(The Center Square) – At a time when parish leaders are promoting industrial development across the parish, one commissioner is raising concerns about allowing industrial traffic on a city street within his district and near his home.
“We have a situation over there with oil and gas on Lakeshore Drive at the Shreveport golf course,” said commissioner Roy Burrell, whose district lies entirely within the city. He raised the issue during Thursday’s regular Caddo Parish Commission meeting.
North Louisiana elected officials are approving an increasing number of industrial projects that impact city, parish and state highways, raising opposition from those who say it disrupts rural communities or is unsafe for drivers in nearby residential neighborhoods.
Commissioners did not address how recently approved projects create similar concerns for their constituents who are adjacent to coming major industrial projects.
The former Shreveport Country Club was sold in 2016 and is now privately owned. Houston-based APEX Natural Gas is operating there, according to recent reports.
Burrell learned that a company is constructing a well site and a new road leading to Lakeshore Drive, a city-maintained thoroughfare that connects homes and neighborhoods near Cross Lake.
Shreveport’s public works director was not immediately available Friday to provide additional details.
“The city is aware of it. They are monitoring any kind of ordinance violations, whether it be damaging a road or noise. They don’t have any objections to it at this point,” said Josh Bedgood, a parish public works assistant director.
Burrell is concerned about the danger of allowing increased industrial truck traffic on a residential street, while the municipal authority with jurisdiction is allowing the project to proceed.
Industrial construction projects typically increase heavy equipment exiting and entering their work sites, adding additional damage to public roadways used to access them.
“You can’t even get out there on Lakeshore at that juncture, because I live there and I almost get hit,” Burrell said.
The commission, at the same time, expressed support for heavy truck traffic on parish roadways at its committee meeting held earlier in the day.
“We’re hoping that we encourage more of this type of problem. We hope to have a lot of heavy trucks up and down our roads for the next decade,” said Greg Young, commission president.
Amazon Web Services announced plans to build two major data centers in Caddo Parish, one in west Shreveport and one near rural Blanchard. The centers will bring an influx of investment dollars and jobs.
Public Works Director Tim Weaver expressed confidence that parish roadways are able to handle increased traffic loads. His proactive approach helps recover remittance funds owed by oil and gas companies for road repair. As well, his team works collaboratively with developers, he said.
The Center Square was unable to confirm if Burrell has taken a clear public position on data center development.
But it’s clear he does not support Shreveport’s industrial development project because it brings safety concerns to a roadway within his district.
“But they should be well aware of the concern that the citizens had about putting that traffic on Lakeshore on a street that is already hilly. So it appears that there’s no consideration being given,” Burrell said.
Bedgood said, “But being that’s in the city, it’s kind of out of our hands at this point.”
“I’ll put it in my hands and I’ll work on it,” Burrell said.
