There is quite a bit of a context that is needed to understand this issue, so please bear with us while we lay this all out.
At the April 1, 2025, the Pomes Administration introduced an ordinance to effect a zoning change from R-1 to A-1.
14. Summary No. 4254
Planning Commission recommended APPROVAL on 3/25/25
Introduced by: Administration on 4/1/25
AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE DOCKET Z-2025-001, PETITION OF WALTEN CURE, IV FOR A ZONING CHANGE FROM R-1 (SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL) ZONING TO A-1 (RURAL DISTRICT) TO PROPOSE A CONTRACTOR'S OFFICE AND STORAGE YARD. SITE LOCATION: 1 LYNN OAKS DRIVE, BRAITHWAITE, LA 70040.Zoning ordinances like this are common, but there was something that caught Councilman Everhardt’s attention on this one. Let’s take a listen:
Councilman McCloskey’s reaction to Everhardt trying to obtain some basic facts about this zoning change request probably tells you all you need to know about what’s about to go down.
So why did Walter Cure being listed as the applicant catch Everhardt’s attention?
Upon questioning by Everhardt, Mr. Landry, the Director of the Department of Community Development, stated that he believes that the owner is actually EBI (Elevated Boats, Inc.). And so it would appear that Mr. Cure was representing EBI.
If Cure doesn’t own the property, then why wouldn’t the application have been made under Cure instead of EBI?
One reasonable possibility is that Cure might be able to wield some political influence to get this re-zoning measure approved for the benefit of EBI. And that might be why it was important for the application to say Walter Cure and not EBI.
So who is Walter Cure, IV?
Walter Cure, IV is one of the Board Members of the St. Bernard Port, Harbor, and Terminal District.
Walter Cure, IV, Board Member, St. Bernard Port
As we laid out in a recent article titled “Port Litigation Update: The St. Bernard Port is doing an AMAZING job!,” the Parish sued the St. Bernard Port to “undo” certain agreements between the St. Bernard Port and the Port of New Orleans that were designed to allow the Port of New Orleans to build the LIT facility in Violet.
Mr. Cure was not on the Board at the time the deals were originally brokered, but the question remains: What has Mr. Cure done since he was appointed to the Board to help “undo” these agreements to help stop the LIT development?
As far as we can tell – not a damn thing! So that makes Walter Cure, IV the enemy of everyone who is opposed to the LIT facility.
So how would Donald J. Trump fight back if he were in the Parish’s position?
It is safe to say that President Trump would likely fight back with whatever weapons happen to be nearby. And that is why President Trump would probably deny Cure’s re-zoning application since Cure hasn’t done anything to help the Parish against the Port of New Orleans.
And that is only reasonable and fair. President Trump has taught us that this is the corollary to the golden rule: do unto other as they have done unto you. Only then might Cure (and others like him) start to understand that he cannot ignore the public when it is convenient and then ask for something from the public whenever he needs our help.
Cure ignored the public’s opposition to the LIT facility and did nothing to help the public in their fight against the LIT facility. The public, through their President and Council, should ignore Cure’s request to re-zone property from R-1 to A1 and do nothing to help Cure with whatever he is doing.
That is what President Trump would probably do and this is probably was Everhardt will do in this situation.
At the same time, we can probably expect Pomes and the other Council members to quietly give Cure whatever he wants – because that is how the swamp works.
