LAND USE SWOT
STRENGTHS
Trade and Distribution Strategic Location (Mississippi river proximity)
Large amount of industry and business - job opportunity
Does not take too long to get around outside of rush-hour.
Lots of recreational park locations
Proximity between other major cities in state
Great downtown with businesses, restaurants, and housing.
Good neighborhood
Overall location - river access opportunities, far enough inland for hurricane protection, easy access to interstates for travel
Access to state capital
Access/location on Mississippi River
Mississippi River
Access to waterways and ports,
30-acre Industrial Park unused
Strong local tax incentives (Tangipahoa) i.e., PILOTS
Access to rail
Intersection of I-10, I-12, I-55
Available Land (large tracts)
Land
Logistics Corridor.
Location
Infrastructure
Rail, Water and Interstate
Potential as a freight and network hub since we are right in the middle of I-10 connecting LA to Fl ports. Multimodal aspect by means of rail, port, highways and pipelines.
WEAKNESSES
Traffic congestion is killing productivity.
Planning without action.
Water and drainage system challenges and lack of regional coordination Sewer treatment package plants, insufficient capacity, need for consolidation of systems.
Carbon capture - need to support so businesses can stay viable.
Finding good talent
A regional drainage plan serving the five parish regions surrounding East Baton Rouge Parish.
Creating a separate path for flow through traffic traveling through Baton Rouge. In particular, large trucking vehicles passing through BTR.
Long range land use and economic development planning
lack of regional planning
No regional land use policies
Floodwater impact on land use
Underutilized river fronts throughout the region
OPPORTUNITIES
Vibrant Night life and downtown area
A loop. Forward thinking.
Traffic congestion could improve dramatically, do what is needed first. Following up with planning and authority.
More forward thinking, develop master plan and fund it.
Funding that is spent wisely and equitable
Public work and engineering are overly focused on how fast can we get rainfall to Lake Maurepas? Where else can we store water (maybe a weakness?)
Zooming out to look at a 5-parish regional perspective
New Community Outreach methods
Land banking
Coastal marsh creation with materials of opportunity
THREATS
Need for a public water protection and improvement plan.
Environmental threats from industrial and chemical plants' expansions
Lack of community co planning and community input for planning and development.
Unrestricted development
Inadequate infrastructure strained by growing population and sprawling development, with few alternate routes in case of accidents or natural disasters.
Regulations
Zoning regulations need improvements.
Lots of development going on around high poverty areas
Identifying unsustainable development
State budget crisis.
Funding
DOTD Restructuring