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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

New Orleans City Planning Commission Meeting - March 26, 2024

City Planning Commission — Tuesday, March 26, 2024

BodyNew Orleans, Louisiana

SessionCity Planning Commission

DateTuesday, March 26, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 40:43

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Here.

0:01

And we uh we have a quorum.

0:06

So the first item of business will be the adoption of March 12th meeting minutes.

0:12

I wasn't here, so I guess I shouldn't make the motion.

0:16

Uh oh.

0:17

Could you could you repeat that?

0:20

I'm not here's not opening.

0:27

So moved for adoption of March 12th meeting minutes.

0:32

Is that is there a second?

0:34

I'll second.

0:35

So we have a motion on the floor to approve March 12th meeting minutes by Commissioner Lund.

0:40

Seconded by Commissioner Steag.

0:42

Is there any further discussion?

0:43

Any questions?

0:48

If not, we will vote our machines.

0:54

Uh oh.

0:59

One second.

1:02

Should we sign?

1:05

No.

1:06

So click your name.

1:08

Click sign.

1:10

And then she's looking for the meeting.

1:28

Oh, I'm sorry.

1:30

Okay, no worries.

1:31

Uh the meeting minutes have been adopted.

1:33

Uh next up, I'll read the public uh hearing the formal public hearing rules.

1:40

So the city planning commission has established certain rules governing the procedures to be followed at public hearings.

1:45

Before speaking, each person shall give their name, address, and state whom he or she is representing.

1:52

Proponents for the proposal will speak first for a period of 10 minutes.

1:56

Each speaker shall be allowed a maximum of two minutes.

1:59

Opponents or other interested parties will speak second for around the 15 minutes.

2:04

Each speaker shall be allowed a maximum of two minutes.

2:07

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

2:11

Each speaker shall be allowed a maximum of two minutes.

2:15

Opponents will not be allowed to rebut.

2:19

No material, written matter, photographs, maps, or other items will be accepted by the commission or its staff at any time during this public hearing.

2:27

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

2:36

And now we'll start with the presentation of docket items.

2:41

So before we do that, um I just wanted to um recognize that we have a new commissioner who has joined us for the first time today, Mr.

2:50

John Johnson, uh, who was appointed uh this past Thursday and um didn't get the agenda until yesterday.

3:00

So uh Mr.

3:01

Genda or Mr.

3:02

Johnson has a request um since a number of the master plan items that are I I think all the uh master plan items uh that are up for consideration today are located in New Orleans East, and Mr.

3:15

Johnson is from New Orleans East.

3:18

He has requested uh that we delay hearing those items to give him an opportunity to learn about the issues and uh be able to come back and have a more informed decision as the uh member on the commission from New Orleans East.

3:37

So I believe that would require a vote of the commission to defer all of the master plan items.

3:47

Okay, uh I I'll hear it if are there any questions?

3:51

I'll make a motion to that effect.

3:54

Uh is there second?

3:58

So we have a motion to uh deferred flum docket items to we have a the next meeting date.

4:07

April ninth.

4:09

So this will be a deferral to April 9th.

4:15

An idea of what that agenda looks like do we have subdivisions on that day uh it will only be for the land use committee?

4:25

Nothing.

4:25

Okay, that's not moving it forward through here.

4:28

Okay, great.

4:28

Thanks.

4:29

The the regular meeting is pretty light.

4:31

Okay, April 9th should be okay.

4:35

Okay, so we have a motion on the floor from Commissioner Steg to defer Flum doc uh flum items from planning district uh nine and 10 for April 9th.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████████████████████57%

Procedural████████████████20%

Public Safety████████10%

Technology and Innovation████5%

Transportation Safety██3%

Economic Development██3%

Community Engagement██2%

Summary of Proceedings

New Orleans City Planning Commission Meeting - March 26, 2024

The New Orleans City Planning Commission met on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 2:00 PM in Council Chambers to consider several zoning and subdivision dockets, a firearm sales study, and to defer Future Land Use Map (FLUM) amendments for Planning Districts 9 and 10. The meeting was chaired by Commissioner Jordan (later by Commissioner Witchery) and included a new commissioner, John Johnson, attending for the first time.

Consent Calendar

Adoption of Minutes: The minutes from the March 12, 2024 meeting were approved by a vote of the commission.
Subdivision Ratifications: A list of subdivisions was ratified by the commission without objection.

Public Comments & Testimony

Zoning Docket 032/24 (Motor Vehicle Service Facility): Missy Quigley of Sherman Strategies, representing the applicant, spoke in support of the proposed Take 5 oil change facility. She noted the site is currently vacant and blighted, and that revised plans included landscaping, reduced curb cuts, and stormwater management. Ronnie Randolph and Andrew Barclay, both representatives of Take 5, also spoke in support, describing the company's history in the New Orleans area and their commitment to the community.
Firearm Sales Study: Dominique Lang, legislative director for Councilmember Thomas (who made the motion for the study), spoke in support of adopting the study and urged the commission to lobby state legislators for changes.

Discussion Items

Zoning Docket 031/24 (Wireless Telecommunications Tower, 2429 Perdido Street): The applicant, represented by Doria Durham of Verizon Wireless, requested a conditional use to permit a 121-foot tower (plus 10-foot lightning rod, total 131 feet) in an MU-2 High Intensity Mixed-Use District. Staff recommended approval subject to nine provisos. The commission approved the conditional use, including the provisos.
Zoning Docket 032/24 (Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Facility, 2701-2717 Tulane Avenue): The applicant requested a conditional use for a Take 5 oil change facility in an MU-1 Medium Intensity Mixed-Use District with HUC and EC overlays. Staff recommended denial, citing inconsistencies with the master plan, the pedestrian-oriented vision for the Broad and Tulane corridors, and the site's design (curb cuts, parking, queuing). Despite the applicant's revised plans (increased transparency, reduced curb cuts, landscaping), staff maintained denial. The commission voted to deny the request in accordance with the staff recommendation.
Zoning Docket 033/24 (Wireless Telecommunications Tower, 4201 Michoud Boulevard): Ryan Shahan, representing the applicant J&R Investment Group, LLC, requested a conditional use for a 195-foot monopole in a BIP Business-Industrial Park District. Staff recommended approval subject to seven provisos, noting the tower would be a co-location facility. The commission approved the request.
Subdivision Docket 018/24 (Resubdivision, 4917 Urquhart Street and 4912 North Villere Street): Jessica Ryles, representing the Restoration Temple Evangelistic Church, requested resubdivision of two lots into a double-frontage lot. Staff recommended approval with one standard proviso. The commission approved the subdivision.
Firearm Sales Study: Staff presented the findings of a study requested by City Council Motion M-23-163. The study concluded that Louisiana state law preempts the city from enacting more restrictive zoning for firearm sales, and that most crime guns recovered in New Orleans were purchased outside the city. The study recommended adopting the report and pursuing alternative measures (e.g., a public dashboard of firearm dealers, supporting the Office of Violence Prevention). The commission adopted the study.
Future Land Use Map (FLUM) Amendments (Planning Districts 9 and 10): The commission voted to defer all FLUM amendments for Planning Districts 9 and 10 to the April 9, 2024 meeting. The deferral was requested by new Commissioner John Johnson, who had received the agenda only the day before and wanted time to review the items. The motion passed with one commissioner voting nay.

Key Outcomes

Approved: Zoning Docket 031/24 (wireless tower) with nine provisos.
Denied: Zoning Docket 032/24 (motor vehicle service facility) per staff recommendation.
Approved: Zoning Docket 033/24 (wireless tower) with seven provisos.
Approved: Subdivision Docket 018/24 with one proviso.
Approved: Subdivision ratifications.
Adopted: Firearm Sales Study.
Deferred: All FLUM amendments for Planning Districts 9 and 10 to April 9, 2024.

Meeting Transcript

Here. And we uh we have a quorum. So the first item of business will be the adoption of March 12th meeting minutes. I wasn't here, so I guess I shouldn't make the motion. Uh oh. Could you could you repeat that? I'm not here's not opening. So moved for adoption of March 12th meeting minutes. Is that is there a second? I'll second. So we have a motion on the floor to approve March 12th meeting minutes by Commissioner Lund. Seconded by Commissioner Steag. Is there any further discussion? Any questions? If not, we will vote our machines. Uh oh. One second. Should we sign? No. So click your name. Click sign. And then she's looking for the meeting. Oh, I'm sorry. Okay, no worries. Uh the meeting minutes have been adopted. Uh next up, I'll read the public uh hearing the formal public hearing rules. So the city planning commission has established certain rules governing the procedures to be followed at public hearings. Before speaking, each person shall give their name, address, and state whom he or she is representing. Proponents for the proposal will speak first for a period of 10 minutes. Each speaker shall be allowed a maximum of two minutes. Opponents or other interested parties will speak second for around the 15 minutes. Each speaker shall 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. Opponents will not be allowed to rebut. No material, written matter, photographs, maps, or other items will be accepted by the commission or its staff at any time during this public hearing. This procedure shall be followed except at such a time when the presiding officer shall, with the approval of the commission members present, extend such time. And now we'll start with the presentation of docket items. So before we do that, um I just wanted to um recognize that we have a new commissioner who has joined us for the first time today, Mr. John Johnson, uh, who was appointed uh this past Thursday and um didn't get the agenda until yesterday. So uh Mr. Genda or Mr. Johnson has a request um since a number of the master plan items that are I I think all the uh master plan items uh that are up for consideration today are located in New Orleans East, and Mr. Johnson is from New Orleans East. He has requested uh that we delay hearing those items to give him an opportunity to learn about the issues and uh be able to come back and have a more informed decision as the uh member on the commission from New Orleans East. So I believe that would require a vote of the commission to defer all of the master plan items. Okay, uh I I'll hear it if are there any questions? I'll make a motion to that effect. Uh is there second? So we have a motion to uh deferred flum docket items to we have a the next meeting date.

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