MOUGEOT ARCHITECTURE 10343 Siegen Lane, Building 7, Suite A Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810-4981 NEW ROADS, Louisiana COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN 2016 Mougeot Architecture, LLC LJC Planning and Design, LLC Villavaso & Associates, LLC i COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN 2016 NEW ROADS, LOUISIANA Robert Myer, Mayor City Council Anthony Daisy, Mayor Pro-Tem Vernell Davis, District 1 Bernadine St. Cyr, District 1 Kurt Kellerman, District 2 Kirk White, District 2 February 2016 prepared by Mougeot Architecture, LLC in collaboration with LJC Planning and Design, LLC and Villavaso and Associates, LLC i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks to the following: Citizens of New Roads Lynette Nelson and the City of New Roads Staff New Roads Planning and Zoning Commission Joyce Benton Stafford Chenevert Arthur Ewing Ben Farrar Melissa Smith New Roads Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Joyce Benton Les Cantrell Stafford Chenevert Anthony Daisy Arthur Ewing John Ewing Casey Guidry Donna Hammond Gail Hurst Stephen Jewell Joe Langlois Felix Lee Pedro Leonard Tommy Leonard Richard Maciasz Joe Major Brian Pangburn Salvador Rinaudo Paula Rush Theron Smith and Jimmy Laurent, Pointe Coupee Parish Tax Assessor and Staff ii TABLE of CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..............................................................................................................viii I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................I – 1 A. Background and Goals........................................................................................................................... I – 1 B. Objectives and Deliverables................................................................................................................... I – 1 C. Plan Development Process—Approach and Methodology ................................................................. I – 1 D. Review of Literature and Precedent Communities............................................................................... I – 5 II. VISION, GOALS, and OBJECTIVES..................................................................................II – 1 III. REGIONAL SETTING PLANNING INVENTORY...............................................................III – 1 A. General Setting......................................................................................................................................III – 1 B. Limit of Study ........................................................................................................................................III – 6 C. Historical Synopsis...............................................................................................................................III – 6 D. Regional Land Suitability Assessment .............................................................................................III – 10 1. Overview ..........................................................................................................................................III – 10 2. Topography, Drainage, and Floodplain ............................................................................................III – 11 3. Soils .................................................................................................................................................III – 14 4. Wetlands..........................................................................................................................................III – 17 5. Pipelines...........................................................................................................................................III – 17 6. Existing Land Use ............................................................................................................................III – 18 E. Regional Suitability Assessment Summary......................................................................................III – 20 1. Strengths..........................................................................................................................................III – 20 2. Weaknesses and Threats.................................................................................................................III – 20 3. Opportunities....................................................................................................................................III – 20 F. Regional Future Land Use..................................................................................................................III – 22 IV. SOCIOECONOMIC INVENTORY and ANALYSIS ........................................................... IV – 1 A. Base Data.............................................................................................................................................. IV – 1 B. Population and Age Characteristics................................................................................................... IV – 2 C. Income and Earnings........................................................................................................................... IV – 5 D. Property Value ..................................................................................................................................... IV – 7 E. Permits and Building Construction.................................................................................................... IV – 8 1. Residential ........................................................................................................................................ IV – 8 2. Commercial....................................................................................................................................... IV – 9 F. Socioeconomic SWOT Assessment................................................................................................. IV – 10 1. Strengths, Weaknesses and Threats, and Opportunities ................................................................ IV – 10 V. PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT................................................................................................ V – 1 A. Regional to City Transition................................................................................................................... V – 1 B. Citywide Street and Roadway Network ............................................................................................... V – 1 C. Land Use Assessment.......................................................................................................................... V – 5 1. Water—False River............................................................................................................................ V – 5 2. Industry and the Railroad Track ......................................................................................................... V – 5 3. Agricultural Land (Cropland, Pasture) and Undeveloped Land .......................................................... V – 7 4. Residential and Commercial Use ....................................................................................................... V – 7 iii 5. Institutional....................................................................................................................................... V – 13 a. Schools, Hospital, and Government Buildings............................................................................. V – 13 b. Parks and Recreation.................................................................................................................. V – 16 D. Traffic and Transportation.................................................................................................................. V – 20 1. Sidewalks and Bike ways................................................................................................................. V – 21 2. Streets and Intersections.................................................................................................................. V – 23 E. Utilities ................................................................................................................................................. V – 24 1. Electrical .......................................................................................................................................... V – 24 2. Sewerage......................................................................................................................................... V – 24 3. Water ............................................................................................................................................... V – 25 4. Gas .................................................................................................................................................. V – 25 5. Drainage .......................................................................................................................................... V – 25 6. Communication ................................................................................................................................ V – 25 VI. CULTURAL ASSESSMENT and IMAGERY .................................................................... VI – 1 A. Regional—Historic Corridors, River Courses, False River Oxbow.................................................. VI – 1 B. Downtown............................................................................................................................................. VI – 1 C. Historical District