New Orleans HDLC Meeting – February 4, 2026
New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission Meeting – February 4, 2026
The New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) met on February 4, 2026, with seven members present, constituting a quorum. Commissioners considered a certified local government review of a National Register nomination, a consent agenda, several applications for certificates of appropriateness, and multiple demolition requests. The meeting included public testimony, staff recommendations, and commission votes.
Consent Calendar
- Consent agenda items (439 Elmira Avenue, 1800 Prytania Street, 715 Louisiana Avenue, 526 Marigny Street, 3636 St. Charles Avenue, 7624 St. Charles Avenue, and 721–723 Louisiana Avenue) were approved unanimously with no public comment.
Public Comments & Testimony
- 1208 Second Street demolition: Applicant Peter Wilson (owner) stated he and his family purchased the property and sought demolition to create a garden space, not for redevelopment. He noted his background in historic preservation and emphasized neighborhood and Garden District Association support. Preservationist Gabrielle Baggs (address: 201 Coolidge Street) testified that the building no longer contributes to the historic district due to major façade modifications (circa 2000) and a large rear addition (2017), loss of historic fabric, and interior alterations (2018). She argued the property no longer resembles a historic raised bungalow.
Discussion Items
- CLG Review of 3949 Euphrosine Street (Wembley Industries Plant): Staff found the building did not meet significance criteria under Criterion A; a commissioner motioned to recommend against the National Register nomination. The motion carried unanimously. No public comment.
- 4426 North Rampart Street – Solar Panels: Applicant Christopher Wright proposed street-facing panels (Option A) for better performance (10,524 kWh/year vs. 9,806 kWh/year for Option B). Staff recommended denial of Option A due to visibility. A motion to deny Option A and allow Option B (non-street-facing) passed unanimously.
- 1416-18 Dauphine Street – Porch Gates: Applicant Kurt Kappel requested gates at the top of porch stairs to deter sleeping and loitering. Staff recommended denial, citing guidelines preserving historic openness of porches. A motion to deny the gates passed unanimously; staff offered alternatives (chain barriers, lighting, cameras).
- 1534 St. Louis Street – Demolition: Staff recommended a 30-day deferral. A motion to defer carried unanimously. Public comment noted.
- 929 North Dorgenois Street – Demolition: Applicant Kevin Washington sought demolition to build affordable housing, citing high rehabilitation costs and a demolition‑by‑neglect citation. Staff recommended denial, noting the building remained salvageable. A motion to deny passed unanimously (one commissioner opposed? The transcript says "Are you opposed?" then "in favor" – appears unanimous).
- 165 Broadway Street – Partial Roof Demolition: Applicant Alec Adamick requested 54.9% roof removal for a camelback addition. Staff had no objection. A motion to approve carried unanimously.
- 1208 Second Street – Demolition: Staff recommended denial, citing the building’s contributing status, intact street rhythm, and good condition. The applicant and a preservationist testified in favor of demolition, arguing the building no longer contributes. The transcript ends before any commission vote or motion; no decision is recorded.
Key Outcomes
- Unanimous approvals: Consent agenda, deferral for 1534 St. Louis Street, approval of partial roof demolition at 165 Broadway Street, and approval of Option B (non‑street‑facing) solar panels at 4426 North Rampart Street.
- Unanimous denials: National Register recommendation for 3949 Euphrosine Street, street‑facing solar panels (Option A) at 4426 North Rampart Street, porch gates at 1416-18 Dauphine Street, and demolition at 929 North Dorgenois Street.
- No decision: The discussion on demolition at 1208 Second Street was ongoing at the point the transcript ends; no vote is recorded.
Meeting Transcript
Present. Annie Clark present. Annie Irvin absent. Jim Ashby present. Jennifer Green present. Shawanda Poor absent. We have seven members constituting a quorum. Wonderful. Sorry. One, two, three, four, five. Seven members, yes. Thank you. Welcome to the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission meeting of February 2nd, 2026. We would like to thank everyone for attending and appreciate your support and cooperation with the HDLC. The HDLC is located in City Hall on the seventh floors at the seventh floor at the city's one stop shop. Our mission is to safeguard the heritage of the city of New Orleans by preserving and regulating historic landmarks and districts which reflect elements of its cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history. The full HDLC mission statement can be found online. The HDLC has written guidelines that outline our policies and procedures. They are available on the city's website. We ask that please determine if your property is in an HDLC district or if your repairs on the property or if your property is an HDLC landmark before beginning repairs on the property. If the work or repairs are visible from public right of way, the work requires a certificate from the HDLC, which is known as a certificate of appropriateness or a C of A. You must get a C of A prior to beginning work. Once a C of A is issued, changes must be approved before work can commence on these changes. If you have any questions about our policies or procedures, we have a highly qualified staff ready to assist you. We ask that you pay attention to the following meeting rules. If you plan on speaking and are not the applicant, you must fill out a speaker's card and hand it to the staff before the meeting. These are located on the table when you walk in. All speakers must state their name and address for the record. You have uh two minute uh all speakers must state their name and address for the record. Our meetings are televised and recorded. There is a two-minute speaking time limit. We ask that you turn all cell phones off or on vibrate. Phone conversations should be conducted outside of this room. And if your application is denied or there is a no action vote, you have 10 calendar days from the date of this meeting to appeal to city council in writing, and the staff will furnish you with the details of this appeals process. Thank you. All right. Moving forward, um, we've completed roll call. Uh item two minutes of the Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 meeting. Do we have a motion? Commissioners. Thank you, Commissioner Carson. Second and by Commissioner King. All those in favor. All those opposed. The motion carries unanimously. Um hello. Thank welcome. Um, please let the record show Commissioner Poore has attended as well. Is in attendance. Item three CLG review of 3949 uh Euphersine Street.
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