February 2020 Important Information

Dear Pollard Residents:
A situation has arisen in our neighborhood that the Board feels you should be aware of. The residence located at 5722 Hibiscus Drive is owned by the Ingleside United Methodist Church, and the church is considering leasing the residence for 4 years to a business that operates group home halfway houses for recovering substance abuse victims. The house would be used to house up to six college-age girls recovering from substance abuse. There are currently about 35 such halfway houses in Baton Rouge, all located in A-1-zoned, single family, residential neighborhoods. The city does not allow public notice or Planning Commission hearings for such uses due to federal law restrictions. Due to the background of the planned “residents”, there is a better than average chance that potential criminal activity, as well as unwanted visitors and traffic, could occur in the vicinity of that house. Drug halfway houses in other Baton Rouge neighborhoods have had a history of unsavory activities and increased crime around those locations.
 
The C.A.P.E. Board has decided unanimously to oppose the location of a drug halfway house in our neighborhood due to the potential risk for Pollard residents and the neighborhood in general. The church has not yet leased the property, and the Board encourages all residents who oppose the action of the church to contact Ingleside Methodist Church to express their opposition. The church secretary can be reached at (225) 344-9100. If you know anyone who is a member of that church, please express to them personally your objection to the proposed lease of the residence for a drug halfway house. Hopefully we can stop this unwanted intrusion into Pollard Estates.

Thank you
Civic Association of Pollard Estates
Board of Directors