INDReporter

Youngsville appealing annexation challenge

by Walter Pierce

Youngsville argues that a company doesn't have standing to file suit against an annexation. The city of Youngsville is filing an appeal with the Third Circuit Court of Appeal challenging a district court ruling preserving a Lafayette property-development company's lawsuit seeking to block Youngsville's annexation along Ambassador South, according to Youngsville Mayor Wilson Viator. "We're asking [the appeals court] to rule that basically the LLC's not a citizen, therefore they don't have any right to bring a suit against Youngsville," Viator says.

Bridges-Carpenter Properties, LLC, which owns a parcel of land included in the annexation, filed suit against Youngsville earlier this summer in an attempt to nix the annexation. The city of Broussard and, inexplicably, former Youngsville Mayor Lucas Denais later joined the suit against Youngsville.

On July 28, 15th Judicial District Judge John Trahan removed Broussard and Denais from the suit, ruling that the former didn't have standing and the latter joined too late. But Trahan ruled against Youngsville and allowed Bridges-Carpenter to remain a plaintiff.

The court action is just the latest in a series of lawsuits and counter-suits filed by Broussard, Youngsville and Lafayette as the three municipalities race to acquire land along what promises to become prime commercial real estate in the coming years.