Plan focuses on rebuilding state
Kyle Jackson, The Daily Advertiser - May 10, 2007
A group organized to help revitalize the state wants to focus on regionalizing the Acadiana area, creating regional transit across the state and reinvesting in communities. More than 60 people heard the ideas at a Louisiana Speaks community meeting at the UL Museum of Art on Wednesday evening. The effort comes on the heels of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The group is working under the auspices of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.
"The idea was that Louisiana had to do more than just patch up what had happened," said John Fregonese, one of the lead consultants on the project. "The state had to think of a way to get better and stronger." According to Fregonese, the plan could span over the next 50 years in terms of revitalizing the state. It took roughly 18 months for the plan to reach its current incarnation, with more than 23,000 Louisiana citizens lending their ideas and thoughts on what would help Louisiana become more progressive.
"Louisiana has to grow smarter so we can improve this state's livability," he said. "We also need to think regionally - people need to come together and think beyond parish lines." Fregonese said the key components of the plan involve restoring the coastline, restoring the wetlands and strengthening the levee systems in specific areas.
He added that improving the state's transportation, such as building a light rail train system that would operate along Lake Charles and New Orleans and make commuting easier for those in between, and adding new evacuation routes within the southern Louisiana region would help the state in the long run. A projected budget of how much the proposed plans would cost to improve and regionalize the state was not ready at the time of the plan's unveiling, Fregonese said. The 18-month project was funded by private donors, Fregonese said. Wednesday night's meeting was the first in a series of public meetings that will be held across southern Louisiana to present the plan to citizens of the state. "This is a long-term vision for a stronger, safer Louisiana," said John Landry, one of the consultants on the project.
Lafayette city-parish President Joey Durel was in attendance at the meeting, and said the ideas presented by the Louisiana Speaks group "have brought the idea of regionalizing to a whole new level." "When life gives you lemons, you make champagne," Durel said. "Hopefully, Louisiana speaks will turn lemons into champagne." Those who attended the meeting held the proposed plans for the state in esteem.
"I thought it was good," Joe Dennis said, a local community activist. "I've been involved in studies for years, and the only thing we have to do is get the politicians involved. I liked the overall plan because if you can get it adopted, then it'll be easier to get things done locally."