East Baton Rouge Parish residents have one last chance to comment on FuturEBR, the update of the parish’s comprehensive plan. The public can review the plan and submit comments online here or at any city-parish library beginning Sunday. The plan respects current zoning but proposes new land-use categories, such as “urban neighborhood,” “university district” and “industrial,” intended to build on and enhance current uses. The plan incorporates work by the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority, the Blue Ribbon Commission on East Baton Rouge Transit and Plan Baton Rouge consultants.
Head FuturEBR planning consultant John Fregonese says job growth in the parish is solid, but the city needs more residential growth, which in part requires making core neighborhoods more attractive and fixing infrastructure. He compares the city to a really nice house that needs some work. “Your plumbing’s shot, you’ve got puddles in your lawn, and you need to take care of that,” Fregonese said at an open house last night at the Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Two more meetings are planned, for July 11 at BREC headquarters and July 12 at St. George Catholic Church, both at 6:30 p.m.
At a press conference today, Mayor Kip Holden seemed to anticipate criticism the plan might generate. “Our challenge now is to meet those naysayers head on,” he says. The Planning Commission could approve the update Aug. 22, with the Metro Council getting their chance Sept. 21. For a Business Report story about the plan, click here. —David Jacobs
