OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

City Planning Commission Meeting – September 8, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, September 8, 2026
BodyNew Orleans, Louisiana
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, September 8, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:00:58

Transcript — Verbatim
2:06

Good afternoon and welcome to today's City Planning Commission meeting.

2:09

We're gonna go ahead and get started.

2:13

Commissioner Poche.

2:15

Commissioner A Bear.

2:16

Here.

2:17

Commissioner Flick present.

2:19

Commissioner Jordan.

2:21

Present.

2:21

Commissioner C.

2:23

Commissioner Jackson.

2:24

Wonderful.

2:29

I'm gonna go ahead and read the hearing rules.

2:33

The City Planning Commission has established certain rules governing the procedures to be followed at the public hearings.

2:39

Before speaking, each person should give her name, address, and state who he or she is representing.

2:45

Proponents of the proposal will speak for a period of ten minutes.

2:53

Opponents or other interested parties will be um speak for a period of 15 minutes.

2:58

Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of two minutes.

3:02

Proponents will be allowed a period of six minutes for rebuttal.

3:05

Each speaker shall be allowed a maximum of two minutes.

3:10

No material, written matter, photographs, maps, etc.

3:14

will be accepted by the commission or its staff at any time during this public hearing.

3:18

This procedure shall be followed except at time such time than the proceeding officer with the approval of the commission members present, extend such time.

5:00

However, staff reports are always uh technical in nature and generally uphold the precedent to retain consistency in their recommendations.

5:05

We are being cautious about setting a precedent for the expansion and subsequent retraction of non-conforming use permission, especially as they pertain to the sale of alcohol.

5:14

The site features our historical commercial structure that has been in operation since at least 1929.

5:21

Granted that uh HU B1A zoning qualifies under the historic non-conforming use policy, maintaining the zoning classification would be consistent with and respectful of the master plan in the historic character of the surrounding area.

5:37

Ultimately, staff finds that this particular type of neighborhood commercial structure is what the H U B1A district was intended for.

5:44

Therefore, staff finds that maintaining the H2B1A district is the most appropriate zoning classification for this site.

5:52

Uh for these reasons, staff's recommends denial of the requested change uh and recommends to keep the H2B1A zoning district on the site.

6:02

Thank you.

6:05

Before we get started, uh um we just received a card, but we're not sure on which item that is.

6:10

Um Ms.

6:11

Sharon Posey.

6:13

Which item are you here to speak on?

6:20

Okay.

6:25

17.

6:26

Okay, thank you.

6:31

Do I have no cards to speak on this upcoming map this docket item?

6:38

Is no one here to speak on the cafe?

6:42

Oh.

6:43

Sorry.

6:45

Hi, hi.

6:46

Welcome.

6:47

Hello.

6:47

Good to see you.

6:48

Thank you.

6:48

You too.

6:51

Oh, uh, my name is Claire Bian.

6:52

I am um the land use staffer for City Council District A.

6:56

Um, we are the applicant of this request.

6:59

It is, as city planning staff mentioned, part of the previous zoning change and conditional use requested by Cafe Mulou and Octavia Books, so Cafe Maloo could obtain their liquor license.

7:11

We after months of meetings, um, we came to a compromise that we would grant the conditional use and put in an application to down zone the site again.

7:24

Neighbors' concerns uh were kind of based around possible future uses allowed in HUB1A.

7:32

Understandable.

7:33

So this was the compromise everyone agreed to.

7:35

I appreciate all the neighbors um being involved in this, uh, the developer and Tom and Mani at Cafe Maloo.

7:43

So that's where we're at.

7:50

We have a rec we have a denial for the staff report, correct?

7:54

But it is not for the conditional use.

7:55

That was for the zoning change.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████60%
Short Term Rentals███████████14%
Procedural█████7%
Public Engagement█████6%
Community Engagement████5%
Historic Preservation██3%
Public Safety██3%
Parks and Recreation█1%
Education█1%
Summary of Proceedings

City Planning Commission Meeting – September 8, 2026

The New Orleans City Planning Commission met on September 8, 2026, at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers. The commission considered 16 zoning dockets, including zoning changes, conditional uses, and text amendments. Key themes included commercial short-term rentals (STRs) in residential and commercial districts, neighborhood commercial establishments, and a major transient lodging study. The commission deferred two items for further review and approved modified amendments. Votes reflected a cautious approach to STRs in residential areas while supporting certain uses in commercial corridors and in remote locations.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Zoning Docket 082/26 (Transient Lodging Study): Eleanor Graham (Neighbors First for Bywater) supported deferral. Alan Johnson (1418 Chartres) urged sticking to the earlier study, noting no new facts. Aaron Holmes (VC4) opposed adding commercial STRs to the French Quarter. Nicole Weber (Hotel Lodging Association) supported neighborhood efforts.
  • Zoning Docket 084/26 (2407 Gravier STR): Lyle Montgomery (neighbor, Lower Mid-City Neighborhood Organization) and Julia Zuckerman (2320 St. Louis) opposed, citing oversaturation and past violations. Frank Southall (Jane Place) opposed due to lost housing.
  • Zoning Docket 085/26 (901-909 Julia STR): Frank Southall opposed all commercial STRs during the IZD unless in remote areas.
  • Zoning Docket 087/26 (3157 Tchoupitoulas live performance venue): Wade Halstead (413 Harmony) opposed, citing lack of specifics and noise concerns. Andrew Stevens (applicant) described a stand-up comedy venue with neighbor outreach.
  • Zoning Docket 088/26 (814 Poland coffee shop): Multiple neighbors (Crawford Malone, Allie Duffy, Stephanie Burnett, Judy Bolton, others) spoke in strong support, citing community benefits and the applicant's track record. David Greger (900 Poland) raised parking and zoning precedence concerns.
  • Zoning Docket 092/26 (1723 General de Gaulle): Robert Lestric (applicant) described plans to redevelop a blighted property. Kenneth Garrett (Oakdale Neighborhood Association) opposed, fearing return of illegal activity.
  • Zoning Docket 095/26 (4901 Downman repair shop): Roland Barthay (Pines Village Association) opposed, citing past nuisances and lack of community contribution. Applicant Alla Ahmad stated improvements would be inside.

Discussion Items

  • Zoning Docket 081/26 (5433 Laurel/509-515 Octavia): Staff recommended denial of downzoning the cafe/bookstore property from HU-B1A to HU-RD2, citing precedent and appropriate zoning. The applicant (Council District A land use staffer) explained it was a compromise. The commission voted 9-0 to approve the downzoning, freezing non-conforming uses.
  • Zoning Docket 082/26 (Transient Lodging Study): Staff recommended deferral to October 27 for further research. The commission unanimously deferred.
  • Zoning Docket 083/26 (350 John Churchill Chase height limit): Staff recommended approval to cap height at 35 feet for the park. Approved unanimously.
  • Zoning Docket 084/26 (2407 Gravier STR): Staff recommended denial due to oversaturation and housing impact. Applicant requested deferral but commission heard opposition and voted 9-0 to deny.
  • Zoning Docket 085/26 (901-909 Julia STR): Staff recommended approval; after debate the commission voted 9-0 to deny, citing need to wait for new STR rules.
  • Zoning Docket 086/26 (2045 Broadway coffee shop outdoor seating): Staff recommended approval. Approved unanimously.
  • Zoning Docket 087/26 (3157 Tchoupitoulas live performance venue): Staff recommended approval with provisos. Approved 8-1 (Commissioner Whitry voted no).
  • Zoning Docket 088/26 (814 Poland neighborhood commercial): Staff recommended denial. Commission voted 8-0 to approve with a proviso limiting hours to 7 AM–4 PM, noting neighborhood support and applicant's record.
  • Zoning Docket 089/26 (1515 Kerlerec multi-family): Staff recommended approval. Approved unanimously.
  • Zoning Docket 090/26 (2404 St. Claude STR): Staff recommended approval. Commission voted 9-0 to deny, consistent with other STR denials.
  • Zoning Docket 091/26 (27501 Chef Menteur lighthouse): Staff recommended deferral to October 13 for revised application. Unanimously deferred.
  • Zoning Docket 092/26 (1723 General de Gaulle): Staff recommended modified approval to C1 (General Commercial) instead of C3. Applicant accepted; commission voted 9-0 for modified approval.
  • Zoning Docket 093/26 (St. Augustine baseball facility): Staff recommended approval with 8 provisos. Approved unanimously.
  • Zoning Docket 094/26 (24855 Chef Menteur STR): Staff recommended approval. Approved unanimously (Commissioner noted appropriateness in remote area).
  • Zoning Docket 095/26 (4901 Downman repair shop): Staff recommended approval. Commission initially deadlocked 4-4, then voted to defer to October 13 for applicant-neighborhood mediation.
  • Zoning Docket 096/26 (25894 Chef Menteur STR): Staff recommended approval. Approved unanimously.
  • Subdivision Ratifications: Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved (9-0): ZD 081/26 (downzoning), ZD 083/26 (park height limit), ZD 086/26 (coffee shop seating), ZD 087/26 (live venue), ZD 088/26 (coffee shop with hours), ZD 089/26 (multi-family), ZD 092/26 (modified to C1), ZD 093/26 (baseball facility), ZD 094/26 (Chef Menteur STR), ZD 096/26 (Chef Menteur STR), subdivision ratifications.
  • Denied (9-0): ZD 084/26 (Gravier STR), ZD 085/26 (Julia STR), ZD 090/26 (St. Claude STR).
  • Deferred: ZD 082/26 to October 27 (transient lodging study), ZD 091/26 to October 13 (lighthouse), ZD 095/26 to October 13 (repair shop).

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon and welcome to today's City Planning Commission meeting. We're gonna go ahead and get started. Commissioner Poche. Commissioner A Bear. Here. Commissioner Flick present. Commissioner Jordan. Present. Commissioner C. Commissioner Jackson. Wonderful. I'm gonna go ahead and read the hearing rules. The City Planning Commission has established certain rules governing the procedures to be followed at the public hearings. Before speaking, each person should give her name, address, and state who he or she is representing. Proponents of the proposal will speak for a period of ten minutes. Opponents or other interested parties will be um speak for a period of 15 minutes. Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of two minutes. Proponents will be allowed a period of six minutes for rebuttal. Each speaker shall be allowed a maximum of two minutes. No material, written matter, photographs, maps, etc. will be accepted by the commission or its staff at any time during this public hearing. This procedure shall be followed except at time such time than the proceeding officer with the approval of the commission members present, extend such time. However, staff reports are always uh technical in nature and generally uphold the precedent to retain consistency in their recommendations. We are being cautious about setting a precedent for the expansion and subsequent retraction of non-conforming use permission, especially as they pertain to the sale of alcohol. The site features our historical commercial structure that has been in operation since at least 1929. Granted that uh HU B1A zoning qualifies under the historic non-conforming use policy, maintaining the zoning classification would be consistent with and respectful of the master plan in the historic character of the surrounding area. Ultimately, staff finds that this particular type of neighborhood commercial structure is what the H U B1A district was intended for. Therefore, staff finds that maintaining the H2B1A district is the most appropriate zoning classification for this site. Uh for these reasons, staff's recommends denial of the requested change uh and recommends to keep the H2B1A zoning district on the site. Thank you. Before we get started, uh um we just received a card, but we're not sure on which item that is. Um Ms. Sharon Posey. Which item are you here to speak on? Okay. 17. Okay, thank you. Do I have no cards to speak on this upcoming map this docket item? Is no one here to speak on the cafe? Oh. Sorry. Hi, hi. Welcome. Hello. Good to see you. Thank you. You too. Oh, uh, my name is Claire Bian. I am um the land use staffer for City Council District A. Um, we are the applicant of this request.

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