Podcast Episode Details
Back to Podcast EpisodesFabian Patin – Committed to Preservation and Beautification of Rotary Point
Fabian Patin, a Lafayette architect whose name has become synonymous with the preservation and beautification of Rotary Point, a peaceful sanctuary on the Bayou Vermilion, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his decades-long dedication to Lafayette’s waterways and the enduring spirit of civic service that drives the Rotary Club of Lafayette. He has been a loyal member of the club for decades.
Origins of Rotary Point and the Bayou Vermilion Revival
Rotary Point came to life in the 1980s through a partnership among the Rotary Clubs of Lafayette, the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, and the creation of Bayou Vermilion District. At the time, Lafayette was in the throes of the oil bust, and the once-vibrant bayou had fallen into neglect and pollution. Patin recalled how his colleague, attorney, Bob Cole, then Lafayette Chamber president, looked beyond the downturn: “Rather than worrying about it, Bob said, let’s do some things to improve it. We’ve got a bayou; it’s not the best one now, but it can be.”
Cole’s optimism led to the creation of a master plan for the Vermilion River. Half the funding came from private citizens and companies, the other half from the City of Lafayette. That plan inspired state legislation to create the Bayou Vermilion District, a nine-member commission—of which Fabian was an original commissioner—charged with implementing restoration and access projects.
To secure federal funding under the Dingell-Johnson Act, Lafayette needed a 20 percent local match. Fabian and local leaders convinced the Parish Council to contribute the unused 400-foot right-of-way from West Bayou Parkway to the Vermilion as the local match. The federal funds, championed by then U.S. Senator John Breaux, completed the financing. Fabian recalled, “If you give us the right to use that land for our 20 percent match, that can be our 20 percent—and it worked.”
How Rotary Point Got Its Name
Initially conceived as a simple boat launch, the site evolved when Fabian—active in both the Bayou Vermilion District and Rotary—saw an opportunity:
“If I can go to our Rotary Clubs and say, look, if we call it Rotary Point, I think I can get our clubs to pay for the overlook.”
That promise birthed Rotary Point, with local Rotary Clubs funding the overlook while the Bayou Vermilion District handled access improvements. It became one of the first public boat launches on the Vermilion and a shared symbol of civic collaboration.
Published on 3 weeks, 1 day ago