[StBernard] The New St. Bernard awaits you!!

[Westley Annis]

Westley, good morning. Have a great week! Let's move this parish forward --
today!! Marvin
 
 
Marvin LeBlanc serves on the Citizens Recovery Commission. This commitee of
27 St. Bernardians are primarily involved with developing a Master Plan to
be submitted 1/25/06 for Federal Funding.
 
  
Here's where you come in. I need your feedback now -- yes -- now.  
 
On what?
 
What would be a better St. Bernard for you? We have no interest in bringing
it back to what it was. Our vision is FAR Greater than this.  So what would
you like to "see" in your New St. Bernard?
 
Here's some thoughts.  I need yours. This is what I believe are the
priorities.
 
1. Miss. River Gulf Outlet Closed
 
2. The highest paid Teachers in the entire State of La.  
(Great schools bring back kids. Otherwise, it's nothing more than a
"retirement" community with stifled growth.)
 
3. Unbelievable landscaping 
(when you enter on Parish Road there is awesome landscaping at the entrance
to the parish. It sets a new visual expectation. Not just shrubs & such, but
something designed by world class landscape architects.)  Every major
intersection has well designed flower beds with gorgeous color. I will be
contacting the City of Point Clear, AL & Foley, AL - more on this later.
 
4. Tourism
 
A. St. Bernard Welcome Center (a nice, Acadian themed, well landscaped
information Center awaits you on the right side of the Parish Rd entrance
when you enter the parish. Every map, waterway, & business you need info on
is right there for you, with a knowlegeable St.Bernardian who sincerely
desires to help you)
 
 
B. Commercial Fisherman & Sports Fisherman infrastructure of Buildings &
Services
(the commercial fisherman needs new buildings, new wharfs, new warehouses,
new supply outlets - all conveniently located, for extreme ease of access so
they can most effectively do their job. The shrimper & the oyster fisherman
are 2 vital resources & must be high priority in the rebuild)
 
(the Sports Fisherman need their own separate accomodations, wharfs,
dockside eateries, dockside supplies. their needs are different)
 
(can you imagine "Parish owned" or "privately owned" Sportsman Condos. These
condos are built over the water, with boat slips beneath them & the condos
above them. The St.Bernard Tourism Commission could literally SELL this
concept to the world. We have the best sports fishing in the world, but we
have no infrastructure to take care of the OUT OF TOWN, OUT OF STATE
Sportman that wants to come visit. You rent them out year round. Can you
imagine the tax revenue from this one project?)
 
C. Stay committed to our current Tourism avenues. (Chalmette Battlefield,
Islenos Museum, etc)
 
D. The St. Bernard Riverpark -  (certainly if New Orleans can have
Woldenberg Park, our St. Bernard Riverpark can expand & enjoy a facility
built ON THE RIVER. This facility would contain several stages for
entertainment, lots of green space, running/walking/bike path, large paved
areas to accomodate thousands of people for Festivals Larger than those EVER
SEEN in St. Bernard. The river will provide a gentle breeze desperately
needed in St. Bernard in the summer months. Can you imagine the gorgeous
view of the river?  I can. What else do you see at the Riverpark?  A kiddie
pool, water slides, fountains. Dream with me. Post your thoughts here.
 
5. Green Space Projects - (with so many houses coming down, what do you
"see" is a wise use of the available Green Space?)
 
A. St. Bernard Sports Complex - (why can't we build the best sports complex
in the state?)  (Not just for baseball mind you, but multi-sport) 
   (Baseball, soccer, football, tennis courts, & a world class Olympic
Swimming Pool complete with exercise facility -- all in one location for all
   St. Bernardians to use.  Running to 3 & 4 ball fields should be a thing
of the past. Think "oneness", think "community".)
 
B. Subdivision Developments -  (with the available Green Space, we could
have different subdivision developments with different architectural themes
& different price ranges. Certainly the Acadian theme, (u guessed it I'm
pure Cajun), would be popular, perhaps a French Quarter "wrought iron" theme
would be neat. Attention Architects!, what are some other possibilities? I
would support stringent adherence to the Architectural Review Committee's
convenants  & restrictions for each developed area. The parish has too much
to lose otherwise. Synergy of construction in the subdivisions is critical
in the planning process.
 
 
Take the time to give me your thoughts, dreams, & visions. What cities have
you been to that you just loved & why? We want to incorporate these ideas
into planning our New St. Bernard.
 
 
Marvin.leblanc.cdia at statefarm.com