Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION & VISION  

Introduction  

The decennial Census of 2000 reckoned a wake up call to the St. Mary Parish governing authority, with a nearly 20 percent loss in population in the Parish. Population loss was not the only indicator of economic decline in the region. Sales tax revenues had declined and the unemployment rates during the late 1990s, 2000, and 2001 were among the highest in the state.

Recent studies had identified out-migration patterns as a function of the volatile oil and gas based economy, quality of life issues, and lack of available housing stock. Nonetheless, neighboring parishes blossomed. For example, Terrebonne Parish to the east and Iberia Parish to the west flourished during the last decade of the twentieth century while St. Mary Parish's economic indicators noted significant declines.

On the positive side, key indicators showed that middle and upper managerial positions as well as mid-level technical jobs were plentiful in the Parish. In fact, employment opportunities were so plentiful that the Parish was supplying neighboring populations with excellent, secure, well-paying jobs, as their residents commuted to St. Mary Parish to work.

In early 2002, the Parish Council decided to investigate economic and demographic issues plaguing the Parish and develop a plan that would address existing challenges facing the region, including population loss, economic development and future growth. The St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan will serve as a principal part the Parish's overall planning process, which involves many facets of the region.

The St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan includes a total of seven elements, each addressing the existing conditions, issues, goals, objectives, and actions for a particular facet of the community. The seven plan implements include: 

• Chapter 1 - Introduction and Vision

• Chapter 2 - Demographic and Economic Profile

• Chapter 3 - Land Use

• Chapter 4 - Transportation

• Chapter 5 - Natural Resources, Tourism, and Recreation

• Chapter 6 - Economic Development

• Chapter 7 - Plan Implementation

As a foundation of the plan is the Parish's desire to have economic development serve as the overriding guide, primary objective, and catalyst in creating and implementing the St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan.

LOCATION

As shown in Figure 1.1 - Study Area, St. Mary Parish is located in the mid-southern part of Louisiana along the Gulf of Mexico. The Parish is 691 square miles and has over 600 miles of inland waterways, making it a desirable place for shipping, fabrication and fishing industries. Municipalities in the Parish include Baldwin, Berwick, Franklin, Morgan City and Patterson. Morgan City is the largest community in the Parish with a population of 12,703 persons in the Year 2000. Unincorporated areas of the Parish include the communities of Charenton and Four Corners located on the west, Amelia on the east and Centerville and Bayou Vista, which are centrally located within the Parish. There are two ports located in the Parish, the Port of Morgan City and the Port of West St. Mary. Major industries in the region include agriculture, oil and gas, fisheries and tourism.

Figure 1-1 Study Area

Source: www.cajuncoast.com

WHAT IS PLANNING

Planning is the process of establishing goals and objectives and determining the means by which the Parish's vision may be achieved. It is a dynamic process that must be continuously monitored and renewed as changes occur. A Comprehensive Plan is long range, general, focused on physical and economic development and comprehensive in relating development proposals to the policies of the Parish Government. It is comprehensive both in analyzing the key components that affect future growth and development and in its geographic coverage of the Parish. The Parish's comprehensive plan must be flexible in responding to changing conditions and needs, yet steadfast in its vision and support for the Parish's goals and objectives.

PURPOSE

The St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan is the Parish's long-range plan that is intended to serve as a guide for policy decisions relating to the physical and economic development of the Parish. Once completed, the Comprehensive Plan will serve as a mechanism to manage development and redevelopment, make fiscally responsible infrastructure investments, enhance the recreation system, protect and preserve the Parish's precious natural resources, and provide tourism based economic opportunities. Most importantly, the plan will direct investment and reinvestment initiatives specifically guided to revitalization and enhancement of the Parish economy. The purpose of the St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan is to create a sustainable Parish wide economic stimulus package with the following linked objectives: 

• Identify and evaluate key issues pertinent to the economic well being of the Parish.

• Assess key economic development indicators, i.e., milestones in the Parish, as a measurement for comparison and contrast with itself (an internal baseline) as well as with neighboring localities, regions, and states.

• Assess existing transportation infrastructure in the Parish and region - its structural integrity, its usefulness, and its offering to the economic stability of the Parish.

• Evaluate the natural assets of the Parish and region and identify ways and methods to market those assets in an environmentally sustainable and non-exploitive manner.

• Identify and evaluate the unique strengths and opportunities of the Parish and region, while defining ways to create other opportunities from its weaknesses and threats.

• Include all incorporated and unincorporated areas of the Parish in the planning process including their governing authorities and citizens.

• Create and organize a unified effort among the Parish, the South Louisiana Economic Cooperative (SLEC), the Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LDED), utilizing its cluster approach to economic development, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD).

• Initiate incentives that create private sector opportunities in a sustained and coordinated manner so as to broaden and diversify the economic base of the Parish.

• Create an attitude of awareness and innovation regarding basic research, applied research, and the commercialization of the expanding field of environmental technology while sustaining the region's unique environmental heritage.

• Blend all of the region's assets into a sustained approach to enhance and enlighten economic development that places St. Mary Parish at the leading edge of economic development and diversification.

• Ensure successful implementation of the Parish plan as a benefit to its unique natural, cultural, and infrastructure assets by the identification of key milestones to gauge success and the creation and implementation of a Parish wide zoning ordinance.

The importance of this plan to the future of St. Mary Parish is paramount, particularly in light of the lack of a coordinated approach to planning in the Parish. The success of the plan will be measured not on what is included in the plan per se, but rather how elements and recommendations of the plan are implemented according to the priorities established by the citizenry, the municipalities, and the Parish Government. A strategic implementation plan is an essential component of this plan, which identifies the actions necessary to implement the plan and to achieve the results desired by participants in the planning process. Specific actions linked to goals and objectives of each of the plan elements are defined. In several instances, plan initiatives will begin concurrent with the development of this plan when significant opportunities are present.

AUTHORITY TO PLAN IN LOUISIANA

The St. Mary Parish Home Rule Charter, as noted in Article 1. Incorporation, Form of Government, Boundaries, Powers, in Section 1-01, was adopted " under the authority of Article VI, Section 5 of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974." This section of the Louisiana Constitution allows any local governmental subdivision to draft and adopt a home rule charter. Section 17 of Article 6 of the Louisiana Constitution, Land Use; Zoning; Historic Preservation, states the following: 

Subject to uniform procedures established by law, a local governmental subdivision may (1) adopt regulations for land use, zoning, and historic preservation, which by authority is declared to be a public purpose...

St. Mary Parish is a local governmental subdivision, which operates under a home rule charter and, subject to the charter, "is authorized....to exercise any power and perform any function necessary, requisite or proper for the management of its local affairs."

In Section 1-04, General Powers, the Charter includes the following: 

"The Parish government shall have and exercise such other powers, rights, privileges, immunities, authority and functions ....as may be conferred on or granted to a local governmental subdivision by the constitution and general laws of the state, and more specifically, the Parish government shall have and is hereby granted the right and authority to exercise any power and perform any function necessary, requisite or proper for the management of its affairs, not denied by this charter, or by general law, or inconsistent with the [Louisiana] constitution."

The following section of the Charter, 1-05, Special Powers, states that "The Parish government shall have the right, power and authority to pass all ordinances requisite or necessary to promote, protect and preserve the general welfare, safety, health, peace and good order of the Parish, including...the right, power and authority to pass ordinances on all subject matters necessary, requisite or proper for the management of Parish affairs......" Section 2-11, Action Requiring an Ordinance, states that "An act of the council having the force of law shall be by ordinance. An Act requiring an ordinance shall include but not be limited to those which:...(13) Adopt or modify the official parish map, (14) Adopt or modify regulations for review and approval of plats, (15) Adopt or modify subdivision controls or regulations, (16) Adopt or modify the zoning plan, maps, and regulations".

A DECISION MAKING TOOL

As a basis for decision-making, the St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan will provide information, identify existing conditions and characteristics, and establish governmental policies and strategies. In this regard, it will serve as a definitive source of information regarding the existing and future conditions and characteristics of the community. By its nature, the plan will serve all interests of the community offering the following benefits: 

• State the intentions of the governing authority regarding the physical development and infrastructure investment thereby creating certainty for landowners, developers, and the business community.

• Establish local policy and provide guidance toward an economic stimulus package for use by unincorporated areas, municipalities, and other political subdivisions.

• Identify programs and initiatives as specific statements of action to form a coordinated work program for the Parish.

• Identify and prioritize capital improvement needs.

• Indicate the type, scale, and density of future development and coordinate transportation and infrastructure improvements to create an orderly, predictable pattern of development.

• Serve as a blueprint for the future economic and physical development and well-being of the Parish, which is also useful to the business sector, other local, state, and federal agencies engaged in providing services and facilities to the citizenry.

THE PLANNING PROCESS AND CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT

The comprehensive planning process includes the major planning elements presented on page one of this chapter. It incorporates an in-depth inventory of existing and past socioeconomic, demographic, and infrastructure conditions. With input from the citizenry, a detailed set of goals and objectives to guide the Parish into the future will be formulated. As an aid to encourage economic growth and to create orderly development, a zoning ordinance and associated maps will also be prepared.

Citizen involvement is the cornerstone of the St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan. Effective mechanisms for their involvement are an essential part of the planning process. Through extensive citizen involvement, the comprehensive plan study will incorporate the community's values in terms of quality of life, character and scale of development, urban form and aesthetic appeal.

The Comprehensive Plan links citizens and elected officials alike as an essential part of the planning process. The plan has been prepared through the combined efforts of the Parish Council, Parish Staff, Economic Development Task Force (Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee) and the Consultant Team. Citizen participation in the process included the following involvement activities: 

• The St. Mary Parish President, Council, and staff were involved as major participants in plan development through their representation on the Plan's Advisory Committee. The Council also had a key role in making the decisions and choices that shape the form and detail of the plan. Draft copies of each plan element, were forwarded by the Chief Administrative Officer of the Parish to the Council for review as the plan development process proceeded. This approach offered a "checks and balance" approach to monitor the planning process.

• The Parish Government assigned its Economic Development Task Force, a group of 24 individuals from across the Parish, to serve as the plan's Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC). This group, with its primary charge being the balance of economic development and environmental stewardship, provided input and review during the plan development process and at key decision points. Five Advisory Committee meetings were held with such objectives as to identify the Parish's strengths and weaknesses, review draft plan elements and maps and provide local insight into the plan process.

• A Parish wide forum was held near the completion of the process to involve a large number of citizens and representatives of key interest groups in reviewing elements of the plan. The forum was widely publicized by the Parish in advance of the scheduled date and was promoted to draw upon residents' pride in their home environment and positive concern for its future.

• To incorporate the views of those with special expertise and interests relevant to the economic character and development potential of St. Mary Parish, stakeholder interviews were conducted with over 100 residents, infrastructure providers, business leaders, educators, real estate developers and brokers, civic leaders, and public officials as identified by the Parish and the WSA Consultant Team. These interviews were conducted to understand problems and opportunities, patterns of investment or disinvestments, and desires for economic development and viable strategies for St. Mary Parish.

• A strategy retreat was held with the CPAC (Economic Development Task Force) after they had reviewed the technical issue papers. The all-day retreat was a facilitated session devoted to discussing strategic responses to each technical issue paper topic and achieving commitment and consensus about implementation.

• The final state of the citizen participation involvement was a public hearing prior for consideration of the recommended Comprehensive Plan by the Parish Council.

A CONTINUOUS PLANNING PROCESS

The St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan should not be considered a static document, but rather the result of a continuous process to gather and evaluate information and make informed decisions based upon constantly changing conditions. The Plan is intended to be reviewed on a regular basis and updated as needed to maintain its applicability to current conditions and priorities of the Parish. At a minimum, the entire Plan should be revisited every five years and revised as needed to ensure that it still reflects the true values and direction of the Parish. However, while the Plan must be flexible to respond to changing needs, the Parish should remain steadfast in its vision and support for the core goals and objectives contained in the Plan.

VISION

The St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan is organized and implemented using a hierarchy of guiding principles. The overall Community Vision is at the top of the hierarchy. A set of community goals follow with supportive objectives and actions to form the implementation framework and provide direction for the future growth and development of the Parish. Each element has a vision statement, which is specific to the topic and consistent with the overall vision of the Parish. The definitions of the guiding principles are as follows: 

• A Vision Statement is a broad statement of how the Parish views itself as it moves into the 21st Century. A vision for the Parish is an ideal and unique image of the future based on the Parish's values.

• Goals are the general ends toward which efforts are directed. A goal addresses issues by stating policy intention. Goals are both qualitative and quantifiable, but are not quantified. Goals stretch and challenge the imagination, but are realistic and achievable.

• Objectives are clear targets for specific action. They mark interim steps toward achieving a long-range mission and the goal statements. Linked directly to goals, objectives are measurable statements of intent. They emphasize the results of Parish actions at the end of a specific time period.

• Actions are time-based quantifiable methods to achieve the goals and objectives. Formulated from goals and objectives, an action is the means for transforming goals to outcomes, with the best use of resources. An action reflects budgetary and other resources.

The St. Mary Comprehensive Plan and Louisiana Vision 2020

Louisiana Vision 2020 is a challenge to create a newer and better Louisiana, as stated in its executive summary, and to serve as a guide to economic renewal and diversification. The goal is to create a place "with a vibrant, balanced economy; a fully engaged, well-educated workforce; and a quality of life that places it among the top ten states in the nation in which to live, work, visit and do business".  

The first of three goals of Vision 2020 is education based. Its focus is to create a rich, diverse, complex organism in which businesses, institutions, and citizens are actively engaged in the pursuit of knowledge. Goal Two calls for an economy that is driven by a diverse and thriving set of technology-intensive industries. It places colleges and universities as important sources of expertise for problem solving, sources of technology for commercialization, and sources of well-educated graduates as potential employees. This goal suggests actively moving to diversify into emerging technology areas where high growth is expected in the coming years. It suggests a cluster approach to economic development that focuses on research and development investments.

Goal Three calls for increased personal income, for the elimination of poverty. Importantly, it calls for the preservation, development, and promotion of Louisiana's natural and cultural assets for their recreational and aesthetic values. It takes economic advantage of this heritage with a call for statewide expansion of the tourism industry.

OUR VISION… OUR DREAM… OUR REALITY

The St. Mary Parish Comprehensive Plan takes the state proposal, brings it down to the parish level, and addresses its primary objectives as its guiding force. St. Mary Parish's vision for the 21st century is broadly based. It presents an ideal image that focuses on optimizing the benefits of its vast natural resources while creating leading edge economic opportunities to improve the quality of life for citizens and visitors. The vision also fulfills the goals of the State's VISION 2020 plan by focusing on education, research and technology, and quality of life issues. The overall Vision Statement is as follows: 

"Concentrate on diversifying our economic base through delving into the realm of basic and applied research geared to commercialization, and on establishing St. Mary Parish as a leading parish in the preservation, development, and promotion of our natural and cultural assets for their intrinsic recreational and aesthetic values and as a resultant expansion of eco-tourism as well as cultural and event tourism".

In the future, with the implementation of this parish wide initiative, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, will be characterized by the following: 

• The economic development component of the parish is innovative yet practical in its approach to creating opportunities that benefit existing commercial enterprises while encouraging the growth and development of new diversified ventures. The economic base of the community is broadened, diversified, and sustainable and thereby less vulnerable to major fluctuations in only one or two industries.

• The Atchafalaya River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway are maintained such that the region can grow to become a center of industrial and marine fabrication and other maritime industries unsurpassed in the nation and one that is highly competitive in the worldwide marketplace.

• The parish is recognized for its solid economic base, one that incorporates optimal use of its renewable resources and conservative use of its non-renewable resources.

• The region is again acclaimed as offering the highest level of professional service to its citizens and its customer base from the smallest retail outlet to the largest industry.

• The community takes advantage of its existing infrastructure (airport, rail, interstate highway, ports, etc.) and lessons learned from its past economic opportunities (such as that provided by the timber industry and shallow-water oil and gas exploration and production) and applies that knowledge to current and future leading edge technologies. These technologies focus initially on the existing industries in the area and grow to be acclaimed as a center for the leading edge of environmental technology.

• As a leader in environmentally based technology, the region links solidly with LSU, UNO, ULL, and NSU on basic and applied research thereby offering high quality jobs targeted to young upwardly mobile families.

• The parish and adjoining areas, as a unifying link between New Orleans and Acadiana, builds upon the area's natural and cultural assets to create a new image for the parish and adjoining nearby regions-one that is positive, economically sound, and environmentally conscious.

• The Atchafalaya River, the Atchafalaya Basin, and the Atchafalaya Delta are held in high regard throughout the world, and St. Mary Parish is a primary eco-tourism destination for visitors and as a research center of national and international significance.

• Citizens realize that measuring educational standards to the Southern regional average is not acceptable, and elected officials, the educational community, and citizens alike unite in striving to measure up to the educational standards of leading counties in the country. The parish earns a reputation for offering high quality education, facilities, athletic programs, and personnel that create a climate conducive to sound economic and population growth.

• Its cities and unincorporated areas offer a strong and positive image regarding environmental awareness and stewardship characterized by stable and orderly population growth and development. The city and parish governments become aware of this new level of environmental consciousness, and unsightly locations are cleaned, curbside recycling is incorporated where feasible, and clean communities are the norm.

• Quality of life is of primary concern. The cities and unincorporated areas offer a full range of housing opportunities, and the governmental sector focuses on incentives and other funding opportunities to rehabilitate and/or redevelop areas in need of upgrading. The community is affordable. Crime is low. Cultural and recreational opportunities abound in first class fashion. Whether based on our natural resources such as hunting, fishing, and boating or organized sports, the parish places high emphasis on recreation and cultural enhancements.

HISTORY

St. Mary Parish was established in 1811 from the Attakapas District. The Attakapas District was bounded on the north by the Opelousas and Avoyelles Districts, on the east by the Atchafalaya River and Grand Lake, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west by the Mermentau River. In the 1730s the first Europeans began to settle in the area and were followed by the Acadians. Italian settlers arrived in the early 1800s and Anglo-Americans reached the area by the Atchafalaya Basin by the mid 19th century. During the mid 19th century the Attakapas District was divided into St. Martin and St. Mary Parish and Franklin was established as the Parish seat. During the 1790s, cotton and sugar grew as major commercial crops throughout southern Louisiana, primarily due to technology improvements in cultivation and processing. By the 1830s sugar had become the primary crop in St. Mary Parish. Today, sugar cane fields are still found throughout the Parish.

The oldest settlement in the Parish is Berwick. Morgan City, originally called Brashear City, was incorporated in 1860 and served as a key port for southern Louisiana. Franklin was founded in 1808 and established as a village in 1820. The town was primarily settled by immigrants from the upper South. Patterson's (originally known as Pattersonville) economy was initially supported by sugar cultivation and the operation of a sawmill. Baldwin, which was incorporated in 1913, was supported by the lumber industry and a sugar mill.

The oil and gas industry in the Parish dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, at which time there were at least three oil companies in the Parish. Off shore exploration began in the mid 1940s. (Source: Dot McConnell, St. Mary Parish)

According to the 2000 Census the population of the Parish is 53,500 persons. Major industries include oil and gas, fisheries, agriculture and tourism. More information on the demographic and economic characteristics of the Parish may be found in Chapter 2.