Developers describe 124‑lot ‘The Ranch’ on former Bellevue oilfield; jurors raise well‑plugging and liability concerns

Parish Engineer Eric Hudson distributed the proposed plat for The Ranch, a 124‑lot manufactured‑home subdivision with water to be supplied by Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District No. 1. Developer David Willis said the property is the first economically sensible site for this form of development in the area and that all known wells at the site have been capped.

"All wells located at the site have been capped," Willis said, and he introduced Mark Moore of Approach Environmental, LLC, a geologist who said most wells have been plugged and that soil sampling for the front portion returned results "acceptable for residential development." Moore said his review of Chevron‑collected data and consultation with the state agency then identified as the Department of Natural Resources (later referred to in the transcript as the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy, DC&E) indicated the settlement agreement included indemnifications and a groundwater restriction; he said the state concurred that future claims would revert to the responsible party named in the settlement.

Jurors pressed for details. Patrick Jackson noted an AI platform detected 209 abandoned wells on the master plan and asked whether jurors and staff understand rules tied to disturbing abandoned wells; Moore and Willis said wells must be reported if disturbed and that wellheads are cut and plate‑marked after abandonment. John Ed Jorden and others asked whether wells were plugged properly and raised concerns about site flooding and historic contamination; Moore said plugged wells are cut below grade and soil samples will be run prior to placing homes.

Jurors also raised long‑term maintenance and liability concerns if the parish accepts streets and drainage over known well locations. Eric Hudson said he and Jackson will review example subdivisions and reports and cautioned that public road construction and ownership over abandoned wells present unknown liability; Jackson warned of the potential for prolonged future calls for ditch work, road repairs and litigation if streets and drainage become parish responsibility.

Why it matters: The subdivision would introduce a new housing product at an estimated lot price "in the lower $40,000 range," according to Willis, but jurors must weigh environmental testing, accurate well mapping, flood vulnerability and the parish’s willingness to assume long‑term infrastructure responsibility under uncertain conditions.