By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

CONVENT – A steering committee charged with shaping the future of land use in St. James Parish is preparing to begin focus group meetings with residents on the growth and economic development.

The four focus group meetings mark the next step in an 18-month long comprehensive land use study in St. James Parish, which began in March under the guidance of the South Central Planning and Development Commission.

The committee includes 19 St. James Parish residents

Simonne Caesar, a representative for South Central Planning, said the parish council-appointed steering committee has been meeting monthly since April in an effort to introduce them to the planning process and get them acquainted with their role in the study. In addition to the focus group meetings, which begin July 26 at the Romeville Recreation Park from 6-8:30 p.m., Caesar said the steering committee would continue to meet monthly through the end of the year.

“The meetings have gone in several directions, but the members really have a handle on what is important regarding future growth,” Caesar said. “Recreation has been a big topic. There have also been many discussions about sewerage and drainage concerns. Every meeting has invoked lots of healthy conversation.”

The steering committee members have agreed the biggest opportunities for growth in St. James lie within attracting diverse business and industrial developments, as well as building new affordable housing. The project planners are interested in developing a creative land use plan to protect the natural landscaping while also making it welcoming to new commercial and financial opportunities.

“There is a sense of wanting to get a good handle on how residents want the land to look so that it is protected into the future,” said metropolitan planning administrator Leo Marretta. “You also want to leave room for economic development that will encourage growth parish wide.”

Caesar said the focus group meetings will be broken down into seven subgroups, and residents can pick and choose which groups to get involved in. She said the subgroups include housing, land use, public infrastructure and facilities, human services (education, health care, elder care and job placement), preserving community assets, economic development and transportation.

“The subgroups allow residents to branch off into elements of parish life that concern them most,” Caesar said. “Those who attend are allowed to offer input on as many subgroups as they like. The success of these meetings is dependant upon as much participation as possible.”

Future focus group meetings will be held on the following dates: Monday, Aug. 9 at the Lutcher Senior Center, 2631 Louisiana Ave., Lutcher; Monday, Aug. 23 at the West Bank Reception Hall, 2455 River Road, Vacherie; and Monday, Sept. 13 at the Welcome Recreation Park.

All meetings are from 6-8:30 p.m.