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Conservation
Environment
Recreation, and
Culture
Introduction:
Lafayette is a rapidly growing urban area and the committee understands the need
to provide adequate recreational spaces and services in the face of
increasing population growth and economic development in Lafayette
Parish. Steps should be taken to increase the variety and number of recreational opportunities
available to current residents and to provide for the increased demands
of the future.
Non-Capital Recreation Funding in Southeast and Southwest Cities
| City |
Per Capita Expenditure |
| Savannah, GA: |
$71.59 |
| (130,000) |
| Irving, TX: |
$69.86 |
| (180,000) |
| Chattanooga, TN: |
$67.14 |
| (147,000) |
| Winston-Salem City, N.C.: |
$58.85 |
| (168,000) |
| Shreveport, LA: |
$57.48 |
| (187,000) |
| Chandler, AZ: |
$45.58 |
| (170,000) |
| East Baton Rouge Parish: |
$44.31 |
| (480,000) |
| Little Rock, AR: |
$37.50 |
| (180,000) |
| L.C.G, Lafayette, La.: |
$32.90 |
| (164,472) |
| Arlington, TX: |
$27.23 |
| (315,000) |
| *From respective city budgets online and interviews with city officials. |
Recommendation No. 1
Lafayette Consolidated Government should fund necessary grant writer positions for
the purposes of obtaining additional federal, state and private funding for recreation
programs and planning for Lafayette Parish. This position should be focused on procurement
of grants to help build resources for recreation and open space initiatives in the community
and coordinating between and among L.G. departments for such grants.
Commentary: Lafayette Consolidated Government should make the obtaining of
funds for increased recreational opportunities a top priority. Limited local resources hamper
this effort. A full-time grant position dedicated solely for recreation and open space programs
should more than offset the payroll cost within two years. Federal, state and private agencies
and foundations are in place to help local governments facilitate such programs. This new position
is a good investment that can pay for itself within a short term. Grant writing is a time-consuming
process and calls for technical knowledge and expertise. A grant writer can generate revenues and
this should be a necessary goal.
Recommendation No. 2
Lafayette Parish operating revenue for the Recreation Department should be increased to a per
capita standard based on parish population.
Commentary: The committee found it difficult to ferret through the comparison of
programs and responsibilities of the many peer recreation departments reviewed. However, the introductory
table to this element is a reasonably accurate comparison (apples to apples) to the Lafayette Recreation
Department. Winston-Salem, North Carolina has an excellent program and model to follow and could be the
goal and standard to follow. The committee determined that the parish property tax millage is the
logical and practical source for increased public funding for recreation and open space development
in the parish. The parish municipalities have varying degrees of funding for their respective
recreation programs. The fragmentation and inconsistency should be stabilized with a parishwide
base of support. A minimal per capita annual funding in the amount of $60. should be achieved
within the next few years and sustained through periodic increases. Recreation is a quality of
life issue for the parish and should be supported as both a benefit for parish residents and an
asset to economic development.
Recommendation No. 3
Land donations for parks and open space should be solicited and accepted based on the overall
needs and plan for the parish.
Commentary: The Committee strongly advocates the encouragement of private donations
of land to both government and private foundations for the purposes of establishing parks and protecting
environmentally or culturally significant sites/open spaces for current and future generations. The
parish cannot wait for urban development to create the shortage of available sites and opportunities.
There should be an on-going program to acquire and secure appropriate locations well in advance of need.
But these potential park and open space sites must be part and compatible with the Comprehensive Plan for
the Parish.
Recommendation No. 4
Neighborhood parks and pocket parks should be established in both new and existing neighborhoods.
Commentary: Residents are increasingly demanding public spaces and playgrounds in
their neighborhoods. Pocket parks are small parks in neighborhoods or commercial developments that
allow for a wide variety of uses, sometimes just a little garden or green space, sometimes a playground,
etc. Pocket parks can be made from vacant lots, corner lots that are too close to commercial uses, areas
that are prone to flood, or are unusually shaped and cannot be built upon. The committee believes that
setting aside a small parcel for recreation and green space will enhance the attractiveness of our
neighborhoods and accomplish many of the goals of this plan. Maintenance should be coordinated
through neighborhood organizations with the assistance of the Lafayette Consolidated Government.
Recommendation No. 5
The City-Parish should acquire, at a minimum, eight (8) twenty-five acre parcels for area parks
in the following locales:
1) North of Gloria Switch Road, East of I-49, West of Bayou Vermilion
2) West of North University Avenue, North of Ira Street
3) South of Gloria Switch, West of Ambassador Caffery North and North of I-10
4) West of Coulee Isle des Cannes, South of I-10 and North of Ridge Road
5) South of East Broussard Road, East of Johnston St. and West of Bayou Vermilion
6) East of East Broussard Road, South of Vincent Road and West of Verot School Rd
7) South of Fortune Road, West of La. Hwy. 89, and East of Verot School Road
8) East of La. Hwy. 89, South of Ambassador Caffery South, and West of Hwy. 90
Commentary: Over the next century, the population of Lafayette will expand and
become more prosperous and urban. Therefore, the demand for parks and recreational activities will
increase substantially. Twenty-five acres is generally considered the minimum requirement for a
park serving an area larger than a single neighborhood. The Committee strongly supports a diversity
in the kinds of park facilities available to residents. Parks should be not just for ball fields, but
for passive recreation as well. There should be clearly defined green spaces for passive recreation,
such as hiking, public art, picnics, et cetera.
Recommendation No. 6
Public access to the Bayou Vermilion for recreation should be improved and expanded.
Commentary: The Bayou Vermilion is a resource for all the people of Lafayette,
and should be seen as such. People who use a waterway for recreation are less likely to use it
as a dumping ground. The Bayou Vermilion District is tasked with the responsibility to improve
the Bayou Vermilion through water quality and recreation use. Development along the river should
be encouraged to provide public viewing and access along the Bayou with the ultimate goal being to
further increase recreational use along this water through the parish.
Recommendation No. 7
Bike trails/ways should be built throughout the Parish, including along major and minor
arterials following a comprehensive plan for such a system.
Commentary:
Most humans have the ability to ride a bike. It is generally an accepted form of transportation
for adolescents. Many university students still ride a bike to school out of convenience if not
necessity. Many adults would ride a bike today if practical and safe routes could be identified
and developed for their recreational use. The federal government has been promoting the construction
of bikeways as an alternative mode of transportation. The committee views the dual purpose of bike
routes for both a recreation and transportation alternative to encourage a comprehensive plan for a
phased in construction program.
Recommendation No. 8
Stormwater Drainage/Retention facilities should be considered for potential recreational
development throughout the parish. This is similar to recommendations made by the Land Use
and Urban Design Subcommittees.
Commentary:
The committee strongly supports the recommendations of the Land Use, Drainage and Urban Design
Subcommittees and the full Steering Committee regarding the need for localized and possibly regional
storm water retention/detention facilities and recommends such facilities be constructed in accordance
with the results of a parish-wide comprehensive drainage study. The committee also recommends that
agencies such as the BVD and DEQ cooperate in the construction of these facilities.
It is imperative that Lafayette Parish construct and maintain retention facilities in order to
accommodate the runoff from increased commercial and residential development. These facilities
will: a) alleviate the flooding which regularly disrupts the parish; b) provide a source of
recreation and therefore economic benefit/ revenue for the area; c) encourage eco-tourism; d) employ
a considerable workforce and; e) supply dirt for the berms and landscaping throughout the parish.
Such a facility could incorporate University programs in wildlife management and renewable resources.
Recommendation No. 9
Community public gardens should be established on available vacant lots.
Commentary:
The Committee recognizes a need for putting vacant residential lots owned by the City-Parish to
productive use, rather than allowing them to become overgrown and littered. There have been many
successful public garden programs in urban areas, both large and small, throughout the U.S. and
guidelines are available from HUD that will help neighborhoods plan their projects.
Recommendation No. 10
Linear parks along streets, waterways, and arterials should be established.
Commentary: Linear Parks take advantage of physical and manmade corridors which are
pre-existing or planned. They allow for a variety of uses, especially walking, jogging, or biking,
and can serve to screen residential areas from roadways and protect rights-of-way from encroachment
by adjacent land uses. Linear parks are proposed as an integral part of the Camellia Blvd. and I-49
Connector projects and should be planned when new roadways are built through established residential
areas.
Recommendation No. 11
Bus stops should have shelters and benches and should be constructed with shade in mind,
especially trees.
Commentary: Making the transit service more user-friendly safe, and attractive will help accomplish the
goals of this comprehensive plan as well as provide recreational bike riders with convenient stops
throughout the parishwide transit and bikeway system. Though the recommendation is centered on bus
stop shelters doubling as bikeway rest stops it should also be considered as a pedestrian rest stop
where adequate sidewalks are installed or planned.
Recommendation No. 12
The Committee recommends that L.C.G. support expansion of the Acadiana Nature Station to encourage
eco-tourism, as well as consider construction of additional nature stations throughout the parish.
Commentary: The Acadiana Nature Station is a valuable resource for locals as well
as a potential draw for visitors who wish to experience the natural beauty south Louisiana has to
offer. Wetlands located around this facility should be acquired both to protect the existing trails
and station and to increase the potential nature areas for eco-tourism opportunities. Additional
nature stations need not be confined to wetland areas.
Recommendation No. 13
Multi-purpose recreation centers are needed outside the corporate limits of the City of Lafayette.
Commentary: Sufficient capital dollars have been made available by City of Lafayette sales tax collections to
fund recreation improvements within the corporate limits. Unfortunately, the parish revenue is grossly
insufficient to develop and maintain parks, much less recreation centers in the unincorporated suburban
areas. This inadequacy emphasizes the need for new parish revenue particularly dedicated to recreation
needs.
Recommendation No. 14
A fourth golf course should be planned for the western portion of the parish south of I-10, and
additional golf courses should be planned for throughout the parish in the future.
Commentary: The growth and popularity of golf makes it incumbent on the Consolidated Government to prepare
for a fourth golf course in that portion of the parish currently lacking either a private or public
course. Potentially, this fourth proposed golf course could be designed and planned in conjunction
with a major area retention/detention facility in the western area of the parish. Combining the two
uses together makes sense to committee members and it is strongly recommended that a feasibility study
be made for operation and maintenance of such a combined operation.
Recommendation No. 15
Assuming a doubling of the Lafayette Parish population (2000 Census = 190,500) over the next one
hundred years and assuming the current recreation acreage (1,500 acres) is adequate for the current
population, then the Consolidated Government should plan to double the recreation acreage over the
next one hundred years at a rate of fifteen acres per year.
Commentary: Existing park properties within the parish have been developed. Should
there be more? The committee members unanimously agreed there should be. The City-Parish must prepare
a comprehensive plan for recreation and open space and develop the resources to implement the plan,
particularly in the acquisition of property on a consistent and timely basis and where it will be
needed.
Recommendation No. 16
A Volunteer Lafayette Recreation Action Team should be established to promote and secure organized
national sports competition and recreational facility uses in Lafayette Parish Parks and Recreation
Centers.
Commentary: Lafayette City-Parish Recreational Facilities should be utilized to the
greatest degree practical for both local users and for national recreational competitions. A special
recreational marketing team targeted to the needs of national competitions should be organized to
promote Lafayette for selected national meets. The economic potential for sponsoring national
competitions locally is only limited by the efficient operations and use of available facilities.
Similar to the Lafayette Visitors and Convention Center staff support, this proposed Recreation Action
Team would be specialized to determine the best matches of local facilities and accommodations to the
national recreational competition needs.
Recommendation No. 17
Maintaining public parks and open spaces should be raised to a new community standard with a
dependable source of revenue.
Commentary:
Committee members note the minimal level of maintenance at most public park and open space areas.
Rather than landscaped areas, grass and ordinary trees and shrubs appear to be the norm.
The committee recommends that more be done to improve the on-going appearance of these areas.
Recommendation No. 18
A Comprehensive Park and Open Space Plan for Lafayette Parish should be prepared within the next
three years and Lafayette Consolidated Government and all of the other municipalities' Recreation
budgets should be divided annually into three categories: a) Operation and Maintenance, b) Capital
Construction and c) Property Acquisition.
Commentary:Economic conditions fluctuate and government sales tax revenues fluctuate accordingly. Budget
restrictions should not hamper sound planning. The best time to invest in business is often in
the worst economic times. Future park and recreation properties may best be acquired during slow
downs in the local economy. The future appears bright for Lafayette Parish and we must strive to
build a quality of life for succeeding generations to enjoy and share.
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