Chapter 2: about the plan

    Summary

    Under the administration of Mayor Staci Albritton Mitchell, this document serves as the first master plan in more than 25 years to be developed for the City of West Monroe. The master plan was designed to reflect the future vision of local residents while also providing the framework that will guide public policy, development, investment, and growth in the City of West Monroe over the next ten years.

    The Citywide Master Plan is organized into the following chapters:

    How to use the plan

    According to the American Planning Association (APA), a master plan is the foundational policy document for local governments. It establishes a framework to guide public and private decisions about future growth, preservation, and change within a municipality for one to three decades. A master plan is an important resource for coordinating local decision making, and legitimizes development and regulatory decisions. Most importantly, the master plan represents the collective vision and goals of local residents.

    Ultimately, the City of West Monroe will use the goals, objectives, and strategies identified in the master plan to inform future decisions as it relates to community character and land use, housing and neighborhoods, transportation, parks and recreation, economic development, and public infrastructure. Each year, the City of West Monroe will reevaluate the master plan, and as strategic initiatives are completed, the city will incorporate new initiatives that align with the master plan’s vision and goals. Every five years, the City of West Monroe will revise the master plan to ensure its contents are relevant and appropriate for the present day.

    Goals, Objectives, and Strategies

    Each chapter identifies Goals that reflect the community’s overall vision for the future. Additionally, each goal is followed by Objectives and Strategies that, if followed, will move West Monroe towards this vision in the years to come.

    Goals are the big ideas that support the community’s vision. 

    Objectives are specific and measurable, contextualize the community’s goals, and guide implementation.

    Strategies delineate the actions and tasks needed to fiscally or physically implement the objectives that achieve the community’s goals.

    Strategic Initiatives

    The following strategic initiatives are derived from the City of West Monroe’s guiding principles as well as its goals, objectives, and strategies described throughout the master plan. Each year, the City of West Monroe will revisit each initiative to assess its progress towards achievement.

    The City of West Monroe recognizes the limitations of its municipal budget and human capital. To advance many of the strategic initiatives listed below, the City of West Monroe will have to pursue federal and state grants, solicit private capital investment, and build a regional coalition of public and private partners who are committed to taking West Monroe to the next level.

    Note: The strategic initiatives are not listed in order of priority.

    1. Improve existing city zoning ordinance
    2. Establish ordinance to regulate short-term rentals (ex. Airbnb)
    3. Establish architectural and landscaping standards for commercial properties and newly constructed residential units
    4. Pursue annexation of nearby areas when and where the majority of residents support it

    1. Establish a home ownership program in the South Riverbend Cultural District and throughout other parts of the city
    2. Leverage private funding to develop incentive program(s) that catalyze rehabilitation of residential structures within West Monroe’s two cultural districts  
    3. Establish a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) for new housing development and/or rehabilitation of existing units
    4. Develop new residential area in Highland Park
    5. Establish a land bank program to stimulate development throughout the city

    1. Complete the multimodal transportation improvements as identified by the multicomponent Trenton Street Corridor Project, including:
      1. Highland Park
      2. Trenton Street Corridor
      3. Downtown (as identified in the Downtown West Monroe Streetscape Master Plan)
      4. Stella/Mill Gateway
      5. Natchitoches Street
      6. Coleman Corridor
    2. Complete multimodal connectivity projects at:
      1. Highland Park, including walking trails and parking areas
      2. Kiroli Park (i.e. Kiroli Road/Kiroli Road Bridge), including bridge replacement, new sidewalks along Kiroli Road from Post Oak Apartments to Arkansas Road, and installation of pedestrian crossing (signals, signs, and striping) at Kiroli Elementary School
    3. Develop a multimodal connectivity plan for the entire city to identify specific locations for shared use paths and wider sidewalks for pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-vehicular traffic
    4. Improve transportation infrastructure throughout the city, including the following projects:
      1. Realignment of Coleman Avenue at the Endom Bridge intersection
      2. Otis Street - mill and overlay and bike/pedestrian path
      3. Natchitoches Street - mill and overlay, drainage, and bike lane
      4. Downtown – additional parking spaces and central garbage drop location
      5. Coleman Avenue and Montgomery Avenue - new railroad signals
      6. Mane Street – mill and overlay from Downing Pines to interchange
      7. Constitution Drive – pulverize and rebuild road base and pavement
      8. Arlene Street – construct sidewalks near Highland Elementary School area
      9. Tupawek Drive – construct sidewalks near Kiroli Elementary School area

    1. Develop downtown riverfront park
      1. Install a marina
      2. Build a fishing dock
      3. Facilitate river activities, such as kayaking and stand up paddle boarding
      4. Rehabilitate existing structure on site to incentivize private enterprise on the riverfront 
      5. Construct an amphitheater for events
    2. Make improvements to Kiroli Park
      1. Repave trails
      2. Enhance conservatory
      3. Renovate dog park
      4. Construct additional park entrance
    3. Continue development of Highland Park
      1. Construct a parking lot, install public bathroom facilities, and build more recreational amenities surrounding the wetland trails
    4. Make improvements to Lazarre Park
      1. Leverage the South Riverfront Cultural District to explore various uses and programming at Lazarre Park
    5. Make improvements to Gator Park
      1. Install additional lights and cameras
      2. Develop and facilitate recreational programming, such as the potential addition of basketball hoops
    6. In collaboration with community champions, make improvements to all neighborhood parks, including:
      1. A.C. Facen Memorial Park
      2. Brian Smith Memorial Park
    7. Make improvements to Brady Field
      1. Enhance existing facilities
      2. Construct more practice fields for soccer
    8. Collaborate with the Ouachita Parish Police Jury and West Ouachita Recreation District to offer new recreational programming (indoor and outdoor) for people of all ages and abilities

    1. Improve land to catalyze new commercial development in Highland Park
    2. Develop Pointe West to incentivize development of new businesses
    3. Complete construction of the indoor sports complex
    4. Partner with the West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce to develop a one-stop shop for small businesses and entrepreneurs
    5. Promote available incentives online to catalyze industrial and commercial development
    6. Establish a fast track permitting program.
    7. Partner with economic development organizations and institutions of higher education to support job seekers and dislocated workers with workforce training and job opportunities
    8. Construct gateway signage to attract more customers to shop and dine downtown

    1. On an annual basis, continue to develop and revise a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to prepare for the construction, maintenance, and replacement of public infrastructure and facilities
    2. Improve water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure throughout the city, including the following projects:
      1. Update data in city’s water system model for use in fire rating analysis
      2. Rehabilitate the sanitary sewer lift stations on Drago Street and Austin Street
      3. Make improvements to the Black Bayou Canal (including cleaning, widening, and armoring portions of the canal south of I-20)
      4. Improve drainage (including cross drains, piping, and ditches) at the industrial park
    3. Enhance the city’s existing street overlay program
    4. Implement the ADA Sidewalk Transition Plan
    5. Complete the utility improvements as identified by the multicomponent Trenton Street Corridor Project, including:
      1. Highland Park
      2. Trenton Street Corridor
      3. Downtown (as identified in the Downtown West Monroe Streetscape Master Plan)
      4. Stella/Mill Gateway
      5. Natchitoches Street
      6. Coleman Corridor
    6. Develop a broadband deployment and connectivity plan