Today, I received this press release from Mr. Roy Arrigo, spokesperson for the 17th Street Canal Coalition, a group of citizens residing along the 17th Street Canal floodwall. The group asks to be reasonably and fairly treated for the taking of their land. They are back in court, but this time the group is also filing a petition against the U.S. Army Crops of Engineers.

Homeowners along Bellaire Drive in New Orleans calling themselves the 17th Street Canal Coalition returned to Judge Kern Reese’s Civil District Court in Orleans Parish on Thursday Feb. 10, to file an amended petition against the Orleans Levee District and the South East Louisiana Flood Protection Authority (SELFPA).  This amended petition adds the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a defendant. 

Since 2007 these homeowners have continuously attended SELFPA levee board meetings pleading with this board for fair treatment regarding the taking of their property.  The 17th Street Canal Coalition is disappointed that these boards and the Corps have refused to sit with them to work out a solution that would be satisfactory to both sides and it is through this petition filed by the homeowners that they hope to obtain that fair treatment.  Additional questions can be answered by contacting Mr. Randy Smith, at Smith and Fawer LLC., attorney for the 17th Street Canal Coalition at 504 525 2200

Click here for Petition.
https://levees.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/20110210155932904a.pdf

In this video, you can see a contractor hired by the Corps of Engineers placing a ‘No trespassing’ sign on a fence the contractor recently erected preventing the homeowner from accessing his own property.