In 2007, Tangipahoa Parish residents realized that uncontrolled growth and development across the parish, a sudden population increase of 7,000 to 10,000 people after Hurricane Katrina, and no zoning ordinances represented risks for their rural community. Citizens and leaders came together to protect the culture and character of their community.

APPROACH

To nurture growth and economic viability in the parish, CPEX is facilitating an inclusive process with parish stakeholders to guide development and capitalize on assets and opportunities while maintaining the unique character and heritage of Tangipahoa Parish.

PLANNING

In 2007, the parish began working with CPEX to create a comprehensive plan for growth in the parish. Kendig Keast Collaborative was chosen to lead the planning process, which included 20 public meetings.

The extensive public participation included seven small group meetings, six “citizens’ congress” meetings, and seven steering committee meetings scheduled during the planning process. A website was created for the plan, updated throughout the process with the latest planning documents and providing an opportunity to receive feedback.

The plan was adopted in December 2008. A Planning Department was created in January 2008 to uphold and implement the vision of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan by preserving Tangipahoa Parish’s heritage, managing its character, ensuring the upgrade and maintenance of its infrastructure, assuring the creation of good jobs, and maintaining a sound tax base.

POLICY

Since July of 2009, along with Austin-based planning firm Code Studio and Tangipahoa Parish Government’s Planning Director Alyson Lapuma, CPEX has been working with Tangipahoa Parish as a pilot community in the implementation of the Louisiana Land Use Toolkit. This Toolkit, designed to provide a comprehensible set of codes and ordinances for development, is a crucial next step in realizing the vision laid out by the citizen-driven comprehensive plan. Like the plan, the Toolkit document is developed through a series of public input and feedback sessions held throughout the parish.

OUTCOMES

•    Tangipahoa Parish Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2008 with public support.
•    Development of the Tangipahoa Parish Government’s Planning Department
•    Implementation of a customized Louisiana Land Use Toolkit in the parish (adoption still pending)