MARRERO, La. — The land under the Westbank Expressway in Jefferson Parish is barren, littered, and underutilized. It is also home to a growing homeless population.
Mike and Ginger Martin own the Rose Garden Center in Marrero.
“We haven’t had a problem with people begging or disturbing our customers, but it is a little unsightly to see them hanging around here and the trash that they leave and so forth,” Ginger Martin said.
Friday, JP leaders broke ground on an 8-mile long landscape improvement project within the Westbank Expressway right-of-way.
JP Councilman At Large Ricky Templet says the project is expected to include tree plantings, new plant and flower gardens, decorative rock and new signage.
“Long term, some of the landscaping that we do, will for the safety purposes discourage panhandlers as well,” Templet said.
State Senator Pat Connick helped get $1.3 million in state funding for the project.
“Let’s address the litter, change the culture, let’s help the homeless and let’s make life better for everybody, Connick, R-Marrero said.
Jefferson leaders want to make the state-owned land under the expressway part of the parish park and recreation system. Templet says that could allow the parish to eventually ban encampments on the right of way.
“That would make this part of our parks which has time frames when those parks can be utilized.”
In a recent social media post, the parish’s other councilman at large Scott Walker revealed the unhoused community in JP has grown from 100 to 400 since the COVID pandemic.
“It’s not a crime to be homeless, but these are people who have fallen on tough times and need some help,” Walker said.
There is now some talk about building a homeless shelter in the parish.
“I think there is some money coming down from the opioid settlement that we can have a place for them to go to instead of living out under an overpass,” Connick said.
Back at the Rose Garden Center, the Martins say cleaning up this vast stretch of open land would improve the quality of life on the Westbank.
“I think it’s wonderful if they do beautify it because we live in Marrero and Marrero is us,” Mike Martin said. “That’s a reflection of us.”
The beautification project is set to begin in May, and it’s expected to be completed this December.
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