When will Abbeville’s Lafitte Park open?

Image
Body

For more than a year since the Abbeville City Council voted to give it a name, Lafitte Drive-In Park has been described as a work in progress.
During a committee meeting Tuesday evening, council members discussed when, and just as importantly how, that progress will become a reality.
Councilman Francis Plaisance, who has spearheaded the effort for the park’s creation and is the chair of the city’s parks committee, said things are moving along.
“A lot of people have noticed that the sign is up and there has been a lot of interest,” Plaisance said. “There is a lot of excitement about it. Some people think we are going to have a drive-in again, which is not the case.
“There’s a lot of potential for the park.”
Where does it currently stand?
“Really,” Plaisance said, “there’s not much left to do. We would need to set the daylight hours and also to possibly have someone to be a custodian there. There is also a barrier that needs to be put when people are driving into the park.
“It’s all in-house stuff.”
Lafitte Drive-In Park is located off South John Hardy Drive on 15-plus acres that used to be the home of the drive-in theater of the same name. The city purchased the land from the deGrauww family for $89,000 in 2016. That land is adjacent to the city’s detention pond, which was completed in ‘11.
Creating some attention for the park is the recent addition of the sign. Featuring a pirate to connect the park to the property’s history, the sign said “Opening Soon,” as well as “A Walk Down Memory Lane.” Councilman Francis Touchet Jr. questioned what soon means as far as the park’s readiness to open.
“I just want to make sure that I have some clarity on this,” Touchet said. “What could people be doing in the park right now?”
Plaisance said options could include families picnicing and churches and groups holding different events.
“It’s just a wide-open park for people to enjoy,” Plaisance said.
City officials are currently waiting to find out the status of a grant request that would go toward creating a walking trail for the park. City Engineer Gene Sellers said the city should hear something in the next three months.
As for a grand vision, Plaisance has often mentioned the pond as being a centerpiece for what the park can ultimately be. That would include fishing, kayaking and canoeing. Insurance liability is a hurdle for any activity that would potentially take place in and around pond.
A fishing pier has also been discussed. That would come with a hefty price tag. Council members have all agreed that any further investment at the park will be made through the use of grants. Mayor Mark Piazza said it is not unprecedented for that to happen.
“The town of Grosse Tete recently received grants for $400,000 for a fishing pier and boat launch,” Piazza said. “We can look into their grant source.”
Along with the purchase price of the land and subsequent improvements to the land, Piazza said the city has already made a significant investment at the park.
“We’ve spent roughly $160,000 out there,” Piazza said. “We are into this park for $160,000. We owe it to the public to let them know what we are going to do with it and when we are going to open it.”
Touchet agreed.
“That puts us in a spot that by all means I want this to be successful,” Touchet said. “Once we hear back about the walking trail, we can see if we need to move forward with some additional things.”
Piazza suggested that the parks committee come up with a detailed plan for opening the park, minus anything to do with the pond.
“We need to look at when we are going to initially open the park and what is going to be done there,” Piazza said. “We need some type of a time frame?”
At Tuesday’s meeting, Plaisance also suggested the city purchase additional land at the park. That would come to $47,000 for 13 acres, much of which is wooded. The council voted 5-0 to table that issue.
“I don’t see an urgency to purchase that property,” Councilwoman Roslyn White said.