Temporary Worker Housing Coming To The Old Spanish Trail And Prater Road Area [VIDEO]

KPLC 7 reports zoning was granted last year for a workers village annexed southwest of the intersection of Old Spanish Trail and Prater Road.  There will be roughly 2,000 workers with Cotton Logistics of Texas coming to live in temporary worker housing there. A company known as APB Investment LLC owns the land southwest of the intersection of Old Spanish Trail and Prater Road.

Most of the homes in the area have already been bought out.  Cotton Logistics company attorney, Tom Gayle, confirmed they are close to sealing the deal with the City of Sulphur. However not everyone in the community is happy about the forthcoming influx of people or traffic. Some worry about the safety of their neighborhood.

Residents Lori and Tommy Kerr told KPLC 7 they were informed about the workers moving into the area when they received a flyer in the mail.  They don't even know who or where the flyers came from.  The flyer stated about 2,000 workers are getting ready to move there. Lori Kerr said she was very concerned telling KPLC 7,

"Are they citizens of the United States? Do they have prison records? What is their background?"

Lori asked. Lori's husband, Tommy shared his wives concerns and added,

"People are going to be concerned about whether they have had a complete check of where they came from and why they are here."

The couple said if the workers are considerate and law abiding citizens, they wont have a problem.  The worker village is in Sulphur council member, Stuart Moss', district and he says residents like the Kerr's have nothing to worry about.  Moss told KPLC 7,

"This makes it more safe, and a little bit more confined and also keeps traffic away from the city. I think with the industrial expansion around here, you have to have workers, and they have to be placed somewhere. If this is a place for them and it's not in anybody's backyard; it's not in anybody's neighborhood; the traffic's flowing not through the middle of Sulphur - which would be hurting our infrastructure - and  taxing our police force, then I would definitely say this would be the spot to be on."

 

He continued. "When they're in a central location, you have security; you have background checks; you have the criminal checks; you know who's coming in and out of this property. If you don't have property or developers who are willing to do something like this, then they're going to be located in the neighborhood directly next to you. They could be located on the same street. There's nothing wrong with having neighbors, but when you don't know who they are, it makes it a little tough."

Moss said this is not the first work camp Cotton Logistics has built.  He explained planning for the Sulpher location is still in the beginning stages.

"I think with the industrial expansion around here you have to have workers, and they have to be placed somewhere.  If this is a place for them and it's not in anybody's backyard, it's not in anybody's neighborhood, the traffic's flowing not through the middle of Sulphur, which would be hurting our infrastructure and taxing our police force, then I would definitely say this would be the spot to be on."

KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana