INDReporter

It’s on: Marohn, O’Toole to debate planning

Marohn, left, and O'Toole

The case for comprehensive planning will be made — and challenged — Thursday evening at LITE when a noted planner squares off against an equally noted free-market libertarian in a debate.

Randal O’Toole, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute and a well-traveled comprehensive planning opponent will be on the one side; Churck Marohn, a civil engineer and president of Minnesota-based Strong Towns will be on the other. Readers may recall that O’Toole came to Lafayette earlier this year to address the City-Parish Council as the final vote on approving the comp plan neared. Marohn is one of the consultants hired by Lafayette Consolidated Government to create the Return on Infrastructure Investment tool, an adjunct to PlanLafayette (comp plan).

The debate will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. at LITE and is free and open to the partisans, er, public. A Q&A will follow the debate and precede verbal scuffles and the casting of stink eye in the LITE parking lot.