Veteran’s Park work approved

Breaux Bridge – At the Jan. 10 city council meeting, the contract for improvements to Veteran’s Park was awarded to Michael David Breaux Inc. The scheduled improvements, part of the city’s Park Development Master Plan, include:
•A commemorative walkway, divided into five sections, one commemorating each of the branches of the military. Each will feature the colors of the branch and include a seating area with benches and historic pole lighting. The walkway will have the names of service members engraved in bricks.
•An Art Walk along Berard Street at the main entrance. It will be a 15’ wide by 150’ long tree-planted and fenced area designed to accommodate art shows and other temporary displays.
•Custom iron fencing in a continuous concrete base around the entire park.
•Concrete reading and game tables inlaid with chess boards.
•Light poles with power outlets, USB charging outlets at benches and picnic area, lighting for statues and park-wide WiFi.
The $292,000 project will be the first of the park improvements that will eventually include all of the city’s parks. Mayor Ricky Calais said bids will be solicited for work at Carl Williams Park next, then the new Southside Park, Parc Hardy and Parc du Pont.
Breaux Bridge’s share of the dedicated $5 million from the parish-wide bond issue passed in the Dec. 10 special election will augment budgeted city funds for many of the park improvements.
In other business, Calais reported that a hoped-for grant to finance planned sidewalk improvements has come through. The Martin Street sidewalk renewal, he said, will be partially funded by the state grant, which will provide an additional $360,000.
The Martin Street project will precede another sidewalk project on Refinery Street. Architect Glenn Angelle explained last year that the long-range aim of those and other walkway projects is to connect remote neighborhoods to the downtown area. Designs, Angelle said, will encourage physical activity as well as social interaction and feature enhanced ease of access for elderly and mobility-impaired residents.
In other business, the council passed the proposed amendment to city building codes to require an increase in slab elevations of new homes to help prevent flooding.
Finally, Dist. D Councilman Glen Angelle was voted mayor pro tem for 2017.