Abita aldermen approve set of rules for park, playground

By Suzanne Le Breton
Contributing Writer

The Abita Springs Board of Aldermen recently approved a set of rules and regulations for the town park and new playground.

Those rules include requirements that all children are supervised and that all pets are kept on a leash. The approved resolution prohibits the use of motorized vehicles, golf carts and motorized scooters in the park, with the exception of those used by persons with disabilities. It set the park hours from dawn to dusk and prohibits smoking, bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades, roller shoes, footballs, Frisbees, baseballs, pets, alcohol and glass from the playground area.

In a separate resolution, the board approved the fees for the rental of town facilities, including the recently moved pavilion and the picnic shelters in the park.

To rent the pavilion for a one-hour event, including a one-hour setup and a one-hour breakdown, someone will be required to pay $1,125, and to place a $500 security deposit. For a four-hour event, with a two-hour set-up and a one-hour breakdown, the cost increases to $2,125 plus the $500 security deposit.

It costs $50 to rent one of the picnic shelters for two hours, and a $25 security deposit is required for that. And to rent Town Hall, one must pay $725 and post a $200 security deposit.

The board also recently approved an ordinance amending the minimum lot size in the town. The minimum lot size was decreased from 100 feet by 200 feet to 90 feet by 120 feet if there is an alleyway behind the lot and 90 feet by 150 feet if there is no alleyway.

However, the town will still only allow the total density for any subdivision to not exceed two homes per acre.

Alderman Patricia Edmiston said the purpose behind the change is to allow smaller lots to be sold in developments in an effort to provide for more affordable housing for middle-income families. The idea is to encourage developers to decrease the cost of homes by building them on smaller lots while providing larger tracts of community green space in future developments.