Keep vehicular access into the Abita Springs Park

In the July town council meeting a resolution was passed to close the road going into the Abita Springs Park.

Justification for this decision includes liability concerns over children crossing the road between the playground and the water feature and increasing green space. As the President of the Abita Springs Friends of the Park I share these concerns, but believe that there are alternatives to completely restricting access into the park. The park master plan, which has been developed by professional architects, landscape architects, and urban planners, has always maintained vehicular access into the park.

Closing the road will:

1) restrict access to many members of the community (including the elderly, handicapped, parents with small children, and others with health or logistical concerns),

2) limit the ability of the police to patrol the area,

3) lengthen the response time of emergency vehicles,

4) complicate the ability of care givers to effectively handle minor accidents or their children's needs within the park,

5) provide parents with a false sense of security (children should not be running unsupervised from the water feature to the playground)

6) reduce the already limited parking in the area which has a negative impact on local businesses and park goers,

7) increase the risk of traffic accidents with pedestrains heading to the park,

8) limit the attractiveness and accessibility of the park to patrons in general by effectively reducing access to 35 acres of green space within which multiple features have been planned,

9) reduce circulation of people through the park, rendering it less safe and

10) deprive many locals of the time-honored tradition of obtaining water from the lion's head fountain.

Safe alternatives to closing the road include enforced speed limits within the park, speed bumps, crosswalks, stop signs, children crossing signs, fencing around play areas, and phasing in parts of the master plan that include roads that do not pass between the two features in question.

Our community has recently put an amazing effort into building a fun and beautiful playground. We are working hard to improve our recreational spaces. Let’s make sure we can ALL enjoy them!