LAFAYETTE, L.a. — As plans for the I-49 connector move forward, there are questions about what it could mean for nearby parks.
Among those close to the proposed connector — Heymann, Beaver, and Lil Woods parks.
Monday night Lafayette Consolidated Government opened a dialogue with the community for input about the future of those parks.
The meeting at the Heymann Recreational Center was a full house and when it came to ideas for these parks, the people didn't disappoint.
"All these old fences around back, we line them with blackberries," said lifelong Lafayette resident Harold Schoeffler. "It's hardly no cost and what greater thing to do than take kids and pick blackberries and make blackberry pie."
"I feel that it would be of great importance that we design something for those children to learn how to swim because swimming is very important," said Joyce Gaymon, another Lafayette resident at the meeting. "You remember with the Hurricane Katrina, a lot of kids was not able to swim, so we lost a lot of lives because of that."
Also among the attendees — Councilmen AB Rubin, Pat Lewis, and Sgt. Robin Green with Lafayette Police Department.
"As a child, I couldn't wait for Sunday to go and play and I think that's what's missing with a lot of the children," Sgt. Green said. "And I — I just really feel that it would get them out there and not playing so much with phones, tablets, and get them active again."
Rubin echoed that sentiment — but also made another point.
"Inclusiveness with the school," Rubin said. "I still have a scar right here on my face from swimming at Heymann pool running from the cop at night."
The city has been in talks about revamping these parks for quite some time, but now with the I-49 connector and Trappey Development — LCG says it's time to get down to business beautifying these parks and making them safer.
"It seems like — I don't want to jinx it — we're getting back to some sense of normalcy," said LCG's director of parks, arts, recreation, and culture Hollis Conway. "People are getting outside, they're feeling more comfortable, and what better way to use our parks."
I stopped some folks on the street before the meeting to get their opinions on the current condition of the parks — here's what they had to say:
"Nobody uses this park for anything, for picking up and dropping off kids at school," said Lafayette resident and father Kyle Mitchell. "Other than that, there's nobody — I've never seen nobody playing on these playgrounds."
I asked Mitchell's daughter, Kyleigh, whether she would go to any of these parks as they are now. She said she wouldn't.
"It's just because of how much stuff is going on here and the neighborhoods and the shootings and stuff like that," Kyleigh said.
Kevin Mouton was out walking the track at Heymann Park when I stopped him to chat. He told me the reason these parks are so important for kids.
"Well I mean, to keep 'em busy," Mouton said. "I mean, besides school."
LCG told KATC these are some of the opinions they would like to change about these local parks and while there are currently no figures as to how much these renovations will cost — those numbers will be discussed moving forward now that public opinion is laid out on the table.
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