[StBernard] design team

[Westley Annis]

John, I agree that our parish has enough residents who could combine their
expertise in various fields, and if you locked them in a room for two weeks,
could produce a great visionary plan. However, having been involved in
numerous charettes and community meetings for various public projects
outside our parish for the past 30 years, I can say that the public and the
elected officials, as well as the fed. 
government, always want an open, particpatory process of the stakeholders.
Had that been done for public works projects prior to the 1980s we wouldn't
have had interstate highways demolishing historic neighborhoods, the MRGO,
the IHNC, etc., all projects done in the days when experts worked isolated
for their clients.

Actually, in New Orleans, the process changed with the famous Second Battle
of New Orleans, which was when a core group of citizens fought the State,
the Federal Highway Admin, and the City and STOPPED the proposed I-10 loop
along the riverfront that would have put an elevated expressway in front of
the St. Louis Cathedral and destroyed the character of the French Quarter.

However, it is a very time consuming and expensive process to conduct and
document the series of public meetings that create this open planning
process. If nothing else is accomplished, at least by the LRA paying for
this team of professionals to do this charette, there will be documentation
and written report on our strengths, weaknesses, and one vision.  In other
words, this is a starting point. This architectural team will leave town and
move on, but their recommendations will be organized and can be a blueprint
that the parish can choose to follow all, part, or none. However, from what
I read about their work on the Gulf Coast and in Lake Charles, they have the
experience to pull together recommendations in days that would take others
much longer.

There is also a local team of three engineering/planning/architectural
firms that are being paid by FEMA for a different scope of work for the
entire parish. These firms are working on a deliverable product, too. 
They are Burk-Kleinpter, NY Asscociates, and Coastal Environmental Inc. 
In fact, Burk Kleinpeter did the beginning of a land use plan for the parish
many years ago, but due to lack of funds, it didn't go any further.

It was stated as yesterday's charette by the Planning Commission chair, Earl
Dauterive, that for many years the Planning Commission has repeatedly asked,
recommended, and practically begged the parish to find the money to update
the 1965 parish master plan. It was never funded.  I am attaching below the
resolution that I wrote and that  the Planning Commission passed recently
asking that funding for a master plan be included in the request to the LRA
using the federal money.
***************************************************
RESOLUTION ST. BERNARD PARISH PLANNING COMMISSION

ADOPTED AT SBPPC MEETING ON 12/27/05

A RESOLUTION OF THE ST. BERNARD PARISH PLANNING COMMISSION REQUESTING THE
COUNCIL AND THE ST. BERNARD PARISH CITIZEN RECOVERY COMMITTEE, A TEMPORARY
CITIZEN ACTION COMMITTEE FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING PREPARE AND ADVISING THE
COUNCIL ON THE ADOPTION OF A LONG-TERM COMMUNITY RECOVERY PLAN AS REQUESTED
BY THE LOUISIANA RECOVERY AUTHORITY TO RESPOND TO THE DEVASTATION CAUSED BY
HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA, TO INCLUDE IN THE LONG-TERM COMMUNITY RECOVERY
PLAN FUNDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE, NEW MASTER PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE PARISH.

    WHEREAS, St. Bernard Parish suffered severe damage to its housing stock,
health services, economic and workforce development, educational
institutions, social services, revenues, environmental and coastal
resources, and infrastructure and transportation;

    WHEREAS, the Governor established the Louisiana Recovery Authority
(LRA) as the state lead agency in recovery efforts; and

    WHEREAS, the LRA mission includes the preparation of 100 day, 1 year and
5 year long term recovery plans focused on the functional areas cited above;
and

    WHEREAS the first and only master plan for St. Bernard Parish was dated
1965 and is insufficient to meet the future needs of the Parish at this
critical time in its history;

    NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the St. Bernard Parish Planning
Commission that the Council and St. Bernard Parish Citizen Recovery
Committee are hereby requested to include in the Long-Term Community
Recovery Plan to be submitted to the LRA by January 25, 2006 a request for
at least $2 million for funding a new, comprehensive, parish-wide master
plan that includes, as a minimum the following elements:

A.  Investigation of Parish needs, opportunities and constraints in the
functional areas of the LRA;

B.  Outreach to the public, wherever they are located and solicitation of
public opinion, ideas and comments on issues, concerns and draft plans;

C.  The establishment of a long-term vision for the recovery and growth of
the Parish, consistent with the history, culture and character of the
community, as a livable place to live, work and play, with a sustainable
economy and public infrastructure to meet future demands in a fiscally and
environmentally sound manner while protecting the health, safety and general
welfare of the citizens of the Parish;

D.  Zoning, ordinances, subdivision regulations, building codes, and plans
for land use, transportation, drainage, sewerage, potable water,
telecommunications, and power.


Deborah Keller
Vice Chair SBP Planning Commission
Chair, Planning Commission, Strategic Land Use Committee