sec) starts Councilman Deano Bonano's response
About 25 neighbors and OJCA members were present. A group of us were wearing green Save Old Jefferson t-shirts (go to Merch link for info on how to get one). Ochsner had dozens of employees who showed up wearing big YES stickers.
8 people spoke In Favor (Ochsner and their supporters)
18 people spoke In Opposition (OJCA and our supporters)
The Outcomes
You might have read or heard the news by now.
Yes, Ochsner will get their children's hospital.
Yes, we are losing Betz Avenue between River Road and Jefferson Highway.
That said, Ochsner gave concessions due to the neighbors' advocacy and Councilman Bonano's negotiations. If we hadn't come together as OJCA, none of the following would be part of Ochsner's plan:
--instead of a letter from the President and Chief Operating Officer of Ochsner Health, Mike Hulefield, with unenforceable promises, a legal and enforceable contract called a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between Jefferson Parish and Ochsner now exists though OJCA doesn't know its status -- whether it is signed or not -- and what the final version includes. We will follow-up with Councilman Bonano's office. Version 3 was embedded in the parish council's agenda, and we've downloaded a copy and a link to it appears below.
--no hotel on Betz Avenue and River Road
--saving Big Betz live oak and other tree canopy (though we are definitely losing some trees, but they are supposed to be replaced)
--30,000 square foot pocket park (it was going to be much smaller)
--installation of underground drainage infrastructure that can store up to 430,000 gallons of stormwater (frankly, in 2024 and with aging infrastructure, how is this really a concession? It is just what you do in modern times!)
--allocation of funds for a traffic study and whatever traffic improvements are needed, e.g. traffic lanes, turning signals, etc. The area where Ochsner main is located is a special taxing district, and the monies in this account are for public infrastructure improvements. There is approximately $3 million in the account today. The consultant will work directly with OJCA to understand the traffic concerns.
--shrink Ochsner's footprint. Specifically Councilman Bonano will have the property west of Deckbar Avenue rezoned — where Ochsner owns the River Run apartments — for residential use (currently hospital zoning). Ochsner has agreed to this. We need to listen to the recording, but we think this starts with a zoning study
--no purchasing of homes near Ochsner's main campus (please note -- OJCA's position has always been NO rezoning, not limiting who people can sell their homes to)
To Our Supporters
To the 320 people who signed the petition "Say NO to Rezoning", who put yard signs out, know JP Council Members and JP Public Advisory Board Members were notified, on a nearly weekly basis, of the number of people who signed the petition. Today the petition signers were mentioned during multiple speeches given In Opposition.
We thank OJCA members, Old Jefferson supporters, and Lisa Loup of Suburban Terrace Civic Association for attending and speaking and being a mentor to OJCA board members! It has been a long road of advocating, organizing, and coming together as a cohesive and productive group. We definitely succeeded on that front, and the concessions were all Wins too.
Media Mentions
FOX 8 Local 10/16/2024. Thank you, Chris Welty, for your report, "Ochsner moves forward with new Children’s Hospital, commits to community concerns and future growth", https://www.fox8live.com/2024/10/16/ochsner-moves-forward-with-new-childrens-hospital-commits-community-concerns-future-growth/
nola.com 10/16/2024. Thank you, Blake Paterson, for your report, "Jefferson Parish approves Ochsner's plan for standalone children's hospital in Old Jefferson" https://www.nola.com/news/jefferson_parish/jefferson-parish-council-oks-ochsner-childrens-hospital/article_b6a83bfc-8b2d-11ef-8930-c382cbeb61be.html
WGNO-TV 10/16/2024. Thank you, Jordan Lippincott for your report, "Construction of new Ochsner Children’s Hospital to move forward despite pushback", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtmOI6nmtbA