Ratliff Development has requested the City of Natchitoches annex a 6.21 acre tract at 4184 University Parkway into the the city in order to build a 55 unit apartment complex. This project cannot be built unless the property is annexed into the City of Natchitoches which would entitle the property owner to city utilities including sewage. The property is currently not zoned for multi-family residential.

The other area property owners are objecting on the basis of the following:

• Safety--There has been a tremendous increase in traffic entering and exiting University Parkway at the Dollar General location since its opening. Adding a 55-unit apartment complex behind Dollar General with parking for a minimum of 171 additional cars will exponentially increase the traffic making this intersection even more dangerous.
• Lack of Need for Additional Rental Properties--U.S. Census Housing Data suggests we have a higher than average housing vacancy rate in Natchitoches compared to the rest of the state. Data from the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment performed for the Louisiana Housing Corporation suggests that Natchitoches currently has a higher vacancy rate than average for the state (Housing Vacancy Rental Units: State 8.1%; Natchitoches 15-19%). In addition, Natchitoches has a high ratio of rental units to owner units.
• The wisdom from an urban planning perspective of placing high density housing in the middle of a single family residential area. The scale of the proposed development is totally out of context. The proposed apartment complex will be incompatible with the fundamental character of the surrounding neighborhood.

Mayor Posey and City Council Members, please do everything in your power to stop Ratcliff Development from constructing a three-story 55 unit apartment complex on University Parkway. We, members of the Natchitoches community, depend on you to prevent lasting damage to our community.