OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

City Planning Commission Meeting – August 26, 2025

City Planning Commission — Tuesday, August 26, 2025
BodyNew Orleans, Louisiana
SessionCity Planning Commission
DateTuesday, August 26, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:38:06

Transcript — Verbatim
0:34

Good afternoon, everyone, welcome.

0:37

We're gonna just get started here in a minute.

0:39

Um if you're here to speak, please go ahead and fill out cards and um bring them up to the desk and we will put them in order.

0:48

Thank you.

2:03

Good afternoon.

2:04

I'd like to go ahead and take roll call.

2:06

Commissioner uh Josie Gupta.

2:09

Present.

2:10

Uh Commissioner Brown here.

2:13

Uh Commissioner Flick, present, Commissioner Steve.

2:16

Here.

2:17

Commissioner Whitry is here.

2:19

We're gonna go ahead and read the formal public hearing rules.

2:24

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

2:31

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

2:37

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

2:40

Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of two minutes.

2:44

Opponents or other interested parties will speak second for a period of fifteen minutes.

2:50

Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of two minutes.

2:53

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

2:56

Each speaker shall be allowed a two minutes.

2:59

Opponents will not be allowed to rebut.

3:01

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

3:09

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

3:27

Commissioner Flick will make a motion for adoption of the August twelfth minutes.

3:30

Thank you.

3:30

Is there a second?

3:38

Let's go ahead and vote.

3:45

The minutes have been adopted.

3:47

Thank you.

4:06

Um we're really happy that you're here today um to honor the anniversary of the central area business central area New Orleans growth management plan.

4:19

Well, thank you uh very much.

4:20

And uh so that was a little bit of a promotion.

4:23

I actually had Rivers job uh for at the time.

4:28

Um but I I I wanted to thank first of all the commission and the staff for helping get the opinion piece uh published.

4:35

Uh I thought it was an important piece and and uh you guys put it over the top, and so thank you very much.

4:41

I worked for the planning commission for 17 years from 1971 when I got here from Buffalo, New York.

4:49

Uh and uh to the last seven years when I was director uh through 1988.

4:55

And um after that time I went to the Audubon Nature Institute and did planning for them and oper zoo operations and stuff.

5:03

See planners can become zoo managers too, Bob.

5:06

Just remember that.

5:07

Um and uh and then uh I went to City Park and you know, helped them through the uh difficult time that everyone had uh with could Katrina.

5:18

But uh during all that time from being a zoo manager and uh park manager and all that, I always remembered being the planning director.

5:28

I loved planning.

5:30

I was trained as a planner, and uh I loved working for the for the planning commission.

5:36

I had a just a tremendous time.

5:38

And the growth management program for the central business district was one of the most important projects I ever worked on during my whole 17 years.

5:46

Uh, and that included, you know, working on uh the World's Fair and uh, you know, other uh other titanic kinds of events that the city had, but the growth management program to me was always uh a kind of foundation center.

6:01

And uh when we began to start that, the CBD was in in many ways um a kind of a in a kind of a crisis uh really in the in the 70s in the early 70s.

6:13

Um there was rampant demolition of historic buildings, proliferation of parking lots all through the central uh business district.

6:21

We had a flawed zoning ordinance.

6:23

Uh we adopted the zoning ordinance just before I got here in 1970, and it was flawed the day it was adopted.

6:29

And it was just uh terrible in many ways, and we spent most of my career reforming that zoning ordinance, uh, and especially in this in the central business district where it permitted uh unrealistic densities throughout the entire district.

6:43

There were no z design controls for uh for buildings, and uh, and there was no management of the area.

6:51

There, you know, again you have to remember this is back in the early 1970s, so there was no really management of what was happening in the central business district at a time when there was um considerable change.

7:03

Uh Mayor Landrew uh at the time, Moon Landrew, uh not to be confused, um uh knew and un and understood what was happening in the central business district, and he uh he had many conversations with myself, and I was just a chief planner at the time, and the planning commission's director at that time, which was a man named Harold Katner, uh, about the central business district.

7:28

And um uh Mr.

7:30

Katner and and myself and finally convinced you know the mayor that we needed an effort, a broad-based effort, something that involved the business community and involved citizen advocates that were growing up in our central business district.

7:43

So uh the mayor put up the money uh and we hired Wallace Roberts and Todd, which back then was called uh Wallace McCarg, Roberts and Todd, who were the premier central business district urban consultants in the nation at the time.

7:59

And and we we brought them in and had a you know process that you all know, you know, a lengthy process of coordination and uh outreach to the business community, who at the time were a little skeptical, you know, about planning and and because the CBD was a kind of a wide open wild west.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████████████29%
Budget Equity Analysis████████████████████████24%
Historic Preservation█████████9%
Procedural████████8%
Public Engagement████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%
Economic Development███3%
Affordable Housing███3%
Environmental Protection██2%
Summary of Proceedings

City Planning Commission Meeting – August 26, 2025

The City Planning Commission met on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at 1:30 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting covered adoption of minutes, a special presentation, several zoning and subdivision dockets, and the 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). All members were present except Commissioner Whitry who arrived later and Commissioner Steak who left during the CIP discussion. The commission voted on all items with a quorum present.

Consent Calendar

  • Adoption of minutes: The minutes of the August 12, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously.
  • Subdivision Ratifications: Four administrative subdivision ratifications were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • George Williamson (1468 Arabella Street) asked what restaurant would occupy the site of Zoning Docket 042/25. Staff did not know the tenant.
  • David Hargrove and Antonia Zennaro (2708 St. Anthony Street, applicants for Subdivision Docket 062/25) spoke in favor of their resubdivision request. They explained they needed to combine three lots into one parcel to obtain financing for an outdoor kitchen and art studio. They noted the lot shape was only 1% over the 40% rule and argued strict enforcement would block redevelopment of a formerly blighted property.
  • Sage Michael (New Orleans East, community leader) spoke during the CIP discussion. He requested Lincoln Beach be included in the plan, noted the absence of hydrologic and hydraulic studies east of the Inner Harbor Canal, expressed concern about expiring FEMA funds, criticized the lack of a “Plan B” if the November bond sale fails, and highlighted the affordable housing crisis—noting many residents spend 50% of income on housing.

Discussion Items

  • Presentation by Robert Becker: Mr. Becker, former CPC director, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Central Area New Orleans Growth Management Program (1975). He described how the plan addressed rampant demolition, created historic districts, reduced densities, and led to the Downtown Development District. He emphasized the importance of long-range planning and shared his career in planning and managing City Park. Commissioners thanked him for his impact on the city.
  • Zoning Docket 042/25: Applicant Magazine & Nashville LLC requested a conditional use for a standard restaurant at 5720–5726 Magazine Street (HU-B1 district, Magazine Street Overlay). Staff recommended approval with two provisos. No opposition. The commission approved unanimously.
  • Zoning Docket 043/25: Applicant 641 Baronne LLC requested a conditional use for a 33-room hotel at 613–617 Baronne Street (CBD-5 district). Staff recommended approval with four provisos. The applicant Heather Cooper supported. Approved unanimously.
  • Zoning Docket 044/25: Applicant Chef Menteur Mall LLC requested a conditional use for a bar (hookah lounge) at 9511 Chef Menteur Highway (C-1 district, ENORC Overlay). Staff evaluated as a bar due to the smoke-free ordinance and recommended approval with two provisos. Applicant Derry Patterson and supporter Casey Giles spoke, describing plans for a relaxed environment and community outreach. The commission noted a typo in the applicant name and approved with the correction and two provisos.
  • Subdivision Docket 062/25: Applicants David Hargrove and Antonia Zennaro sought to resubdivide lots at 2708–2710 St. Anthony Street and 2057 Hope Street into one lot. Staff recommended denial because the request failed two criteria for multi-frontage lot and irregular shape. After hearing the applicants, the commission voted 6–0 to approve against staff recommendation, citing the benefits of neighborhood revitalization.
  • Subdivision Docket 064/25: Applicants Louis Hartmann and Arden K. Stewart sought to resubdivide lots at 820–824 Dublin Street into two lots (5-A and 5-B) in an HURD2 district. Staff recommended approval with one proviso. The applicant’s representative explained the owner, aged 88, wanted flexibility for future income. Approved unanimously.
  • 2026–2030 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP): Staff presented the draft plan and an amendment adding three projects (Hurricane Ida repairs, stormwater improvements on City Park Avenue, and Brownfield remediation). Overview: 34 agencies submitted 243 requests; general obligation bond requests totalled $2.2 billion; the administration proposed a $510 million bond referendum on November 15, 2025, split into three categories (affordable housing $45M, drainage/stormwater $50M, infrastructure $415M). CPC recommended partial or full funding for 115 projects totalling $465M in bond funds. Discussion included concerns about using bond funds for operating expenses (e.g., citywide repairs), tracking of FEMA Joint Infrastructure Road Program funds (about $1.4B for city, $875M spent, $315M under contract, goal to have all under contract by end of 2025 with a time extension needing congressional approval), and affordable housing. The commission voted to approve the CIP and recommended the city council ensure project lists comply with bond terms.

Key Outcomes

  • All zoning dockets (042/25, 043/25, 044/25) approved as staff recommended (with typo correction for 044/25).
  • Subdivision Docket 062/25 approved against staff denial (vote 6–0) to allow lot combination.
  • Subdivision Docket 064/25 approved.
  • 2026–2030 CIP approved (with recommendation to council on bond fund compliance).
  • Subdivision ratifications approved.
  • Meeting adjourned after all business.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone, welcome. We're gonna just get started here in a minute. Um if you're here to speak, please go ahead and fill out cards and um bring them up to the desk and we will put them in order. Thank you. Good afternoon. I'd like to go ahead and take roll call. Commissioner uh Josie Gupta. Present. Uh Commissioner Brown here. Uh Commissioner Flick, present, Commissioner Steve. Here. Commissioner Whitry is here. We're gonna go ahead and read the formal public hearing rules. 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 who he or she is representing. Proponents for the proposal will speak for a period of ten minutes. Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of two minutes. Opponents or other interested parties will speak second for a period of fifteen 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 two minutes. Opponents will not be allowed to rebut. No material, written matter, photographs, maps, will be accepted by the commission or its staff at any time during this public hearing. This procedure shall be followed except at the time when the presiding officer with approval of the commission members may extend such time. Commissioner Flick will make a motion for adoption of the August twelfth minutes. Thank you. Is there a second? Let's go ahead and vote. The minutes have been adopted. Thank you. Um we're really happy that you're here today um to honor the anniversary of the central area business central area New Orleans growth management plan. Well, thank you uh very much. And uh so that was a little bit of a promotion. I actually had Rivers job uh for at the time. Um but I I I wanted to thank first of all the commission and the staff for helping get the opinion piece uh published. Uh I thought it was an important piece and and uh you guys put it over the top, and so thank you very much. I worked for the planning commission for 17 years from 1971 when I got here from Buffalo, New York. Uh and uh to the last seven years when I was director uh through 1988. And um after that time I went to the Audubon Nature Institute and did planning for them and oper zoo operations and stuff. See planners can become zoo managers too, Bob. Just remember that. Um and uh and then uh I went to City Park and you know, helped them through the uh difficult time that everyone had uh with could Katrina. But uh during all that time from being a zoo manager and uh park manager and all that, I always remembered being the planning director. I loved planning. I was trained as a planner, and uh I loved working for the for the planning commission. I had a just a tremendous time. And the growth management program for the central business district was one of the most important projects I ever worked on during my whole 17 years. Uh, and that included, you know, working on uh the World's Fair and uh, you know, other uh other titanic kinds of events that the city had, but the growth management program to me was always uh a kind of foundation center. And uh when we began to start that, the CBD was in in many ways um a kind of a in a kind of a crisis uh really in the in the 70s in the early 70s. Um there was rampant demolition of historic buildings, proliferation of parking lots all through the central uh business district.

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