Shad Comeaux, project manager for Freese and Nichols Inc., said his firm put a lot of pieces together in creating the Imagine Port Arthur booklet.

The booklet is a comprehensive plan that shows how to develop over time various aspects for future land use, transportation and circulation and physical and population growth.

“It creates a vision for the entire community and establishes a blueprint,” he said. “You can grow, develop, redevelop your community.”

Since last year, the firm has held community meetings and online surveys. They’ve even held a youth council meeting.

Comeaux and Alexis Garcia, a project planner with Freese and Nichols, gave the presentation Tuesday morning at the regular meeting of the Port Arthur City Council. Here’s how the document rolls out:

• In addition to the introduction, Chapter 1 also gave information on community assets, a community snapshot and Imagine Port Arthur vision, goals and strategies.
• Chapter 2 is about the downtown plan summary: emerging issues facing downtown, capitalizing on market potential, catalyst project considerations, water and wastewater and storm water.
• Chapter 3, future land use, has subheads of land-use types and projections, future population, future land use and growth opportunities and future growth and infrastructure prioritization, and lastly, future land-use recommendations.
• Chapter 4’s transportation and circulation discusses existing conditions, transportation issues and needs, thoroughfare plan recommendations, recommended network additions, multi-modal connectivity, recommended non-motorized facilities and access management standards.
• Chapter 5, neighborhood and community livability, consists of current housing characteristics, design guidelines, emergency management and neighborhood and community livability recommendations.
• Economic development and existing conditions, land use and taxation, the Port Arthur Economic Development Corp., economic development tools, case studies, using economic development resources to achieve preferred uses and economic development recommendations are under Chapter 6.
• The last chapter, Chapter 7, was about the implementation plan and its lifespan.
• Mayor Derrick Freeman said he was curious about housing numbers after Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey because it seems housing demand in the city is “just crazy.”

Comeaux said they will get those numbers. The plan was assembled prior to Harvey.

Freeman said almost 80 percent of housing in Port Arthur was built 30 years ago or more. The years from 1950-1970 saw the greatest housing increase. He added that underground clay water pipes are also cracking after 30 years.

“We’ve got to get our tax base up,” Freeman said. “We want people to come and invest in Port Arthur.”

Ron Burton, planning director for the city, said a sign ordinance is complete and will be adopted in the next 60 days. They’re working on a landscape ordinance and a public hearing scheduled later. Additionally, subdivision regulations haven’t been looked at in 10 years and will be reviewed.