It was an overflow and vocal crowd last night at Mandeville’s Spitzfaden Community Center as Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser explained potential plans to put a hotel and conference center in Fontainbleau State Park. Other elected officials attending the event included Parish President Elect Mike Cooper, Senator Sharon Hewitt, Senator Beth Mizell, State Rep. Mary DuBuisson and others. Nungesser said he is looking at ways to increase revenue for the State Park Systems, where funding is always a problem. He said nothing had been decided or will be decided until an Environmental Impact and Feasibility study was done. And, he said regardless of the outcome of the study, the project would never move forward without local support. He also assured those on hand that a casino will never be considered for the park.
The 2800-acre park is under the jurisdiction of the State of Louisiana, not the City of Mandeville but some local citizens and groups have protested that there has not been enough public discussion about any future plans for the park and most at last night’s meeting seemed to be opposed to development there.
