Earlier this week, the Boulet administration announced that the Mardi Gras route would pass down Jefferson Street again - which it hasn't done since the late 1990s.
Today, the chief of the downtown Lafayette organization made a social media post urging more input on that plan.
Kevin Blanchard, CEO of Downtown Development Authority is asking that plans be made to accommodate the concerns he's heard.
"I've been hearing from a lot of folks in the last couple days-business owners, residents, and our neighbors. There's excitement about the potential energy and foot traffic this could bring to our small businesses downtown. We have room to grow Mardi Gras downtown, so we are optimistic," Blanchard wrote. "But I am also hearing many valid concerns about logistics and access: how barricades will affect parking and business access when the parades aren't rolling; how to protect the new landscaping that's being installed as we speak in every cypress bed on Jefferson (come see our progress!); how cleanup will be handled, and; whether there's enough room downtown for spectators to safely gather. This last concern is especially important. The proposed new route would be about half the space of the old route. The floats may fit down Jefferson Street; we need to make sure that people can fit too."
The route was moved back in the late 1990s for a landscaping-related reason: after the city spent millions on the streetscape that reconstructed the road and now adorns Jefferson Street with cypress trees, plantings, fancy light poles and pavers, officials at the time were loathe to subject that investment to the boisterous carnival crowds, and the route was shifted.
With the reversion to the old route, parking also will be an issue, Blanchard said.
"We are excited about the possibilities, but we need to get the details right. Mardi Gras is a major tradition for Lafayette. If the route comes downtown, we want to make sure it's done in a way that supports both our local businesses and the broader community that celebrates here," he said. "With that goal in mind, we are encouraging the City to: Develop a public plan for parking, fewer barricades (which allows for more frequent pick up and deployment), post-parade cleanup, and protecting new public improvements. Involve downtown stakeholders directly in route and event planning. Ensure enough public space and programming for families and parade-goers from our neighboring neighborhoods."
Blanchard noted the City Council's public briefing at their Tuesday meeting, and encouraged anyone who is interested to either attend or watch the livestream.
"I plan on attending and speaking to the City Council if given the opportunity, and l'd like to make sure l've heard from anyone who would like express their thoughts or concerns, so that I can adequately relay those to the City Council and administration. If you live, work, or spend time downtown — or in the neighborhoods nearby - l'd like to hear from you," he wrote, adding his email address and asking for comments on the post.
"Downtown Lafayette is proud to be at the heart of so many of our region's best celebrations, and we're committed to making sure this conversation leads to a Mardi Gras that works for everyone. It's a tight time frame to make a lot of big decisions, but many hands make light work. Let's see what we can get accomplished together," he wrote.
We did a story earlier this week about the floats; the administration worked with Mardi Gras krewes to test whether or not the floats could make the turn. When we asked the administration about the process, they said they used the usual protocol, meeting with police and krewe officials on the plan. We've reached out to see if they want to add anything or respond directly to Blanchard's post.
Here's the post:
