City Planning Commission Meeting on June 11, 2024
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City Planning Commission Meeting – June 11, 2024
The City Planning Commission convened on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 1:41 p.m. in Council Chambers. The meeting began with the adoption of minutes from May 14 and May 28, 2024, followed by public hearings on four zoning dockets and subdivision ratifications.
Consent Calendar
- Adoption of Minutes: The minutes of the May 14 and May 28, 2024 meetings were approved unanimously by voice vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Zoning Docket 039/24 (Bar at 1234-1236 North Broad Street): Six opponents (Eric Ferrellette Sr., Eric Ferrellette Jr., Misha Kachkachi-Shri, Diane Heying, William Hofstadter, and Alex Rubitz) spoke against the proposed conditional use, primarily citing concerns about outdoor music, noise, late hours, and the applicant’s failure to negotiate after a previous deferral. Several stated they would not oppose the bar if outdoor music were eliminated. No proponents appeared.
- Zoning Docket 051/24 (RDO-1 Expansion): Three speakers (Henry Walther from the Mayor’s Office of Community Assets and Investment, Michael Garver from the Faubourg St. Rock Improvement Association, and Ron Lazard) spoke in support, highlighting the overlay’s success in other neighborhoods and its potential to revive historic corner stores without allowing alcohol sales or live entertainment.
- Zoning Docket 052/24 (Holy Cross Residential Care Facility): Ron Lazard, representing the applicant, explained the need to convert a vacant dormitory into a 105‑bed nursing home, noting community support from neighborhood associations.
Discussion Items
- Zoning Docket 039/24: The item had been deferred from May 14 to allow the applicant to address neighbor concerns. Staff recommended approval or a further deferral to July 9. The applicant was absent but had requested a deferral. The commission debated whether to grant another deferral. A motion to deny the conditional use failed (4–2–1 recusal), and a subsequent motion to defer to July 9 was also denied. The item will proceed to the City Council without a recommendation from the commission.
- Zoning Docket 051/24: Staff recommended approval of the text amendment to expand the RDO-1 Residential Diversity Overlay District to the Lower Ninth Ward, Holy Cross, and parts of the Seventh Ward. Commissioners questioned the impact on the Lower Ninth Ward and the prohibition on alcohol sales. The motion to approve passed unanimously.
- Zoning Docket 052/24: Staff recommended approval of a zoning change from EC Educational Campus to MS Medical Services District for one lot at 4117 Woodland Drive, rather than creating a new overlay district. The applicant accepted the recommendation. The motion to approve with staff’s recommendation passed.
- Subdivision Docket 055/24: Staff recommended modified approval with three provisos to address lot frontage issues and split zoning. The motion for modified approval passed.
- Subdivision Ratifications: A list of administrative subdivisions was ratified by voice vote.
Key Outcomes
- ZD 039/24: Motion to deny conditional use failed (4 yes, 2 no, 1 recusal). Motion to defer to July 9, 2024 was denied. The item is forwarded to the City Council with no commission recommendation. Over 60% of the 7 voting members (4 of 6) voted to deny, but the chair’s initial count of “carries” appears inconsistent with later statements; the final outcome is no recommendation.
- ZD 051/24: Approved (unanimous). The text amendment will be forwarded to the City Council for final adoption.
- ZD 052/24: Approved (unanimous). The zoning change to MS Medical Services District is recommended.
- SD 055/24: Approved with modifications (unanimous). The three provisos require compliance with subdivision regulations.
- Subdivision Ratifications: Approved (unanimous).
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. It is uh 141 p.m. on June 11th. We're gonna get started. Uh first I'm gonna call uh the meeting to order, uh followed by voting on our previous uh minutes, and then we'll get into our zoning dockets today. So we're gonna call Roe, Commissioner Stewart, Commissioner Steve here, Commissioner Brown here, Commissioner Jordan here, Commissioner Whitry, Commissioner Josh Gupta, Commissioner Johnson. Okay. First up is the adoption of uh May 14th and May 2028, a May 28th, 2024 meeting minute. I'll make a motion to approve um and adopt the minutes uh adopt the minutes from May 14th and May 20th, 2024. Oh the next is there a second. A second. We have a motion from Commissioner Witchery, seconded by Commissioner Johnson. There's no further disposition commissioner Johnson. There's no further discussion. We'll vote our machines. Okay. And the minutes are approved. Uh next I'll read 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 a period of 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 begin uh our business today. First with zoning docket item 03924. Uh yes, this item was deferred from the last CPC hearing. It's a request uh for conditional use for a bar at 1234, 1236 North Broad Street. Uh from the staff perspective, the request meets all the CZO standards and it's consistent with the master plan. Therefore, we recommended approval. Uh at the last CPC hearing, the City Planning Commission recommended to defer this item uh to today's meeting to allow the applicant to address neighbors' concerns on noise. Uh since the applicant requested a further deferral uh of the request to the July 9th meeting, staff's recommended is recommending deferral to the July 9th CPC hearing. They're not able to attend today's meeting nor the following meeting, which is why the request to the July 9th meeting cards in opposition. So we should go through and hear those first, and then we can decide if we want to do a deferral. Yes, Commissioner. Okay. So there's no applicant here, um, but we do have cards in opposition. Um you have two cards that's been um given to you. Sir, you have two cards that's been um given to you. Is someone conceding giving you time? Oh thank you for making that clear. Sir, do you mind giving us your name and your address, please, and then you'll have two minutes. Um Eric Farrellette Senior, 2640 Barrack Street, New Orleans. And um I'm here in opposition to the proposal for a bar. This area, I live approximately 60 feet from the back of this proposed bar where the applicant is trying to put outdoor speakers, as you know.
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