‘Prairieville Panther’ is in Ascension’s new roundabout, but renaming roads off for now – The Advocate

Check a map of Ascension Parish, and you might notice some interesting contradictions.

Roads on one side of an intersection have a state highway name, like La. 930 or La. 929, and on the other side have names like Causey or Braud roads.

These divergences, which are littered across the parishs growing east bank, are the result of sections of two-lane farm-to-market roads long ago being pulled into the state highway system.

The Parish Council Roads Committee had proposed this month to make a few of those state road names consistent in the Prairieville area, but ran into public opposition from residents and, on Thursday, put off the change for now.

The Parish Council did agree Thursday to give its first-ever parish government-built roundabout at La. 930 and Henry Road a new name the "Panther Roundabout" after the mascot of Prairieville Middle School nearby. But changes to the names of La. 930 and La. 929 in Prairieville were deferred.

The idea had sailed easily through committee earlier this month with no comments from the public but has since run into opposition from residents who live along those roads, saying they were blindsided by the idea.

Tyrone Weems, 49, a lifelong resident of that part of Prairieville, went to the Parish Council in Gonzales on Thursday to air his concerns, and a few other residents showed up but did not speak.

"But I'm concerned if anybody thought about repercussions, you know, the cause and effect of all the stuff that's going to have to be changed for the residents. You known, driver's licenses. That's a fee. Everything, bills, credit cards. Everything, everything changes, it's a fee. Who is going to incur those fees? I mean residents? And what's the reason and what's the cost?" Weems said.

In interviews before the Thursday night meeting, Councilman Michael Mason, who represents part of the area, said he has received many calls about the proposed road changes and what it will mean to adjust peoples personal data, at their cost.

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Councilman Chase Melancon said he has received similar calls. The proposal also stirred up comments on some popular local Facebook groups.

Parish officials had said the reason for the proposed change is that, in recent years, Ascension has taken over maintenance of a few of these highways in exchange for state cash to finance upgrades.

La. 930, a notoriously narrow, poorly paved and winding road south of La. 42 where development has flourished amid public opposition, is one of these roads earmarked for upgrades with state cash.

Because these roads are now under parish control, administration and Parish Council officials suggested renaming a handful of state highways to their nearby companion parish road: La. 930 to Daigle Road, La. 929 to Braud or Causey roads.

In the face of the complaints, however, Councilman Aaron Lawler, the council chairman for transportation work and a sponsor of the idea, proposed bringing action on La. 930 and La. 929 back to his committee for public input and likely meetings in the area for people to learn about the proposal and how to do address changes.

The rest of the council agreed to hold off.

The topic came up as the council also continued to hold off on whether to rename a road in the Modeste area of western Ascension that has been named, at times, after two different families in the area for generations. Some of those residents have complained earlier changes happened without notice.

Parish President Clint Cointment proposed that while the Prairieville name changes are deferred, he and Lawler would work on notifying residents and reviewing the parish procedure to change road names.

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'Prairieville Panther' is in Ascension's new roundabout, but renaming roads off for now - The Advocate