NEWSLETTER
JUNE 2016
D ear Members & Friends,

We are excited to announce that we are partnering with CCIM Louisiana Chapter to hold a luncheon on  Wednesday, October 19th, at Juban's hosting Congressman Garrett Graves . Congressman Graves serves on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and will discuss these issues as they affect our local real estate market.  Registration  for this will open in September.

Also, the countdown to the Good Growth Awards is underway - limited sponsorships are available so contact us today!

Thank you,

Larry S. Bankston
Executive Director

IN THIS ISSUE

Third-Party Providers  Proposals Rejected by City-Parish

As the Growth Coalition reported in past newsletters, the City-Parish sought to supplement its permitting workforce by soliciting proposals from private third-party reviewers. The City-Parish received only three proposals which have recently been rejected. Two of the contractors requested a retainer to provide the services to the permit office.

Having abandoned contracting directly with third parties, the City-Parish has agreed to create an expedited review process. Upon submission by a qualified third-party, there will be an expedited plan review. The City Parish has agreed to complete the plan review within seven business days for a single family residential projects and 21 business days for a commercial project. Responses to review comments will be addressed in three business days for both commercial and residential projects. The City-Parish is considering an up charge for access to this process. The initial suggestion has been a plan review fee of two times the current rate to access to expedited review. This is currently under review.

Applicants electing to utilize this service may select any third party provider from the state approved list found at https:lasfm.louisiana.gov/searchlsuccc.aspx. Upon completion of the technical code review by the third party provider, the applicant shall provide the Permit & Inspection Division with a digital copy of the approved plans along with a signed statement from the third party provider stating that the plans for the proposed work are compliant with all applicable state-mandated building codes. 

The Baton Rouge Growth Coalition has continued to work with the City-Parish on this issue. If you have any questions or comments please contact Larry Bankston.


BRGC Meets with DOTD Secretary

Growth Coalition leadership met recently with DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson to open up dialog on several issues of concern, including access fees and restrictions. We thank Secretary Wilson for his generosity with his time and his willingness to include BRGC leadership in future discussions.


The Latest on FuturEBR Implementation

In the June 9th  Daily Report , Planning Director Frank Duke talks about the 'slow but steady' progress on updates to the Unified Development Code as part of the 2010 FuturEBR Master Plan, especially with regard to landscaping and parking.

""An existing Live Oak will have far greater impact than planting a new one," says Duke, adding that the American Society of Landscape Architects has been involved in advising the city-parish on such changes." Read the full article at BusinessReport.com here.

The development community is well represented on the Zoning Advisory Committee. This committee is working on a complete revision of the Unified Development Code (UDC). BRGC Executive Director Larry Bankston is chairman of the subcommittee reviewing Chapter 11 Dimensional Regulations. The goal is to eliminate duplications and simplify the overall document. BRGC will post drafts of the various revisions as approved by the Committee. Before any section goes to the council for approval, BRGC will seek input from its members.



Download the 2016 Award Nomination Application here.



Limited Sponsorships still available! 
 Contact Sage Foley here.
BRGC Members Welcomed Jay Dardenne at April Luncheon

Thank you to the nearly 100 attendees who came out to hear Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne's updates and thoughts on these challenging fiscal and political times in our state. 

A special thanks goes out to Mr. Dardenne for generously making himself available to our membership, and answering all questions our attendees had to offer!


Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne addresses BRGC membership at Juban's on April 4, 2016.

BRGC Welcomes New Members

The Growth Coalition welcomes 3 New Members!





There is power in numbers - thank you for joining our ranks! 




Interested in Growth Coalition Membership? 
Contact Sage Foley  here.