BSL 2045

Bay Saint Louis 2045 Draft Plan Available for Review and Comment

Bay Saint Louis 2045, the city's long range comprehensive plan, has been recommended to the Bay St. Louis Planning and Zoning Commission for final review and recommendation. Bay St. Louis 2045 represents the culmination of a 12-month process to update the city's decades-old comprehensive development plan. The process involved:

An analysis of BSL's enviroment, growth potential, economy, design features, and community facilities
Development of BSL's vision for the future
Creation of long-term strategies and policies to achieve that vision

The development of Bay Saint Louis 2045, included high levels of community input which included focus groups, community surveys, an advisory group, and multiple public input meetings.

The plan addresses neighborhood development, mobility, downtown development, expansion of trails and greenways, and more. Once officially adopted, the plan will guide BLS's growth and development for the long-term future. The plan may be reviewed by clicking the link or image to the right.

Bay Saint Louis 2045 was formally presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission on May 8, 2024. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the plan for adoption by the BSL City Council. That meeting is forthcoming.

Comments may be submitted through contact email listed on the menu above or through direct comment in the document link.

BSL 2045 Planning Commission Review Draft (5.08.24)

Bay Saint Louis 2045 Framework Plan Presented

Bay Saint Louis 2045 planning week concluded June 16, 2023 with a presentation of the comprehensive plan's major concepts and overall framework. The week began on Monday evening with a community Community Futures Workshop in which participants were asked to give direct input and guidance for future growth and development character for BSL.

This community building exercise asked participants to help shape the future of BSL based on a the city's growth projections and overall planning values and themes developed over the last several months.

Building on the previous discovery phase, community surveys, and the Community Futures Workshop, the planning team developed the Bay Saint Louis 2045 Framework Plan. The plan was presented to the community on Thursday evening of planning week for initial feedback and review.

A link to the framework plan is provided below. The final step in the planning process will translate the framework plan into the final draft of Bay Saint Louis 2045 Comprehensive City Plan.

Planning Week to Explore Key Values
and Themes for BSL's Future

BSL 2045's planning values and themes below emerged from engagement of the Advisory Group, focus groups, and the community during the Discovery phase of the project. The themes will be used to frame and guide BSL 2045, to continue community engagement (including planning week), and to focus the plan's ideas, and implementation recommendations. Provide feedback on these themes in the BSL 2045 Community Planning Survey.

Planning Values and Themes

Preserving Downtown, the Depot District, waterfront, and historic neighborhoods. These places form the core of BSL identity. Their preservation and enhancement is vital for BSL's future.
Expanding mixed-use development beyond Downtown. Waterfront neighborhoods along the Jourdan River and Bay present opportunities for complimentary, neighborhood supportive mixed-use development.
Improving suburban commercial areas (Hwy. 90 Corridor etc.) for improved user experience and development performance through quality site design, building design, and pedestrian friendly and attractive streetscapes.
Balancing community change from hometown to tourist destination so vital to preserving community life and culture. Facilitating the supply of full-time housing while balancing demand for short-term rentals and seconds homes is a vital component.
Enhancing contemporary community development standards and codes to ensure preservation of BSL's historic, small town, and coastal atmosphere. Modernizing development standards and systematic code enforcement are important elements.
Extending and improving mobility and connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists, with emphasis on connecting BLS’s recreational assets. (Beach, Dunbar, Main Street, Washington) (Ward 5 and 6, Jourdan River Waterfront).
Protecting and restoring, where needed, the ecological integrity of BSL’s natural environmental context for both land and Bay. Ecological health underlies all other elements of BSL’s built environment and is vital to a flourishing community.
Increasing parks and recreation facilities and resources for actively programed spaces. Improved existing facilities or creation of new facilities will be required to meet increasing demand.

Planning week will build on the initial study of Bay Saint Louis’s community characteristics, community engagement, and overall project guidance. Planning week sets the stage for the in-depth design of BSL’s future. Join in one of the opportunities above or engage via

Help Focus the Effort and Priorities of BSL 2045

As Bay Saint Louis continues to develop its long-range comprehensive city plan to shape future growth and development, broad community input is needed to further develop the vision for the city and identify the community development priorities.

You are invited and encouraged to take part in the BSL 2045 Community Planning Survey. Your feedback will help guide the development of BSL 2045 and help ensure that it reflects the needs and aspirations of the community. Your perspective is a valued and important contribution.

The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond. Additional information about the BSL 2045 process and progress to date can be found at www.bsl2045.com. Please access the survey at the link below or scan the QR code.

BSL 2045 Community Planning Survey Link

Bay St. Louis 2045 has Begun

The Bay St. Louis 2045 planning process has begun with excellent community participation. Thanks to all who were a part of the Bay St. Louis’s 2045 kick-off meetings and engagement exercises the week of March 20. A recording of the community meeting can be heard below.

The kick-off events were designed to identify initial community directions, opportunities, and community assets, and to begin discussing and evaluating the long-term future of Bay St. Louis. Based on initial community development discovery data and observations, initial Bay St. Louis engagement occurred through the project’s Advisory Group, topic related focus groups, general community input, and in a general community meeting.

Results of the engagement the overall results of the focus group engagement are summarized at the links below:

Bay St. Louis 2045 Community Meeting Slide Presentation

Community Meeting Recording Segment 1
Community Meeting Recording Segment 2
Community Meeting Recording Segment 3

Bay St. Louis 2045 Discovery Engagement Report

Bay St. Louis 2045 Advisory Group Summary Slide Presentation

The data, analysis, and engagement results will be used to begin framing the overall strategy for Bay St. Louis 2045 and move the process into the upcoming Direction and Design phases as described on the About page.

The planning team will return to Bay St. Louis in the coming months for an extended and intensive community planning engagement event called Planning Week. During this week, the planning team will facilitate the development of the overall Bay St. Louis 2045 concept plan. The concept plan will be further developed into a more detailed long-term comprehensive city vision and plan for Bay St. Louis.

Join Us!

The Bay St. Louis 2045 Community Kick-off Meeting is scheduled for March 22 at 5:30 at the Community Hall. See below for additional information and a remote participation option.

The meeting will offer an overview of the Bay St. Louis 2045 planning process, present early community development findings for Bay St. Louis, and engage participants in an assets identification exercise.

Bay St. Louis 2045 offers an outstanding opportunity to shape the community and build strong quality of life for the future. We hope you will mark your calendar and forward to your participation!

What is it?

The City of Bay Saint Louis has commissioned the development of a new comprehensive city plan: Bay St. Louis 2045. The plan is being developed by the City of Bay St. Louis, guided by staff, and facilitated by the planning team of Orion Planning + Design (www.orionplanningdesign.com) and Arnett-Muldrow and Associates (www.arnettmuldrow.com).

Bay St. Louis represents one of the most unique and attractive small cities in the Gulf Coast region and is experiencing significant change. Bay St. Louis 2045 will seek to chart a course for the future through a comprehensive city planning process to be carried out in four steps over the next 12 to 14 months. These steps include:

Step 1. Studying and analyzing Bay St. Louis's current community conditions, including population, growth prospects, economy, natural environment, development patterns, attractiveness, and mobility,
Step 2. Creating an inspiring vision of Bay St. Louis's future and the community values, planning principles, and long and short-term goals needed to achieve it,
Step 3. Developing a blueprint for achieving that future,
Step 4. Creating achievable community implementation strategies that will move the city towards its desired future.

Community participation is vital for achieving the best outcomes of the planning process. An advisory group is guiding the development of the plan, and multiple opportunities for meaningful and engaging community input will be planned.

Stay tuned as we build out this site, post periodic updates and meeting schedules, and offer ways to provide input. Please sign up for updates at the bottom of this page to receive updates. Thank you for your interest in Bay St. Louis 2045, truly "A PLACE A PART."

​Bay St. Louis 2045 has Begun

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Bay St. Louis 2045 has Begun