Is CPEX listening? We have no infrastructure; No more development

There seems to be a disconnect between Center for Planning Excellence’s (CPEX) work product and the public input being put in at multiple Open House meetings to gauge citizenry sentiment on the way to confection of a new Master Land Use Plan.  Hundreds of sticky notes attached stuck to CPEX’s slick displays overwhelmingly convey one message (see above).

We have no infrastructure; no more development

Maybe some of it is sinking in; maximum density increases in CPEX initial work product have successively lessened from 9 units per acre, down to 7 units per acre a few months ago…CPEX’s ten poster boards did not specify a number at its most recent Open House.  Public comment at the latest Open House on the east bank was much the same as it has been all along.

With so much growth why don’t we have the revenue/funding to pay for the projects we need?

A poignant question with no simple answer.

  • Concerns:  Flooding older homes w/ new developments.  No shoulders on existing roads;
  • Need to fix infrastructure.
  • Fix infrastructure before development.
  • Our infrastructure cannot handle this growth.
  • There is a lot of development shown where it is wetlands or floodplain.  NO!
  • Where is the money going to come from?  State said they have no money for road improvements
  • We need to slow growth until our roads catch up.  If I-10 shuts down it takes 30 minutes to an hour to go one mile.  Horrible.

There were constructive suggestions:

  • Need a town square for Prairieville along with a downtown.  There is no there, there.
  • Worried about employment (Industrial/Business) getting closer to Sorrento Primary School
  • Better schools, lower crime are concerns
  • Gated apartments, Lower amount of families per acre on west bank
  • No more restrictions for family partitions; Plan sewer before development
  • Promote lower density development
  • What about green space?
  • Designs for housing for contractors who service chemical plants
  • Foster construction on turnabouts
  • Shoulders on roads; Development geared to reduce traffic
  • Why not connect Cannon Road to Hwy 74 (straight shot to I-10/74-proposed interchange)?

West bank Ascension hoping to avoid plight of east bank:

  • West bank; Do not overcrowd APT Townhouse develops; Lower density housing
  • West bank needs more green space & lower density housing; Better/safer schools

Some comments exhibited pure frustration due to inaction since the Great Flood of 2016; or generally:

  • What about Ascension?  There has been “No Study” or improvement to our parish since Flood of 2016 whereas Livingston has major improvements.
  • Stuff has been done but what has been impact?  Do we have measurable results?
  • Who will do the Traffic Impact Study?

Others confusion/hopelessness:

  • Where is the money coming from for all these road improvements?  State of LA already said they have “No Money” for road improvements.

 

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