Over one hurdle: Atwater, a 828-lot subdivision that would be located between River Road and Nicholson Drive, cleared its first hurdle Monday with the Planning Commission unanimously approving the development’s concept plan and rezoning. The proposal will be considered by the Metro Council at today’s zoning meeting. Developer Prescott Bailey is developing Atwater through his company, Southern Lifestyle Development. Atwater will comprise single family residential homes that would be a mix of smaller alley-loaded cottages and large estate homes. The development will feature a playground, a large pool, common areas, club house, community center and jogging trails. Homes prices are planned at mid-$200,000 for small cottages to about $800,000 for larger estate homes.
Dollars and cents: Louisiana cellphone bills will be edging up later this year. The Associated Press reports Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed into law a bill enacting a new 4.5-cent monthly tax on cellphones. The dollars will pay for technology assistance and services for people who are deaf or have hearing difficulties. Current law imposes a 5-cent monthly tax on landline phones, with the money deposited into the Telecommunications for the Deaf Fund. The bill will drop that rate to 4.5 cents a month but expand the tax to wireless services. The tax change by Rep. Patricia Smith, a Baton Rouge Democrat, takes effect Oct. 1. The new tax will raise an estimated $4.7 million annually.
Gaining recognition: Tech magazine Innovation and Tech Today is lauding the growing technology industry in the Shreveport-Bossier area. The magazine says the recent uptick in tech industry jobs through employers like CSRA and Eatel has catapulted the area onto a shortlist of places to watch. The region has also seen growth from Fortune 500 companies like CenturyLink and IBM to technology start-ups like CyberReef Solutions, Scott Martinez, president of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership, tells The Shreveport Times. Technology is one of the fastest growing sectors in north Louisiana. Read the full story.
