master plan - City of Central

INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE OF THE PLAN
In the spring of 2005 the residents of the
community of Central made a bold move. After several years
of grass roots meetings, coordination, and due diligence
the community went to the polls and voted to incorporate,
This Master Plan is the result of that planning process
- a process initiated in the fall of 2006. This report is a summary
documentation of four years of meetings, mapping, site visits,
and research. It represents the hard work of hundreds of
The ultimate purpose of this Master Plan is to
provide community leaders, residents and property owners
with guidance and relevant information for consideration
and assistance in making informed decisions about the future
development in their community but they realized that they
needed a new plan that could help them guide the growth in
ways that would allow the community to protect the things they
had worked so hard to assume control over.
becoming the newest municipality in the State of Louisiana.
Once this was accomplished, they pushed forward,
establishing the Central Community School System as an
independent school district.
Many things contributed to their success. Among the most
important were:
• A determined, skilled, and forward thinking leadership
group;
• A strong community participation ethic;
• A strong sense of ownership and commitment to the
excellence of their community schools;
• A determination to have control over the growth and
development of their community.
Having completed these ambitious tasks they settled into the
equally arduous task of managing the myriad of responsibilities
now placed squarely upon their shoulders. Among the most
important of these new tasks were to initiate planning the
form of their future city - a city that will be an expression of the
character and quality of the people who call it home.
dedicated citizens, elected leaders and professionals who
contributed their diligent efforts and wisdom to its contents.
The plan should not, however, be understood as a fi nal
statement of purpose and intent. In reality, the work of
implementation and adaptation is ongoing and perpetual. It
should be understood as a tool upon which the foundations
for the City of Central have been established and from which
it will grow and fl ourish. It should be used as a guide for making
future decisions because it is a translation of the community’s
vision for the future. Holding true to the principles and goals set
forth in this Master Plan, present and future leaders and decision
makers have a valuable resource not only for regulating
growth, but for attracting the kind of quality growth that will
elevate Central City as a shining example of Smart Growth and
sustainability that others will want to emulate.
The following page documents the planning process.
growth and development of the community.
On a more urgent level, citizens saw the need for a plan that
responded more defi nitively to their vision.
Before the City’s incorporation, Central’s growth and
development was regulated by the Horizon Plan as one of the
rural outskirts of East Baton Rouge Parish. Although large in area,
the Central community represented a small fraction of the
metro Baton Rouge area, and residents did not feel that their
priorities received adequate attention. Four months after taking
over the reigns, the community was inundated by development
interests. Several factors were responsible for the heated interest
in building residential development in Central:
• Large areas of reasonably priced, undeveloped land;
• A school system with strong appeal to young families;
• Very favorable fi nancing for housing development; and
• A super-heated real estate market due to the infl ux of
people from south Louisiana post Katrina/Rita.
The new community saw challenge and opportunity in the
interest by developers. They wanted growth and economic
Therefore, this plan has played a variety of roles during its
development. Its fi rst purpose was to help the community
develop a deeper understanding of the combination of
natural, human and economic resources that has shaped it
up to this time. Next it served as a reason to come together
to express their thoughts and dreams about the future and
establish priorities and goals. The suitability Plan of 2007 allowed
the City to fend off unwanted residential development which
would have seriously stressed their ability to manage. Its fi rst
manifestation - the Interim Land Use Plan of early 2009 - allowed
them to focus on economic development -attracting revenue
and job producing investment. This installment of the Master
Plan adds yet another layer - the justifi cation for and mapping
of future land uses in the City. This establishes the basis for
adoption of a revised Zoning Ordinance and Development
Code which will help to shape the City’s physical, economic,
and to some extent, social and spiritual form.
Its role is to continue serving as resource for all the above needs
while adding a visionary element. After all, Central did not
become a city in order to become like every other city.
CITY OF
Central
a community that cares