Eleven days are left before Lake Charles voters will decide on a proposition that will go a long way in deciding how the lakefront will appear in the future.

The proposition, as it will read in the ballot box: “Can the City work with a developer to build a hotel at the Civic Center and use the taxes from hotel operations to pay for a portion of the cost of the Hotel or other public improvements located in the lakefront area?”

Mayor Randy Roach’s administration is banking on voters understanding the wording and allowing a private-public partnership to be formed that will lead to the construction of a $19 million, 150-room Hyatt Place Hotel next to the Civic Center.

Administration officials are now in information-sharing mode as they try to explain specifics of the deal to voters.

During these formal and informal question-and-answer sessions, some in the public have voiced concern about the possibility of losing parking and the ability to enjoy outdoor events on the Civic Center grounds if the hotel is constructed there.

During a press briefing at City Hall on Tuesday, Roach said future parking has been an unresolved problem ever since talk of developing the lakefront was undertaken.

“The success of any development — a hotel or other commercial development — depends on adequate parking,” he said.

“Additional parking for special events could be enhanced by establishing pedestrian corridors across Lakeshore Drive and possibly even parallel parking for special events along Lakeshore Drive,” Roach said. “However, the best way to provide adequate parking for any future development in the area is to build a parking garage. If passed, this proposition could help us finance those improvements.”

Regarding visual access to the lake, Roach said HRI Properties, the developer, is willing to make a decision on where the hotel will be placed, with input from City Hall.

“They plan to come to Contraband Days and other events to get a feel for what is needed. If this referendum passes, the issue regarding the actual location of the hotel will have to be negotiated and approved by the City Council,” Roach said.

City Councilman John Ieyoub attended the briefing and said his colleagues are interested in the outcome of the vote before they start dealing with any details associated with the development.

“If we get approval from the people, we will give serious considerations to all the concerns that have been raised. Every step in the process will come before the City Council,” he said.

Ieyoub noted that the voices of “constituents” will be listened to by the City Council.

“Where the hotel ultimately will be positioned. What it looks like. How it will handle parking, and how it will complement all current and future development on the lakefront. If it comes to that point, we will rely heavily on public input.”

(Rick Hickman / American Press)