CITY-PARISH PLANNING COMMISSION

 LAFAYETTE NORTH PLAN PROPOSED  

LAFAYETTE RECOMMENDATIONS SUBMITTED THRU JANUARY 31, 2006: 

  1. BUDDY WEBB/ DAVE AYMOND/ HORACE GUIDRY – CITIZENS OF DIRECT ACTION: (CODA)

1)     COMMITMENT TO A NORTH/SOUTH BELTWAY OR LOOP AT GLORIA SWITCH ROAD AS #1 PRIORITY ON THE FINANCIALLY CONSTRAINED TRANSPORTATION PLAN WITH 300-FOOT, 5-LANE ACCESS/EGRESS TO GLORIA SWITCH AT 3-5 INTERSECTIONS

2)     REZONING OF MOSS STREET, WHERE CURRENT ZONING MAKES FOR HIGHLY LIMITED COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES

3)     ELIMINATION OF NORTH UNIVERSITY (HWY. 182) TRAFFIC BOTTLENECKS FROM LAFAYETTE TO CARENCRO  

  4)  EXPEDITING “BIG BOX” OR NAME COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS AT LOUISIANA AVENUE/I-10

5)     PLACEMENT OF A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT PONT DES MOUTON ROAD ALONG I-49

 

  1. YVONNE SALOOM –

6)     FORMATION OF A SOUTH LOUISIANA MULTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION - TO BE THE UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION OF ALL REGIONAL CIVIC, CULTURAL, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION AND EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.  ESTABLISHMENT OF A MULTICULTURAL CENTER RECOGNIZING THE MANY ETHNIC AND CULTURAL GROUPS WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CURRENT CULTURE.  PROMOTE TOURISM.

 

   3.   SANJAY KHAROD –

7)     ESTABLISH A HUB-CITY INTERNATIONAL MARKET (“THE HUB”) – LOCATED IN LAFAYETTE’S NORTHSIDE/DOWNTOWN DISTRICT NEAR PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL PARKS AND WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF DOWNTOWN FESTIVALS, PARADES AND OTHER TOURIST SITES.

8)     MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY CENTER (“THE CENTER”)

IN DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, IF POSSIBLE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UL DEPARTMENT OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA HISTORY AND CULTURE AND ECO-TOURISM CENTER.

 

    4.   GLORIA TRAHAN LINTON –

    9)     RESTORE HOLY ROSARY INSTITUTE (“HRI”) TO ITS FORMER STATE OF PROMINENCE AND FURTHER DEVELOP A MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER FOR ECONOMIC, EDUCATION, MULTICULTURAL, SOCIAL, CULTURAL HUMANITARIAN AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE COMMUNITY AND DIOCESE, STATE, NATION AND WORLD.  EXAMPLE: LAFAYETTE WORLD TRADE CENTER.

    10)  INITIATE  MONTHLY, SEASONAL, OR ANNUAL CAPITAL FUNDING, SUCH AS       EXHIBITS, PARADES OF ALL NATIONS

 

    5.       WALLACE  SENEGAL –

11)  MAJOR HOSPITAL – NORTH OF I-10, SOUTH OF GLORIA     SWITCH, EAST OF UNIVERSITY, WEST OF LA. AVE, (WOULD  APPRECIATE CONSIDERATION OF A NEW HOSPITAL IN THIS  AREA)

 

    6.    ED SAM - 

    12)  RED LIGHT NEEDED AT CORNER OF WILLOW AND TEURLINGS

    13)  REDEVELOP NORTHGATE MALL – USE OF BUILDING – TO STIMULATE BUSINESSES TO LOCATE POSSIBLY IN THE MALL (SUCH AS TARGET, SAMS, AND SMALL BUSINESSES)

    14)  RENAMING WILLOW STREET TO MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ASKING  PC AND CITIZENS OF THIS GROUP TO REQUEST RENAMING WILLOW (FOLLOWING SEVERAL  PAST ATTEMPTS)

    15)  NORTHSIDE FRONTAGE ROAD ISSUES (I-10) (I-49). NEEDS RECOGNITION AND ACTION

 

    7.    JOHN FREEMAN –

    16)   CONSOLIDATE (NORTHSIDE) GROUPS FOR INFORMATION.

    17)   CONSIDER URBAN PART OF LAF. NORTH AS A PRIORITY.

    18)   SURREY STREET EXPANSION (WIDENING)

         19)   BUSINESS DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT      

      20)   TIE-IN DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE TO AIRPORT...DOWN SURREY, TO MOSS            

        (EXPANDED COMMERCIAL AREAS THROUGH IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE)

 

8.    ED BUCHERT –

    21)   WHAT DIRECTION IS LAFAYETTE NORTH GOING? HOW ARE WE GOING TO SUSTAIN           NORTH SIDE FOR VIABLE INVESTMENT.

      22)   TAKE ACTION AND STEPS FOR BUSINESSES TO RELOCATE TO LAFAYETTE NORTH 

            AREA. USE TIF PROPOSALS

           23)   WHY ARE WE TERMINATING NORTH AT GLORIA SWITCH? (SEEMS NORTH LAFAYETTE 

                RUNS THROUGH CARENCRO)

      24)   LOUISIANA AVENUE. CORRIDOR PLANS (SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED).

 

9.       MITZI MOSS DUHON –

    25)   EXTEND LAFAYETTE NORTH BOUNDARY TO ST. LANDRY PARISH.

    26)   LOUISIANA AVENUE CORRIDOR PLANS (NEEDED).

      27)   CONCERNED ABOUT DEEP DITCHES AT PONT DES MOUTON

      28)   STOP SIGN CONFUSION AT A PAVED AND GRAVEL ROAD(Larrabee Pit Road and 

            Woodpecker Road).  YIELD SIGN IS NEEDED AT GRAVELROAD.

      29)   FRONTAGE ROADS ON I-10 ARE NEEDED

      30)   “WELCOME TO LAFAYETTE” PACKAGE DISPLAY (SIGN).

 

10.   MAYOR BRASSEAUX –

    31)    REASON FOR BOUNDARY OF LAFAYETTE NORTH AT GLORIA SWITCH ROAD?

      32)    CARENCRO HAS USED (IMPLEMENTED) LINC SUGGESTIONS

      33)    WOULD LIKE CARENCRO TO BE CONSIDERED IN LAFAYETTE NORTH.

 

11.   CHARLES LARROQUE –

    34)   INTRODUCTION – DEVELOPMENT/PROMOTION OF LOUISIANA FRENCH CULTURAL 

            PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 

         35)   AIM FOR GLOBAL VISION – LAFAYETTE AS A FRENCH CULTURAL CROSSROADS FOR  

                THE AMERICAS.

         36)   CULTURAL TOURISM AS A INSTITUTION – USE TOURISM EARNINGS AS MEANS TO 

                ALLEVIATE POVERTY AND GENERATE EMPLOYMENT.

            37)   DEVELOP NEW PRODUCTS/SERVICES –

A. CUISINE – COOKING SCHOOLS

B.  MUSIC/DANCE – WORKSHOPS – LA. FOLK ROOTS SERIES

C.     MAKING MARDI GRAS COSTUME/MASK MAKING ETC.  (PROPOSAL PRESENTED)

D.     A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT –

a.       FRENCH IMMERSION AND FRENCH PROGRAMS LINKED TO HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY (INTERNSHIPS, ETC.)

b.      MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL FRENCH PROGRAMS WITH TOURISM THEMES

                                   

12.  KALISTE SALOOM, JR. 

     38)   ENHANCE LOCAL CULTURE

     38)   ENHANCE INFRASTRUCTURE    

     39)   ENHANCE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (INCENTIVES)

     40)   ZONING FOR ENTIRE NORTH AREA - RESIDENTIAL,

         COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL, ETC. 

     41)   IMPLEMENT ORGANIZED METHOD FOR GROWTH.

       42)   WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO CHART THE AREAS FUTURE.

         43)   AGREES WITH EXPANSION OF LAFAYETTE NORTH

   BOUNDARY TO ST. LANDRY PARISH.

 

13.  TOM PESACRETA –

     44)   UNIVERSITY AVE. PROBLEMS NEED TO BE WORKED OUT

     45)   NEED FOR HOSPITAL ON NORTH SIDE FOR FUTURE.

 

14.  COUNCILMAN DALE BOURGEOIS –

         46)   NEXT PHASE OF LA. AVE TO GLORIA SWITCH ROAD COMING   SOON.

       47)   2030 DEMOGRAPHIC PLAN WAS DISCUSSED AS WELL AS A

  MAJOR NEW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR NORTH LAFAYETTE.           

 

15.  LETTER RECEIVED ON DEC 22ND  FROM JIM ROGERS

       48) RECOMMENDING EXPANSION OF THE “LAFAYETTE NORTH” GEOGRAPHY (BOUNDARY).

 

   16. DELIVERED PROPOSAL ON JAN 12TH FROM CHARLES LARROQUE

      49)  INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAFAYETTE PROPOSED AT THE SITE OF THE OLD HOLIDAY INN NORTH (NORTHEAST CORNER OF I-10 AND I-49).  THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAFAYETTE IS CONCEIVED AS THE LAFAYETTE NEXUSBETWEEN SOUTH LOUISIANA’S CULTURAL ASSETS AND THE “CULTURAL INDUSTRIES” NOW FUELING THE EXPONENTIALGROWTH OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.  FOOTNOTE: CULTURAL INDUSTRIES ARE THOSE INDUSTRIES WHICH PROVIDE TANGIBLE OR INTANGIBLE ARTISTIC AND CREATIVEOUTPUTS, AND WHICH HAVE A POTENTIAL FOR WEALTH CREATION AND INCOME GENERATION THROUGH THEEXPLOITATION OF CULTURAL ASSETS AND PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE-BASED GOODS AND SERVICES (BOTHTRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY).  WHAT CULTURAL INDUSTRIES HAVE IN COMMON IS THAT THEY ALL USE CREATIVITY, CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLECTUALPROPERTY TO PRODUCE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WITH SOCIAL AND CULTURAL MEANING.

 THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAFAYETTE WOULD

 INCLUDE:

  A)  IMMERSION HIGH SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES (FRENCH,

                                SPANISH, CHINESE, ETC.)

                          B)  SOCIO-CULTURAL INCLUSION BUILDING AND PROMOTING

                                THE CULTURAL INDUSTRIES SECTOR OF THE LOUISIANA

ECONOMY BY FOCUSING ON THE ORIGINATION, PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF LOCAL CREATIVE GOODS AND SERVICES.  (CREOLE, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, FRENCH, ACADIAN RESOURCES).

                          C)  INTERNATIONAL LINKAGES FOR THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

        IN LANGUAGE SKILLS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

  D)  ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) TRAINING

        CENTER

  E)   UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

  F)   COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL UL, TLC, SLCC SCHOOLS

        AND FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN

        APPRENTICESHIPS

                          THE I-10/I-49 INTERCHANGE AREA IS THE CENTRAL

CROSSROADS LOCATION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL 

INSTITUTE OF LAFAYETTE.    

 

17.  FAYE TOUCHET RECOMMENDATIONS MADE ON JAN18TH

             50)  NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY MUST BE IMPROVED –  PERCEPTION AND REALITY

                  51)  EDUCATION MUST BE ENHANCED TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

                  52)  AESTHETICS OF THE NORTHSIDE MUST BE PRIORITY

                  53)  SHOPLIFTING IS A PROBLEM FOR BUSINESSES AND NEEDS TO BE REDUCED  

 

18.  WANIS WASHINGTON RECOMMENDATION MADE ON JAN 18TH 

              54)  ENHANCED LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR BETTER CRIME PREVENTION (SAFE                     NEIGHBORHOODS)

 

    19.  FRED PREJEAN EMAIL ON JAN 23RD

                  55)  ESTABLISH NORTH LAFAYETTE DEMOGRAPHICS ON:

                          1.            SKILLED LABORERS

                          2.              UNSKILLED LABORERS

                          3.         8TH GRADE EDUCATION

                          4.         12TH GRADE EDUCATION

                          5.            COLLEGE AND VOCATIONAL (2YRS)

                          6.            COLLEGE (4YRS)

                   56)  ADDRESS AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

     PROVIDED BY NORTH LAFAYETTE SCHOOLS WITH EMPHASIS

     ON INCREASED TEST SCORES.

                   57)  NEIGHBORHOOD STREETSCAPE PROJECTS

                   58)  NEIGHBORHOOD SIDEWALKS

                   59)  NEIGHBORHOOD MINI-PARKS AND GREEN SPACES

                   60)  NEIGHBORHOOD NURSERY SCHOOLS

        61)  MORE COMMERCIALIZATION OF OUR FOOD, MUSIC AND

  CULTURE.

             62)  CREATE MORE FESTIVALS LOCATED IN NORTH

            63)  TARGET AND RECRUIT INDUSTRY TYPES WHO’S LABOR

  POOL REQUIREMENTS MATCH THE SKILL LEVEL OF NORTH

  LAFAYETTE RESIDENTS

            64)  PROMOTE SMALL BUSINESS INVOLVEMENT AND INVESTMENT

            65)  TARGET THE TOURIST MARKET AS A SOURCE OF NEW REVENUE

            66)  CREATE CLUSTERS OF RETAIL SHOPS MARKETING CULTURAL PRODUCTS TO TOURISTS.

       67)  DETERMINE WHAT TYPE BUSINESS COULD BE SERVED BY THE CURRENT NORTH LAFAYETTE LABOR POOL

       68)  CONSIDER A TIF (TAX INCREMENT FINANCING) DISTRICT FOR THE I-10 FRONTAGE ROAD PROJECT

       69)  CONSIDER A TIF DISTRICT FOR THE I-49 AREA

       70)  CREATE A FEDERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (CDIF)

            71)  NEED ECONOMIC ENTERPRISES ATTRACTED BY I-10 AND I-49

            72)  I-10/1-49 INTERCHANGE STRUCTURAL MONUMENT WITH COLORFUL LIGHTS SEEN 

                FROM FAR AWAY (GATEWAY)

            73)  CREATE NEW NEO-TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS FOR MIDDLE AND LOWER INCOME    

                RESIDENTS    

20.  LETTER RECEIVED ON JAN 24TH FROM DANA MOREAU

       74)  I-10 AT UNIVERSITY AVENUE (EXIT 101) IS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF OUR CITY TO OUR VISITORS.  CURRENTLY,OUR FRONT DOOR IS IN NEED OF MAJOR CARE AND ATTENTION.

           75)  THERE IS VERY LITTLE SIGNAGE INDICATING ENTRANCE TO

OUR UNIVERSITY. IT WOULD BENEFIT (THE COMMUNITY) TO    PLACE SOME EMPHASIS IN REPRESENTING THE ENTRANCE TO OUR UNIVERSITY.  A FEW THOUGHTS ARE PLACING LARGE SIGNAGE INDICATING GATEWAY TO UL, STRATEGIC PLACEMENT OF RED UL STREET POLE FLAGS, AND POSSIBLY RED AND WHITE ROCK BEDS IN FLEUR DE LIS DESIGN

           76)   THERE IS LITTLE OR NO LANDSCAPING IN THIS AREA.  A

COST EFFECTIVE, LOW MAINTENANCE DESIGN IS IN NEED - -   IN A COLOR SCHEME THAT WOULD ALSO SHOWCASE OUR UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE.  IT WOULD CONVEY COMMUNITY SPIRIT, PROMOTE OUR UNIVERSITY AND REVAMP THE AREA CURB APPEAL THAT IS SUFFERING FOR ATTENTION.

       77)   RECURRENT GRASS CUTTING IS NEEDED AT THIS EXIT AND

ALL (INTERSTATE 10) EXITS TO LAFAYETTE.  CURRENTLY,   GRASS IS CUT 3-4 TIMES A YEAR AND IS NOT CUT WITH GROOMING DECKS.  MORE FREQUENCY OF THE CUTTINGS AND UTILIZING A TRACTOR WITH A GROOMING DECK WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN APPEAL OF OUR EXITS.  OUR HOTEL IS CURRENTLY CUTTING THE GRASS AREA THAT FRONTS MARTIN LUTHER KING, UNIVERSITY AVENUE AND I-10.

78)      THE UNDERPASS AT I-10 EXIT 101 HAS BEEN WEEDED AND

PRESSURE WASHED ONCE IN 2005 (BY LOCAL BUSINESSES).  THE WEEDS WERE OVERGROWN AND TRASH HAD ACCUMULATED DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE OVERPASS FROM VAGRANTS.  THIS CLEANING SHOULD BE SCHEDULED PERIODICALLY.

79)      A SOLUTION TO ABANDONED BUILDINGS IS ALSO NEEDED.

 THIS IS A DETERRENT AS WELL TO OUR CURB APPEAL (IN      

 THE AREA).  THERE ARE CURRENTLY THREE ABANDONED  

 BUILDINGS THAT ARE A MAGNET TO VAGRANTS.  IF THERE

 IS NO SHELTER FOR THEIR USE, THEY WOULD HAVE NO

 CHOICE BUT TO MOVE ON.  BUSINESS OWNERS OR

 MANAGERS OF OPERATING BUSINESSES WOULD NOT LET

 THEM LOITER.

80)      I FEEL THAT THIS PROJECT (AND THESE IMPROVEMENTS) 

   ARE IMPORTANT AND HOPE THAT THEY CAN BE ADDED TO

   THE LIST OF PRIORITIES IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.