Youngsville Listing, at $4.14M, Brings Mixed Reaction, Concern from Residents

When you hear of a 4,145 square foot home for sale in Acadiana, your mind might instinctively go to River Ranch or Sugarmill Pond, or even to the rolling hill of East Carencro (yes, I said "hill"). Not so for this listing: it's a 4 bedroom, 3 bath home, located in the northeast corner of Youngsville, and its listing has a few in the area concerned.

The 2-story home, built in 1973, is not hidden, nor is it tucked away - it's actually a well-known residence in the area. What was once Gerald's Tree Farm, on the corner of Fortune and Chemin Metairie, is now a 20-acre tract of land - with a house. And a barn. And a shop. And beautiful trees, of course.

The house, as you'll see in the photos below, is what you'd expect from a well-kept, nearly 50-year-old home that has been updated: modern fixtures, modern appliances, a huge barn, and beautiful trees across the property (Southern Oaks, to be exact).

The fact that this property housed a tree farm/nursery makes me think that the grounds are well kept, that the drainage should be sufficient for the area and that the house will have been well-kept. Judging by the photos on the listing, all of the above is true.

Zillow says that the property, listed by Deedra Comeaux and Kristen Comeaux of Dream Home Realty, LLC, "would be a perfect area for a commercial development".

I can see the signs now: "Tree Farm Village - With Lots Starting in the $350,000s" on streets named "Tree Farm Way" and "Sapling Circle" and "Southern Oak Terrace".

All kidding aside: being a fan of trees, I find this property to be beautiful. So do many others, judging by the internet reaction to the listing.

The photos from the listing show a tract of land that many would love to have: prime location (there's LOADS of traffic at that intersection), level ground, beautiful landscaping (read: trees), on the edge of one of the richest cities in Louisiana (per capita), and near a car wash.

Let's start with the trees. Having been a tree farm/nursery for a number of years, it only stands to reason that the 20+ acres would have a good stand of trees growing.

The way the colonial-style home sits among the trees in this photo makes it look like it could be a nice, quiet place to live. To tell the truth, after about 6:45 every weekday, it IS a fairly quiet place, until about 7am when the school traffic and work traffic cranks up.

The trees are close enough to cast a large area of shade across the property, but have large enough gaps to allow the light to reach most of the lawn.

The way the trees are set up, it seems that it would provide a perfect setting for a picnic, a wedding, or even a ball game.

The "out" buildings provide lots of storage and the perfect opportunity for a man cave.

Why two ZTRs? 20+ acres, that's why. It's a lot of grass to cut if one person ends up purchasing the entire piece of property to use as a private residence.

A backhoe? Remember, this place was a functioning tree farm and nursery and, when you are dealing with large trees, shovels just aren't practical.

I, for one, would get lost for days in this workshop.

The property offers plenty of improved surfaces for parking/storing an RV or boat or utility trailers.

I'd also spend hours on that Bobcat.

If you don't need the backhoe, it looks like you could fit a good-sized motor coach or boat in the barn through that roll-up door.

Lots of storage in these outbuildings, and lots of space under the lean-to as well.

As for the house, it looks to be very well-kept. Though we don't get to see the bathrooms, the kitchen looks to be updated with countertops and appliances.

According to the listing on Zillow, quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances are part of the decor in the kitchen, helping bring this 40+-year-old home up-to-date.

A spacious back patio, complete with a bricked floor, would make for a nice place to entertain or enjoy a Sunday barbeque or an evening cocktail.

A bay window in the master bedroom gives the space an elegant look.

The home has rich wood features that give it a rustic look.

A wood-floored formal dining area makes the perfect setting for having guests over for a nice meal, and the wooden beams in the great room give the feel of being in a lodge.

A wood-burning fireplace in the great room add to the lodge feeling.

I wish that there were more photos of inside the home. I'd like to see photos of the utility, the pantry, the garage, and the remaining bathrooms. The breakfast nook looks nice with the bay window.

So, what's the deal about "concerns" from local residents? Well, I'll tell you.

There seem to be some that are afraid the property will be purchased for commercial use.  According to the listing on Zillow:

Because of the prime location and traffic flow, this would be a perfect area for a commercial development. - Zillow

Commercial use: restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, car washes - the possibility of most any type of business moving in isn't sitting right with some of the locals.

A post from Eryn Laviolette McBride shared a valid concern, worried that all (or at least some) of those beautiful Oak trees would be cut down to make room for cement/brick/mortar.

McBride isn't alone. People began to chime in on her post.

I've driven by that property hundreds of times in my life, and I can't recall driving by once without noticing the trees and thinking of how nice they are. On those sunny days, they certainly call out to you, tempting you to join them for a quick game of hide-and-seek from the sun.

Some of the comments had great ideas of how to utilize the property and take advantage of the beautiful Oaks that adorn it.

Who would be able to afford a $4,140,000.00 20+ acre plot of land with a 4,000+ sq. ft. home? Well, there are some who can. One local business owner had been looking at the property but decided that it wouldn't be profitable.

McBride makes mention that some of the trees were sold and moved off a few years ago (you'd be amazed at how big a tree can grow and still be dug up, sold, moved, and transplanted). Others are trying to think of ways to protect the trees that remain.

My favorite comment on the post comes from Bree Alleman. She had a fairly detailed plan for the property, and even tagged some of the Youngsville brass in her comment:

I like Alleman's ideas for the property, as each suggestion is easy to visualize. The brass Alleman tagged in her comment is her Youngsville City Councilman, Matt Romero. Though he likes her ideas, he reminds her of the boundary:

What will happen to the property? We won't know until it's sold.