MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — In conjunction with Carbo Landscape Architecture, the City of Monroe will hold a public engagement meeting to get ideas on how to improve Forsythe, Charles Johnson, and Chennault Parks. Participants are invited to attend the meeting on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, which will take place at the outdoor pavilion at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo.
From 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM, there will be community input activities, followed by a holiday movie in the park at 6:00 PM. Besides the opportunity to share your ideas, there will be fun family-oriented events such as food trucks, hot cocoa, and an appearance from Santa.
In order to enhance Forsythe, Charles Johnson, and Chennault Parks as a cohesive system, Carbo Landscape Architecture has been commissioned by the City of Monroe to develop a parks master plan. Mayor Friday Ellis led the park master plan as a contribution to his campaign to improve Monroe’s public amenities.
The mayor of the City of Monroe, Friday Ellis, shared the importance of citizens’ feedback for the improvement of the city. “Community feedback must be the foundation of the project’s design to ensure that the parks best serve the people of Monroe. The work we’re doing is the natural next step in improving the quality of life in the City of Monroe.”
Comments made during the engagement meeting will be collected and incorporated into the final plans. The master plan is scheduled to be completed in six months and will provide the city with a road map of implementable improvements for each park.
Carbo Landscape Architecture’s managing principal, Shannon Blakeman, noted that “the parks system has immense potential, and we are looking forward to hearing how people want to use them now and in the future.”