Introduction

In the 2016 flood recovery planning process, residents identified converting repetitive flood loss properties to green space as a park enhancement and beautification goal. With the purpose of increasing resilience in Denham Springs, this chapter will show how strategic planning that considers stormwater management, transportation and mobility, and active lifestyles needs, can lead to intentional infrastructure investments with multiple benefits for improved community health and wellbeing. Converting flood-prone areas to open-space can improve quality of life for both residents moving out of flood prone locations and the community as a whole if the land is designed and maintained as an amenity to support connectivity and active, healthy lifestyles.

This chapter offers a long-term vision for the future of this neighborhood as a resilient, family-oriented destination for all community members. The purpose of this plan is to continue the conversation and process of adapting to water and strengthening community wellbeing and resilience. The concepts and strategies presented in the previous section will be applied to one location, Spring Park, but many have wider applicability to the community at large, such as installing bioswales as buffers between bike and car lanes. Additionally, the design elements and strategies can be applied in different ways. Identifying places in the community where these ideas can be applied will be important toward increasing the resilience of the entire community, not just areas in close proximity to this particular neighborhood.

Much of the repetitive flood loss property in Denham Springs is located in the neighborhood south of Spring Park. The area is bounded by River Road to the east, Long Slash Branch to the west, Spring Park to the North, and Bowman Street to the South. This is an area where “every time it rains, it floods” according to Jeanette Clark, former Denham Springs Recovery Coordinator. Flood recovery has been uneven and incomplete, leading to new and repaired houses in some areas and blighted ones in others. Many of the houses along Magnolia, Centerville, and Mattie Streets were demolished or abandoned after the flood. Several property owners in the neighborhood want to participate in a buyout program. A few properties near the park have already been transferred to city or parish ownership. However, not all residents are interested in participating. Some residents plan to stay in the neighborhood for financial reasons tied to an unwillingness or inability to accept 75% of fair-market value or the inability to afford comparable housing elsewhere.

Property Status in Target Buyout Area

This map shows property ownership and status within the study area. Some properties near Spring Park have already been bought out with hazard mitigation funds and are owned by the parish or the city. Some FEMA funding sources require a home or building to be on the property to be eligible for a buyout. Land without structures may require alternative funding sources to purchase those parcels. LEGEND

City Owned Interested Demolished Abandoned