City Planning Commission Meeting - July 8, 2025
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City Planning Commission Meeting - July 8, 2025
The City Planning Commission met on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 1:34 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting began with roll call (Commissioners Lund, Gupta, Whitry, Jordan, Flick, Steve, and Brown present) and the reading of formal public hearing rules. The agenda included adoption of prior meeting minutes, four zoning dockets, a presentation on the Municipal Auditorium remediation plan, and subdivision ratifications. All decisions are recorded below.
Consent Calendar
- Adoption of Minutes (June 24, 2025): Commissioner Flick motioned, Commissioner Whitry seconded. The minutes were adopted unanimously.
- Subdivision Ratifications: Commissioner Johnson motioned, Commissioner Lund seconded. The list of administrative subdivision approvals was ratified unanimously.
Zoning Dockets (Public Hearings)
- Zoning Docket 033/25 (Ombra NOLA, LLC): Conditional use to permit a bar (wine and aperitivo bar) at 325 Andrew Higgins Drive, in a CBD-6 district. The existing 2,354 sq ft vacant building will be renovated with 1,177 sq ft on the first floor and 640 sq ft of usable roof space plus 257 sq ft of utility space. Applicant Laura Barth (Zack Smith Consulting) spoke in support; no opposition cards. Approved unanimously subject to three provisos.
- Zoning Docket 034/25 (Gregory J. Williams): Amendment to Ordinance No. 25,560 to expand an existing reception facility at 1484 Sere Street. The proposal converts an adjacent beauty salon into the reception facility without building modifications. Applicant and landlord present. Staff recommended approval with four provisos, including rescinding outdated provisos from Zoning Docket 039/13. Approved unanimously.
- Zoning Docket 035/25 (Michael Eugene Wilson and Christopher M. Randall): Zoning change from HU-RD2 to HU-B1A for a dental office at 1527 LB Landry Avenue. The site has a single-family residence and a detached garage historically used as a barbershop. Melinda Vasquez (representing the applicant) and Christopher Randall spoke in support. Approved unanimously.
- Zoning Docket 036/25 (1122 OCH, LLC): Request for an Affordable Housing Planned Development (AHPD) at 1122 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard for a 30-unit, three-story building with ground-floor office space for the New Orleans Mission. Staff requested deferral to allow more time to review updated plans (submitted June 30, reducing floors but maintaining unit count). Deferred to the July 22, 2025 CPC hearing unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were offered outside of the scheduled zoning docket speakers.
Discussion Items
- EPA Clean-up Plan and ABCA for Municipal Auditorium Remediation: Carrie Goccio (CPC Brownfield Program Director) and Dylan White (UNO graduate intern) presented. The Municipal Auditorium (opened 1930, vacated after Hurricane Katrina) has completed Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, revealing high levels of asbestos, lead, and mold. The CPC Brownfield Program was awarded an additional $249,999 from LDEQ for remediation, requiring public review of an Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) and an EPA Clean-up Plan. These documents are available for public comment on the CPC website. Discussion included coordination with FEMA ($29 million allocated for stabilization, with roof repair solicitation upcoming), the need for a future bond issue (request for $18 million in November), and community-driven master plan for cultural use. Commissioners asked about urgency, historic preservation, and integration with FEMA funds. No vote was taken; the presentation was for information.
Key Outcomes
- Adoption of Minutes: Approved.
- Zoning Docket 033/25: Approved with three provisos.
- Zoning Docket 034/25: Approved with four provisos.
- Zoning Docket 035/25: Approved.
- Zoning Docket 036/25: Deferred to July 22, 2025.
- Municipal Auditorium Remediation Plan: No action taken; documents remain open for public comment.
- Subdivision Ratifications: Approved.
- Adjournment: Motion carried; meeting ended at approximately 2:45 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for coming to today's city planning commission meeting. It is now one thirty-four, July eighth. Um, and we're gonna get started first with uh roll call followed by the the reading of the formal public hearing rules and then our regular business. So uh first we will call roll commissioner lund, commissioner Josh Gupta, Commissioner Whitry, Commissioner Jordan here, Commissioner Flick, Commissioner Steve here, Commissioner Brown. I'm here. Okay, so uh the formal public hearing rules reads as follows. The City Planning Commission has established certain rules governing the procedures to be followed at public hearing before speaking. Each person shall give their name, address, and state whom he or she is representing. Proponents for the pro for the proposal will speak first for a period of ten minutes total. Each speaker shall be allowed a maximum of two minutes. Opponents or other interested parties will speak second for a period of fifty minutes total. Each speaker shall be shall be allowed a maximum of two minutes. Proponents will be allowed a period of six minutes for a rebuttal. Each speaker shall be allowed a maximum of two minutes. Opponents will not be allowed to rebut. This procedure shall be followed at except 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 today's business by the adoption of meeting minutes from the June twenty-fourth meeting. Commissioner Flip will make a motion for approval of a June twenty-fourth meeting. Commissioner Whitray will second. Okay, so we have a motion for approval from Commissioner Flick, seconded by Commissioner Whitry. If there's no further discussion, uh we will vote our machines. Commissioner Flick made the motion. And the meeting minutes have been adopted. Uh next up is zoning docket item 03325. Good afternoon, zoning docket 3325 is a request for a conditional use to permit a bar at 325 Andrew Higgins Drive in a C B D six urban core neighborhood intensity mixed use district. The site is currently developed as a vacant one-story commercial building, and this is a proposal to renovate the structure to create an owner-operated wine and a parative bo bar. Applicants propose to renovate the entirety of the building, including the roof, equaling two thousand three hundred and fifty-four square feet of floor area. The first floor of the building would will include one thousand one hundred and seventy-seven square feet of usable space, while the roof will create six hundred and forty square feet of usable space and two hundred and fifty-seven square feet of utility space. Subject to three provisos, finding that the proposal meets the standards for approval in Article 4 of the CCO and is consistent with the master plan. Thank you. Uh we have a few common cards in support. First from the applicant, Laura Barth. Laura Barth, 1000 South Norman C Francis, Zach Smith Consulting. The owners and the architect put in um cards just in case there are any specific questions. Um, but we just want to thank the city planning staff for their report and uh looking forward to bringing this vacant commercial building back into commerce and the CBD. Thank you. Um, and there's another from a cole. Is that the uh the owner? So the two owners and the architect put in cards just in case they needed to speak if there were any specific questions. Okay, thank you. Okay, that concludes the cards. We have uh in support. Uh, there are no cards in opposition. Are there any questions for the applicant or staff? Notam looking for a motion. I'd like to make a motion approval of zoning docket 033-25 with provisions. There's second speech second. Okay, we have a motion uh for approval subject three provisos from Commissioner Gupta, uh seconded by Commissioner Steag. Is there any further discussion?
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