Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Master Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Harahan officials set March community kickoff to update city master plan
Summary
City planners and officials announced a master plan update and a series of public meetings, saying the 2045 plan will address population, housing and capital projects and provide a basis for seeking state and federal funding.
City planning staff announced a public kickoff for Harahan’s master plan update, set for March 18 at 6 p.m. at the Bridal En Center, 800 Randolph Avenue, during the council’s Feb. 20 meeting.
Planning consultant Steve Villavasa told the council the update will redraw a 2010 plan to reflect where Harahan is today and where it wants to go, and that the Planning Commission must adopt the plan before the council acts on implementation. “The Master Plan is a legal requirement that the state, says the Planning Commission shall make and adopt the Master Plan,” Villavasa said.
Villavasa said staff spent part of 2024 compiling background data and that the plan will look ahead to 2045. He highlighted two demographic trends driving the update: a declining population and a rising median household income. “One of the things that pops off the page right away is, the population of Harahan is declining,” Villavasa said. He said the city’s age profile is shifting older and that household sizes are smaller, while household income has increased—facts he said will shape housing, services and capital needs.
The consultant told the council the master plan will include a prioritized capital improvements list intended to strengthen Harahan’s case for funding from parish, state or federal sources. “Projects that are not included in your master plan don’t get funded,” he said, urging broad community participation at the three scheduled outreach events.
Villavasa presented a tentative schedule that would bring a draft plan to the Planning and Zoning Board for adoption, then to the council for implementation decisions, with an aim toward formal adoption in early fall 2025. He said the update will include a future land‑use map and recommendations for zoning or subdivision regulation changes if needed.
The council and staff said they will report back to the public after each outreach event and keep the council updated at future meetings.
