Residents on islands in Abbeville don’t want to be incorporated

The City of Abbeville is trying to incorporate four areas into the city and residents who live in those areas are not in favor of it.
Recently, the City of Abbeville approved creating a bill for the legislature in Baton Rouge to approve, and hopefully, the governor to sign. That bill is House Bill 334, and was submitted by Rep. Ryan Bourriaque.
These areas are called “Islands,” and there are four in the city. Two are near Terri’s Diesel, near Southern Oaks Country Club. Another one is next to RiverFront Restaurant, while the fourth one is on the south side of Abbeville.
Recently, a digital billboard was placed on the Island near RiverFront. Because the Island is not within the city limits, the owner of the digital sign went to the Vermilion Parish Police Jury and state to receive all of the permits to install the sign.
The four islands have around 200 residents who live in the unincorporated area. Those residents are governed by the Police Jury and not by the city.
Dwight Brasseaux is trying to stop the city from incorporating the four islands into the city limits. A week ago, he started a petition and got at least 165 signatures from residents who live in all four islands.
He has a choice to either take the signatures to Baton Rouge in hopes of getting House Bill 334 pulled or make a presentation to the Abbeville City Council in hopes they would pull the bill.
Brasseaux, who is in his early 70s, owns Abbeville Country Estate Trailer Park located on the Island near the golf course, on the Old Kaplan Highway.
There are 80 lots in the mobile home park that was originally built in the 1960s. Being incorporated into the city would mean that country estates would be grandfathered in under the parish rules. Still, if a new mobile home moved into the park or changes were made to the mobile home, it would have to follow the city’s rules for mobile home parks.
Brasseaux said he got signatures from all the residents in the mobile home park who are against being incorporated into the Abbeville City limits.
“I got zero signatures from people who want to be incorporated,” said Brasseaux. “I got 165 names of residents who do not want to be incorporated. One-hundred percent of the people who live in the islands do not want to be included in the city limits.
“We are going to fight it.”
Brasseaux said what made residents upset is that the city government never approached the residents to see if they wanted to be incorporated or not into the city limits.
“The city should have come to the people. You don’t bypass the people. They are shoving it down the people’s throat.”
Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza pointed out some positives for being incorporated into the city limits.
Cheaper home owner’s insurance is one positive. Piazza said the city of Abbeville has a higher fire rating than living outside of the city, which lowers insurance rates.
The city of Abbeville Police would be allowed to patrol the areas if they were incorporated.
Their utility bills could be lower once they are in the city.
“I am not surprised by the opposition,” said Piazza. “There are some advantages to being in the city.”