Planners ask residents to bring ideas to upcoming meetings
St. Charles Parish officials want to know: What would make life better for you? What is missing in your community? What do like about the parish? What would you like to keep here forever?
These questions and more are the focus of a series of community-wide public forums set to kick off Aug. 18 that will frame the vision for the parish’s 20-year land use plan.
Using the ideas they get at the forums, officials will create a blueprint for our future that will guide decision-makers in managing growth, promoting sustainable economic development, improving the quality of life and preserving the community’s unique character.
Parish President V.J. St. Pierre Jr. established a goal for a new comprehensive plan due to the area’s limited supply of developable land and the need for various types of development.
“As we go forward we need to make sure we balance all of our needs, which includes retail development and affordable housing,” St. Pierre said. “Residents know exactly what they’d like to see because they live it everyday. That’s why it’s important to have public participation in this process.”
St. Charles Parish has hired the firm of Wallace, Robert and Todd LLC using a grant from the Center for Planning Excellence to help create its new 20-year plan and to guide the community involvement process. WRT will work closely with an active Citizen Steering Committee of over 30 community representatives. parish staffers and the Center for Planning Excellence.
The first step in the public process is a series of seven Community Visioning Forums that will be held throughout the parish over several days. These forums will allow citizens to express what they want to see for the future of St. Charles Parish. The dates and locations of the meetings are as follows:
•Tuesday, Aug. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Killona Fire District No. 10, 216 Adams St., Killona
•Tuesday, Aug. 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Destrehan High School Cafeteria, 1 Wildcat Lane, Destrehan
•Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at St. Rose Library, 90 East Club Dr., St. Rose
•Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Hahnville High School Cafeteria, 200 Tiger Dr., Boutte
•Thursday, Aug. 20 from noon to 2 p.m. at Westbank Regional Library, 105 Lakewood Dr., Luling
•Thursday, Aug. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at KC Hall, 375 Spruce St., Norco
•Thursday, Aug. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Des Allemands Fire Station, 16960 Hwy. 90, Des Allemands
The format of each of these meetings will be identical, and residents need only attend one meeting – whichever is most convenient for them. The agenda at each meeting will consist of introductions and a brief presentation by WRT, small group discussions and activities to identify issues of importance to the citizens. Refreshments will be served.
Additional meetings will be conducted in the coming months to solicit input on other topics at different points in the planning process.
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