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 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 such time when the preceding officer shall, with approval of the commission members, extend such time.

Everyone signed in.

So adoption of the minutes for February 10th, 2026.

Commissioner Flick will move adoption of meeting minutes.

Okay.

February 10th.

We're going to back up for a second, do roll call.

Uh Commissioner Josie Gupta.

Commissioner Flick, present.

Commissioner Stewart.

President.

Commissioner Steag.

Here.

And um I know Commissioner Poche is here.

He had to step out for a second, but he is present in the building.

Let's go ahead and then move for adoption of the February 10th.

So moved.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

Thank you.

Any discussion?

If not, let's go ahead and vote.

Thank you.

The motion passed.

Now we'll move on to the first docket item 014-26.

Zoning docket 014-26 is a request to modify an existing conditional use permitting reception facility to include a planned development for live entertainment.

The request was deferred at the last meeting on February 10th to allow time to properly post signage on the property.

And the applicant has requested deferral today to have more conversations with the community about the project.

So we recommend deferral until the March 10th CPC meeting.

March 10th.

Okay.

Thank you.

So there is deferral, but we have several cards here, so we would like to go ahead and allow an opportunity to speak if anyone would like to.

Um Mr.

Sherman.

And I'm going to call and then Matthew L'Oreal.

Good afternoon, Commissioners.

Mike Sherman, 800 Barone Street, New Orleans, 70113 here on behalf of the applicant with my colleague Becca Geiger, Taylor Laureo with Dicky Brennan Restaurant Group.

We'd like to respectfully request deferral.

Um I always feel bad when our neighbors come out and we do request a deferral, but in this instance, I think it's for good cause.

We're working through an additional community meeting with our neighbors and anyone else that would like to join.

We did have a well-attended NPP meeting, but more engagement on a project that's impactful is always a good thing, and they brought up some very thoughtful concerns.

So hope to come back to y'all at March 10th with our neighbors and us having more advanced discussions.

Um but we would ask for a deferral in the interest of community engagement.

Meeting with the neighbors that it's outlined already or Yeah, we exchanged a date a week from Monday in the evening at 6 p.m.

So at our at the Josephine at the property.

Okay.

Thank you.

Matthew L'Oreal.

You are the two cards that I have in support, and then covered everything that I'd like to, so thank you.

Okay.

I have no other cards in support, and so we'll go ahead and I'll call the names to um in opposition.

It does seem that there's been some time seated, so let's see.

If you would like to come up.

So one two.

Excuse me.

Lee DuPont, 2435 General Pershing, one block from 2400 Napoleon venue.

This ordinance revision seeks to add live music events with more than 1,000 attendees and eliminate the minimum parking required by the city council's original 2023 ordinance.

Waiving the 200 foot buffer normally required for a new event center, a conditional use was granted in 2023 with a neighborhood anticipating weddings and similar low-key events.

Even the low-key events have reduced the quality of life of the neighborhood, parking, traffic noise, and the total elimination of public access to half a block of cherished family parade viewing spot by a private stand that covered the sidewalk, curbside lane, and half the street and the neutral ground.

My concerns are that a future owner having a different business model than the current operators will host a rave type event with 1,000 to 1,200 attendees that would not end till 4 a.m.

Can you imagine the traffic and parking issues?

Not to mention the turmoil in the street when over 1,000 revelers pour into the neighborhood at 4 a.m.

after a night of jubilation and drinking.

Sounds like a perfect storm for neighborhood distress.

Current operators hold themselves to a high standard for events, but no one can anticipate what future operators might choose to do.

Live music should not be allowed at 2400 Napoleon.

The minimum parking codified in the 2023 ordinance should be maintained.

Council felt it was needed then, and it's still needed.

Eliminating the requirement puts a greater burden on the neighborhood and merely serves to enrich in the event operators.

To ensure that the quality of life in a neighborhood is protected in the future, I suggest that the ordinance be amended to include the following three conditions.

End all events by 2 a.m.

In the NPP meeting notes, the venture stated venue stated that they have no intention of staying open until 4 a.m.

Neighborhood concerns are that should the venue change hands in the future that those future owners might not share concerns with the neighborhood.

Number two, limit the attendance of all events to 700.

One of the questions of the December 18th meeting was that if the venue would consider limiting attendance to 700.

No response was provided in the meeting notes, but when I asked verbally about the attendance, the venue volunteered that the maximum expected would be in a neighborhood of 675.

So a limit of 700 would not impair the current operators.

The neighborhood concern is that future operator could open a rave like audience and cramp 1,200 guests into the venue with the associated disruption to neighborhood quality of life.

I say 1,200 because the fire marshal's permit is for fire for 1,000 plus occupants.

Limit all events, uh last item, limit all the events to indoors and closed doors.

Nothing outside the doors, nothing blocking the sidewalk, nothing blocking the street, keep it quiet and contained out of respect for the neighborhood.

If I have any time left, I would like to ced it to Gail Thomas.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Oh, you bet.

Okay.

And are you and are you gonna bring the issues you just brought up?

Uh oh, unless I have more.

No, at the meeting that uh that's gonna take place a week from Monday.

Yes.

Okay.

Thanks.

The record showed that Mr.

DuPont had actually um eight minutes total.

And Miss Thomas already has someone that has um gifted her time.

So if she would like to come up, she's got four minutes.

Good afternoon.

And then after that, Miss Janice Armist.

Um be the next speaker.

Madam Chair, can I state this for the record?

So, as the opponents are coming up, can you just state if you're in favor or you're against the actual deferral?

Um, and then we'll make sure that whatever meeting happens uh in the future that that information can be passed on to the applicant.

Okay, I'm against it.

My name is Gail Thomas.

I live at 23, 22, 24.

I've been there for 35 years.

I am totally upset about this.

Four generations right now live in my house.

I've been in that area.

I've set on Miss Sweetie May Porch at La Sale and Jenna when I was 15 years old.

She's 75 in the bed now.

That vineyard is right down the street from her.

It's gonna change our neighborhood.

We are raising families.

Families.

There's nothing for family life.

Everything is adult living.

There's nothing from Jefferson all the way down to Napoleon.

Nothing that says family friendly.

Bars, places to eat, but nothing that says family.

This, this is gonna destroy our neighborhood.

Whereas we, when we raise our kids, our grandkids, there's a business in the back of the church.

Soon as we leave our house, the whole neighborhood poke it is gone.

And we know that street pocket.

But we asked not to bring that type of venue in our neighborhood.

We have Tipatinas.

Everybody can see what Tippatina is down that street.

Nowhere to park.

And the crime element.

At 6 o'clock, if you drive your car through our neighborhood, it is quiet.

I mean, it is quiet.

I retired from the V8 25 years.

I worked hard to get in these neighborhood, as I call it.

That's gonna bring that crime element in.

And there's nowhere to poke now.

700 to a thousand people.

Another thing.

This Mardi Gro, last Mardi Grove, the king, Rex was at Pascal Manale.

The church gave us the authority, the families from Ferret to Liberty.

They build the podium all the way to the street, cut off the bike zone.

Another podium across the walkway.

You couldn't even walk.

This is where we met our new neighbors.

This is where we all come together.

I am totally and completely opposed to that venue.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Thomas.

Ms.

Tomarmas.

Hi, I'm speaking on behalf of my mother, um, Julia Littlejohn, who lives directly next to the um Josephine, and we are opposed to the.

Do you mind seating your just your address for the record?

And she's got four minutes.

2336 Napoleon Avenue.

Thank you.

And uh we had a meeting originally with Mike Sherman and the original owners.

I understand that they have kind of changed hands now, um, where they're only owning, they're owning a smaller percentage of the Josephine, and now it's more Brennan's and Galatoirs and the Advocate.

But anyway, there's no place to park.

We were told that they would be parking down by Oshner, um, and they would be doing valet service, but that has not happened to this point.

So there is no place to park anywhere.

Um, and there's no room.

Also, the traffic on LaSalle Street because of Ferret being so busy now, everyone is utilizing LaSalle Street.

Um, most of their workers park on LaSalle Street that are working with the Josephine.

So we always have issues with our driveways being partially blocked or asking people to move because they've stopped just to drop something off, drop food off or whatever momentarily, and then they are just gonna be there for a moment and they're gonna leave.

Um, so it's a lot of in and out going on.

Um, also the outside part of the entertainment.

There's an area to the outside, which we understood through the ordinance that was not gonna be outside entertainment, but yet there's tables, there's live bands out there, or small quartet, if you would want to call it that.

They go in and out.

I would assume they also may smoke out that way as well.

And so that's disruptive to the neighborhood.

You hear all the noise of the people and everything, up until whatever time the venue ends, it has been till 11.

But I did just stress that to Mike before about the 4 a.m.

that I saw in the ordinance, original ordinance, and that would be a concern of having people.

My mother's gonna be 85.

She's lived there for 40 years, and it is directly impacting her lifestyle and those that are in the neighborhood.

So I think that there should be some meeting of the minds, but up to this point, we thought we might have had a meeting of the mind, but it never really came to fruition.

So I'm just saying that no outside entertainment.

Um, it should be contained as they said it was.

They did finally put up some curtains so we don't have to be in our kitchen and looking down into the courtyard or down into the building.

That seemed to be, you know, you look out your kitchen window now, and that's what we see.

So we're trying to be have some kind of happy medium, but it just seems like the parking and the congestion in the neighborhood, and Trader Joe's is not open yet.

So imagine when that opens.

I don't understand where a thousand people at a live venue would park.

Where would all those people park?

There's already congestion on Napoleon.

It's like a drag car, race car street, LaSalle to the side since it can't go on infrared anymore, is not big enough for they've got people parked on both sides.

People have to wait at the front of the street for to come down, or somebody has to back up now halfway down the block so that someone could come down the street because there's only room for one car at a time to come down with cars parked on both sides.

So it's it's just really um they the parking is the main thing.

If they're going to do something with less than a thousand people, then they should follow through with their initial thing of parking cars somewhere else, uh, even though I know people are still gonna park, they said it would be a lot of Uber, but it has not been.

It has been basically people being dropped off and then going look for places to park in the neighborhood.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Joel Carraza, and then Marley Pye.

Um Annie Jane Robertson.

Hi, my name is Joel Caranza, 2316 Jenna Street, um, one street off of the development.

Um so I wanted to speak, it follows a lot about what was just spoken about.

Our neighborhood is a residential neighborhood, and the streets are designed for residents.

It's not really designed for a commercial area.

Um the streets are narrow.

Uh the parking is limited, as we've all been talking about.

And what I want to reiterate is that what we're not we're not concerned about what we're not just concerned about what is going to happen.

These aren't unfounded fears.

What we're seeing is what's happening right now in the um in the neighborhood with the existing agreement that they have, which is to for the wedding.

So with the weddings, what we're seeing is a lot of uh obviously there's a there's parking concerns, and I want to speak specifically about the issue of um the congestion along LaSalle.

So fort to service the wedding venue, they're bringing in a lot of trucks for catering for equipment, loading in and out for food, all these different people, and they're parking these large vehicles along LaSalle, and it creates a really dangerous situation where we've got very constricted streets, people are trying to park.

The vehicles are sort of parked for an unknown period of time.

And as you're trying to turn from our street, Jenna, onto LaSalle, you yeah, you can get in the situation where there's really only one lane for traffic, but it's a two-way street, so people are coming in and out.

And the other problem is that when you park on Napoleon, uh there's they have a tendency to bring in big buses or big things.

You really cannot see it's very dangerous to be turning on LaSalle onto Napoleon because the visibility is so poor.

And so there really needs to be a rethinking of how traffic and parking is uh is in place.

So I'm I'm opposed to the change in the um ordinance.

Thank you.

Marilyn and then Annie Jane Robinson, Joy Carter, and Susan Johnson.

My name is Neil Lee Pye.

I live at 2423 General Pershing, which is in the same block as the event center.

As I was never in favor of this project from the very beginning.

It's still and never will have adequate parking for parking for an event holding a hundred much less thousand more plus people.

I the thought of having people walking through my neighborhood at 4 a.m.

to retrieve their car cars concerns me.

We also have several single women also living in my block.

Having people who leave leave an event, intoxicated, urinating, and vomiting on my street, as they do when they have too much to drink, concerns me for my safety and the safety of the other female residents.

But the traffic doesn't stop at 4 a.m.

As the staff still has to clean and close up the building.

I have already experienced the traffic as they have blocked the street during an event.

The buses and the Ubers have blocked the passenger lane as well as the right-hand lane.

Modicros stands have blocked the bike bike lane as well.

If the center is open till 4 a.m., we will have to deal with this traffic gams even till that early morning.

And I haven't even mentioned the fact that the noise of having people walking through my neighborhood at 4 a.m.

I don't think that's appropriate.

Have a nice day.

Thank you.

Hello, my name's Annie Jane Robinson.

I live at 2424 Jenna, which is right behind High Hat across the street from the future Trader Joe's.

I live there with my three children.

I don't want to, I mean, I want to focus on parking, but a lot of other people have as well.

This venue was lucky enough to be grandfathered in with very limited parking and were able to open because of that.

They were grandfathered in because this was a church.

Churches are generally only visited a few days a week in the morning.

This was a neighborhood church where a lot of people walked to Mass, and they had the school parking lot right next door to help people have a place to park.

This is a completely different situation.

This is a venue that wants to have a thousand people, and as of right now, as they're operating now, again, parking is a massive issue.

They claim to have an agreement with Oshner.

I personally have never seen that in action, and I I live there and I'm home all the time, and I haven't seen that working.

I've seen apart from just visitors and apart from guests to their events, they have people that work there.

The people that work there show up earlier than the events start, they take up the parking on the street.

Um, you know, if if you live in the neighborhood, want to come home with groceries, it's impossible to park by your house.

What are you gonna do?

And um I just I strongly oppose this for for every reason.

Uh for the it's just incredibly inconsiderate of the neighborhood.

You know, we I've been there 15 years.

I'm there with my kids.

I just want them to walk home from school.

I just want to feel safe there.

I just want to feel that my neighborhood is a neighborhood and it isn't just a tourist attraction.

I want to feel like the neighbors care about the other people that live in the neighborhood, and this venue clearly doesn't.

They clearly don't.

There's they're there to make money, and they're their answer to us having issues with parking is to give us the phone number of the manager to the place.

I don't think that it's our job to have to reach out to somebody else to park by our house.

Like, why do I have to block traffic and become a nagging neighbor to call somebody to tell their people not to park there?

Just to finish up, I object to the deferral and I object to the change in the in the thank you.

Toy Carter and then Susan Johnson.

And those are all the cards I have to speak in opposition.

If you're here to speak, please go ahead and bring a card up.

Hi, I'm Toy Carter.

I live at 2316 Jenna Street.

Um, these are my neighbors here.

You've been hearing about our how we've experienced this development, but I want to put it in the context of the cumulative changes to our neighborhood.

As y'all know, that entire block has been developed.

And I think what you're experiencing, and you're gonna hear more of, and y'all are gonna hear more of, is that our neighbors have not been adequately engaged in the development of this scale.

A whole city block, and so only sending out flyers to a 300-foot radius for this development does not um engage us properly.

There's people who never got a mailer who were in directly impacted by the church and Trader Joe's.

So there's a cumulative impact there.

Um, I also want to say to the CPC staff that made this recommendation that said that you'll y'all that they approve of it.

I'm really disappointed.

That's disappointing to me.

Um, I would say the proposed change is not consistent with the master plan.

I would say that the live performance venue does not meet a standard for substantial public benefit, as you've been hearing from my neighbors.

I would also say that the conditional use standards, many of them have already not been met, and so to allow a live music venue would only exacerbate those.

So preserving the character of the adjacent neighborhoods, not met.

Providing adequate ingress and ingress to the property, not met.

Off street parking and loading areas, not met.

Refuse refuse and service areas, not met.

Roadway adjustments and all that goes with that, not met.

So there are a number of um of standards that should have been in place, even for the Josephine to be operating, let alone the uh a live music venue.

And so finally, um Lee already said this, but uh as much as I'm looking forward to a robust neighborhood engagement process, it sounds like we're gonna try that out.

I have no faith that anyone in this room can promise us if the Josephine goes out of business next year, whoever buys up that property wouldn't move in with a very active live music venue.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ms.

Johnson.

Susan Johnson 2822 LePage Street, a historic New Orleans neighborhood, so I'm not paid to be here.

Um I've been tracking this development for three or four years at public meetings um all along this block face.

I have to ask why, and it's not a rhetorical question.

Why it was necessary to use the planned development application to obtain a live entertainment conditional use.

The planned development confers a public benefit, in this case, purportedly preservation of a historic building, whereas the conditional use requires the consideration of the public need for the particular use.

Is this why the planned development is invoked?

Because in fact, there is no public need for this use.

The neighbors have now had several have had several months to experience the undeniable impact of the noise, parking, and foot traffic.

Reference to public benefit also reminds us of the discussion here at the CPC of September 9th, 2025 about zoning docket 04925, which proposed that the term public benefit should be added to the language of the CZO Article 4.3.a on the purpose of the conditional use, so that both public benefit and public need should be considered in the CPC's approval of a conditional use.

This docket was approved by the city council on January 8th, I believe, and it's not yet been codified, but it seems that the city has made an end run.

I don't include the planners here.

The city has made an end run around the purpose of the conditional use public need by invoking the planned development and its public benefit.

On a more constructive note, maybe I would like to state my support of the position of Louisiana Landmark Society on this docket CD 01426 that the owners should enter into a community benefit agreement or CBA with the neighborhood while keeping in mind the community community benefit may not be exactly equivalent to the public benefit as identified by the CPC, and that this agreement should be filed with a land records office.

Thanks.

Thank you, Miss Johnson.

Mr.

Sherman, are you coming up to before you do?

Everyone here on this matter, because I'm sure sure that some have come that haven't spoken.

Will you raise your hand, please?

Just everyone that is here to speak in opposition on this matter.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh good afternoon, commissioners.

I'm actually very optimistic that we can work something out.

Here's a good thing.

We have no interest in being open till 4 a.m.

or having a thousand people.

Uh 4 a.m.

seems to be a use standard in the CZO.

It seems to have been copied and pasted during conditional uses into the existing conditional use, never a request of the owner or the operator.

It's not something we're asking for.

So I think when we meet with our neighbors, that's something we can talk through.

No interest in being up until 4 a.m.

Haven't done it, don't want to do it, aren't interested in it.

Two is uh thousand people, no interest in hosting a thousand-person event, haven't done it, don't advertise it anymore.

There was a newspaper article which cited the fire marshal capacity at one point.

That's an irrelevant number.

You you couldn't host a thousand-person event in there comfortably, happy to talk with the neighbors through those things.

Um I heard really thoughtful comments from our neighbors.

Um we did secure over 50 parking spaces from auctioner on Napoleon Avenue a block away that were non-required parking.

I hope that's important to show good faith to the neighbors that we really are trying to solve the issues here.

Um we have security at almost every event.

At the NPP meeting, one of the requests was hey, can you ask the police car not to have his blue light on?

Turn it off.

Happy to do those things.

So in addition to patrolling the perimeter, there's a cell phone.

Someone's parked too close to your driveway.

Sure, you can call the city, but you can also call the manager, they make announcements.

So the city explicitly created an overlay on Fret Street.

When I was in college here, it was vacant and blighted for R Street because of the overlay that the planning commission and council put on.

Ferret has been a stunning success story of a mixed-use corridor.

And this particular parcel, as part of that overlay, actually was approved for live performance.

Because everything touching the arts and cultural overlay had live performance allowed in it.

When it got subdivided, oh my time's up.

I'd ask you for uh You can still continue.

Yeah.

So the reason I'm asking for a deferral is because I think we're trying to fulfill what's in the CZO and the master plan in a respectful way.

Some additional time with neighbors, I think can get us closer.

And I want to, of course, thank staff for a very thoughtful report.

And we look forward to working with our neighbors and hopefully being back here with you in just a few weeks.

Commissioners, do you have any questions?

What's the current legal capacity of the venue?

Yeah, the fire marshal has us at 1183.

We believe we can confirm the number, give it to staff.

And what is a comfortable capacity?

I think we advertise half of that.

Six six fifty would be the largest.

And what time must events end at the facility as of now?

Um one of our neighbors suggested 2 a.m.

That feels appropriate.

We haven't done 2 a.m.

yet.

Regulatorily, what time must events end?

Uh regulatorily, we've never gotten close to our regulatory limit.

I think the CZO has a noise restriction and a 4 am restriction.

That's just in the base CZO.

We've never gotten close to that.

Thank you.

Are you currently using the Auctioner parking spaces?

Yes.

Is that a durable outside?

Okay.

Sure.

We yes, we have we have an auctioner lot.

The other thing which is really important, and this is where the Trader Joe's will will help when the construction's done because there's construction fencing up.

Uburn lift has become the dominant way for people to arrive and depart from the venue.

So pushing that to the uh away from the neighborhood on Napoleon would be a really helpful way to we have a large curb side from Ferret to Napoleon basically from from Ferret to the venue, and with the construction on Trader Joe's for the next two months, we can't use all of that curbside.

But that that's gonna help with Uber and Lyft.

Um what Commissioner Jesse Gupta, please.

Mr.

Sherman, please stay.

So um what type of events are you even imagining other than weddings and sure?

So right now, this is the interesting thing about this request.

There will be no difference in terms of the type of event.

It's the booking style of the event under city code.

So right now it's predominantly weddings, there's a host of other events if uh that Taylor can run us through.

What would we be allowed to do?

A great example is the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, as indicated, uh satellite.

So that would be a great example of something we would want to do that we right now would need a special event permit.

Are can events be wrapped up by midnight?

Can events be wrapped up by midnight?

Can live performances, which are different than receptions.

Um I'd want to talk with my client before agreeing to that, but um as a general matter, we're certainly happy to work through hours of operation to bring comfort to the neighbors for us and future operators.

Commissioner Steve.

I have one.

So why is the special event permit method not adequate for your use?

Two problems.

One is you can't rely upon it.

The city, as a matter of practice, won't even process those till right before the event.

Two, there's a cap on special events.

It's basically one a month.

Right.

So how many do you envision a month?

We can circle back to staff on how many would qualify.

Some of them would be very small events, like 10 and 12 and 20 person events, um, which could be um not the large something much smaller than in fact than a wedding that we wouldn't be able to do today.

But give us some other examples other than the Louisiana.

LPO other than the Philharmonic.

Sure.

Um the live music venue.

Sure, all the arts and could could be red-hot chili peppers.

Yeah, so it's a good question.

I think plays would be.

They're all saying, oh man, he's okay.

Go ahead.

Chili fans could be could be um yeah.

So uh give us some more examples.

It it could be uh a neighborhood school trying to have a play.

Um it could be uh uh I think plays would be probably uh uh a big category.

Um I think we've had I I don't want to use the names of tenants, but like ballet, there's other nonprofit organizations in town that might not want to have an event.

There's other performance organizations that would like to use the space.

The the opportunity for an uptown event space of this quality, this has been a magnificent historic restoration has been well received on the wedding side.

It's a really expensive project, and being able to utilize it thoughtfully and respectfully to the neighbors is really critical.

And when the Fred overlay was created, I think plays, musicals, arts-based events were in mind, and that's the type of event we'd like to have in here.

Um, as a comparison, I would like to compare it to the Marini Opera House.

Um as it's also situated within a neighborhood and hosts valleys and plays and weddings and small music events.

I think their cutoff time for the actual event is I think 10 or 11, if I'm not, you know, if I'm correct.

Um that's why I was asking is 12 o'clock something that you can work with.

Um, if you're kind enough to grant us a deferral, I promise you, with the operator and the ownership, we will circle back to staff with a firm answer and of course discuss it with our neighbors.

But also would like our staff to look into that as a comparison.

Yeah.

I think the key point we wanted to communicate today is this 4 a.m.

has been passed around the neighborhood.

It's in the conditional use.

That was not our request.

And we don't believe it was ever a request.

It was just a use standard in the CZO.

I have a question generally for the opposition.

I'm not sure if someone is best suited to respond to this.

Um, I hear your concerns specifically around parking and safety in the neighborhood, and those are valid concerns.

The proposal here would not change anything regarding what is allowed for parking or um safety measures, security.

So can someone articulate to me the problems that would be exacerbated by this venue permitting live music that doesn't exist to already today with its current uses?

Live music.

We talking about concerts.

Can you speak into the mic, please?

We're talking about concerts, the type of concerts that they have that tip of team that's we wouldn't be opposed to a school coming in.

I'm asking specifically what current conditions will be exacerbated by a permission permission use of live music.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The parking.

Yeah, I can speak to it.

How will parking become exacerbated with live music?

I got you.

So so far they okay.

I want everybody to keep in mind this isn't just for the Josephine, right?

This ordinance change would follow another um business there, right?

So as much as it's close of an agreement we get to with them, that won't matter in two years if another company buys that facility.

Okay.

So as of right now, I don't think any of their weddings have gotten close to probably what, 200 people.

How many people have y'all hosted so far?

At the most 550 for what the most 550.

Um we've if this uh if there are up to 1,183 people entering our neighborhood, that's almost double of the biggest event we've seen already.

That's currently permitted.

Right.

Um 1,183 people are currently permitted.

And that's why in my comments I said, y'all did not meet that standard.

You met the whatever grandfather parking you allowed to come through, and whatever egress and ingress things you overlooked, the standard has already not been met.

And so by allowing more frequent events, because this is about them being able to bring in more money.

So this is about more frequent events.

We're talking about not only being impacted during a wedding, we're talking about, I don't know, probably Thursday through Sunday, 1,183 people being in our neighborhood.

Then you add on to the cumulative effect of the Trader Joe's, which is gonna have traffic coming in.

Um they're gonna be unloading trucks there.

There's gonna be new consumers there in our neighborhood.

That's from their hours are probably 9 a.m.

to 9 p.m.

And then we've got a live music venue that's holding an event that night.

It's it's it's actually we can't answer your question.

We don't know how big that impact is gonna be, but we sense it's huge.

Is there anyone from the opposition that can articulate how they believe the current circumstances will be exacerbated, made worsen by the venue permitting or us permitting the venue to have live performance?

Mr.

Pochet, how do what I say not help you understand the exacerbation?

I understand you.

Thank you for your comment.

I'm asking if anyone else is interested in articulating their concerns.

If you if so, please step to the podium.

Okay.

And then this will be our last speaker before we move to close the public comment.

To date, the the operators have had approximately 600 maximum attendees.

Live music event, as it's written now, could have nearly 1200, double that.

It would double every concern the neighborhood has.

Simply stated.

Thank you.

I have one other comment.

Is noise an issue at all, or is just parking an issue?

I'm sorry.

Is noise an issue, or is it just parking an issue?

It isn't to me, but it has been spoken by some of the other uh closer neighborhood neighbors.

I'd let rather let them answer that than I.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

I'm addressing Park.

Hi, Bridget Manager, 23 uh 08 Jenna, opposition.

Um my witnessing of the parking and it's though they were Mordi Gras.

There was an event there.

There were vans blocking streets everywhere, people unloading on LaSalle.

And there was so much congestion, I understand it's Mardi Gras.

But even without Mardi Gras traffic, I couldn't, I don't know how many vans were pulling up just for the event.

It was blocking streets, there were people everywhere.

There was so much congestion just from the people unloading.

This wasn't from people parking on on Napoleon.

This was the parking was terrible.

I mean, and just they didn't have anywhere to put it, put these vans.

There, I don't know how many vans did you guys have.

It was like, I don't know, six, eight of the big minivans pulling up, and LaSalle was just blocked.

So I there was even if there weren't cars there, I don't know whether these people would have parked their cars.

There was there was nothing, then there was there was no parking zones everywhere.

So it was a lot of congestion in addition to Mardi Gras.

And let's not even talk about the podiums that were up blocking vision.

And that was up several days before Mardi Gras even happened.

You could not turn.

Because I could not see there was no line of vision into traffic without pulling out and and taking my chances.

So that is my concern.

Thank you.

All right, we're gonna close the public portion of this um docket item.

And is there um they're asking for a deferral until March 10th commissioners, do you have any questions for staff?

I'll move deferral to March 10th.

Is there a second?

Second, Commissioner Stewart.

All right, we have a motion for deferral to March 10th.

Any discussion?

Let's vote the motion carries.

Thank you.

Thank you for coming down today.

Zoning Docket 015-26.

Zoning Docket 01526 is a request for a zoning change from an H U R M1 historic urban multifamily residential district to an HMU historic urban neighborhood mixed use district, and a conditional use to permit the retail sale of packaged alcoholic beverages.

The applicant has submitted plans that show the current use of the site as a commercial space.

In addition to the applicant's request, the zoning change would allow for other commercial uses such as indoor amusement facilities, art galleries, medical and dental offices, microbreweries and distilleries, and restaurants, all limited to 5,000 square feet as permitted uses with larger uses allowed as conditional uses.

All limited to 5,000 square feet as permitted uses with larger uses allowed as conditional uses.

This request is a spot zone based on the commission's definition of spot zone.

Based on the analysis, staff finds that the HUMU zoning designation would not be appropriate for this particular site and recommends HUB1A, which would be more appropriate for the residential neighborhood.

As previously stated, the applicant is also requesting a conditional use to permit the retail sale of alcoholic beverages, which is not allowed in the HUB1A district.

Thus, under staff's recommendation, the conditional use request cannot be approved.

Therefore, staff recommends modified approval of zoning docket 01526, approving the rezoning of the site to an HUB1A historic urban neighborhood business district and denying the conditional use request for the retail sale of packaged alcoholic beverages.

Thank you.

I have two cards.

Good afternoon, Commission Zach Smith, 1000 South Norman C.

Francis Parquet.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

And on behalf of the owner, we are here to have a conversation about the attempt to restore the previous business to essentially back to what it was prior to a little ownership uh shakeup where the owner had to pause the business and essentially lost a non-conforming use at this establishment.

Any sort of denial of the conditional use, which is a staff recommendation, of course, we're just not going to be able to accept.

Uh when we talk about the potential for detriment to the neighbors, you know, all and whatnot, I like to kind of jump straight into it.

Uh we have it wasn't actually emailed to the CPC and it was sent directly to the council uh to to District B.

So I'm just gonna read it out loud from the Central City Fahlberg Libiday Association, care of Miss Talva Burnett Carlisle.

I am sorry, missed this email.

We at CCFL are in full support of this project.

Please relay that to the councilwoman.

Uh this after we had our NPP, which is actually only attended by Ms.

Talva from the neighborhood group, um, it was uh we had robust discussions about trying to look at other uh at additional food options and things that might not generally be served in Central City.

Uh but when it comes to re-establishing this business, uh it is paramount to the neighbors that this actually reopened, that there be other ways to get not only some small groceries, convenience items, hot foods, and alcohol, because there's quite a few things happening on St.

Charles these days where it's pricing folks out of their ability to go buy the the things that they conveniently buy.

So we can go through point by point, uh, but I know that the last item probably took a lot longer than people expected with the deferral.

But fundamentally, a uh switch to H U B1A, as the staff report points out, prevents us from even having the option for alcohol, stepping that up to potentially, you know, one of the fundamental reasons against this was HUMU might be a little too too dramatic.

But HUB1A, as the staff report notes, does not allow alcohol.

HUB1 requires for alcohol to be over 5,000 square feet, and this is an existing space that is over 3,000 square feet.

And if we talk about, hey, well, couldn't we have done this as maybe a neighborhood commercial establishment?

Remember that it was formerly residential, and therefore alcohol would not have been provided, permitted, and of course it's over 3,000 square feet.

So we meet all of those interesting parts of the CZO where the request that we made was to make sure that this business with a long-standing positive uh history in the neighborhood that has the support of folks that have seen it in operation before it was unfortunately uh having to close its doors, want to see it come back with the same original ownership and same original operation, well serviced, well managed, well lit, well secured.

Thank you.

Um I have one what's the name of the former business?

What was it?

Red zone.

It was red zone, operating as red zone.

They had one location on St.

Charles, and they had this location, and then they had another location on Canal.

Okay.

And why did it close down?

Closed down just uh well without getting all the particulars, uh owners, owners uh having disagreements and going separate ways, and while things were kind of locked out on all sides, the non-conforming clock continued.

And as soon as um I'll call it the the the founder and principal owner regained control.

We're in a spot where he's stuck with a uh with a property that he wants to just return to how it is, with unable to do it because of that.

And that's the the reason we're here today.

So I'm confused.

It's the same ownership group or it's different.

Okay.

It's it's officially a different LLC, but it's the original uh managing partner of the original red zone.

Uh but he is now uh for the sake of today, that he's the sole the sole leader of that LLC.

Um so has has full control of the property and is moving to restore it and get it back into use and get it back into commerce.

So I just say there was there was there was a corporate corporate pause, and so the the business essentially shut down for that, and now uh our client has complete control to continue this project forward.

Do I have one more question?

Yes, sir.

So would HUB1A allow you to have a grocery store?

Yes.

Okay.

Just wouldn't allow you to have liquor.

Correct.

Okay.

It's been a total eyesore for months.

I mean, I live right there, I drive by every day, and I know how vibrant it was before, and then it went through some changes.

And so I I'd like to see it back into commerce myself.

Yeah.

And there's a bar across the street, and you've got the bike center on the other side, and you don't seem to have any opposition with neighbors here.

No opposition again, the full support.

I know it's not in the spot.

It was a little too late to get it in since we just received it, but I did read it, and it will go in.

Uh I think Miss Barth from our office has already submitted to CPC again.

Uh we are in, we at CCFL are in full support of this project and very much understand about the rezoning implications and the fact that we are asking for retail package alcohol sales at this location.

Again, in that conversation, specifically noted how folks are being priced out of retail package alcohol from some of the new stores and new operations on St.

Charles because of the the real estate driving up prices, the rents are going up, leases are going up, and it's it's carrying down to individual items kind of going up.

This is trying to get other options there.

Uh so again, we've yet to see a single piece, a single shred of opposition to everything that we've actually asked for.

And the deli is gonna go back in the back.

The deli is gonna go back in the back, and again, that's what CCFL was kind of talking to us about.

That's what they were most concerned about was hey, we loved your food before, but can you potentially bring in some one option one potential request was like a Mediterranean kind of option?

Chicken swarm on because again, it's something that we don't have right there.

So thank you.

Thank you.

We have no other cards.

Commissioners, any questions, or is there a motion?

I have a question for staff.

Um if I wanted to go against staff report and allow the conditional use for package alcohol sales.

Would the recommendation be to do that as an H U B One A with the conditional use?

You would have to do H U M U, so you would have to have it as requested.

Okay.

H U M U.

H U M.

Given the previous use um of the site and its need to be back in commerce.

I'm gonna go against that report and make a motion um as original as originally requested for H U M U zoning change with the conditional use of alcohol sale.

Is there a second?

A second.

And then let's move to discussion.

I had a question.

Um just because I had stepped away, is there's no residential here, it's just the commercial.

Correct?

There's no residential on this site map.

Yeah.

So sensitive to H UMU these days.

So I just want to wanted to ask.

On the on the site map or the zoning map?

The site map, just on the property.

I don't think there is.

I've never seen any commercial, it's just strictly commercial.

The structure.

Okay.

Um you all want to vote?

Yep.

Well, I'm gonna I'm gonna vote against the motion.

Okay.

Um I think if they wanted to serve the neighborhood and have a grocery, they could um be HUB1A.

And the only reason for the upzoning is liquor, and I don't see the need to I don't buy the argument that liquor's been that we need a cheap liquor store because liquor is expensive on St.

Charles, and I don't think they need another liquor store, so I'm against the motion.

Okay.

Thank you.

The reason I'm supporting the motion is because they had uh non-conforming use prior to this and they lost it on mere technicality.

And um, since they have other businesses that are similar, and they up and we know the operation, I feel comfortable with making this recommendation.

I agree, I live four blocks.

I've driven by thousands and thousands of times.

So I I didn't see that this was a detriment for the this part of town.

All right, let's vote.

And that's what we do.

We lock you out.

I announced my opposition and my computer gets seriously frozen.

I don't know how that happened.

Let's go ahead.

Okay, Commissioner Siegersnay, everybody else.

Yay.

Um the motion does carry.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Thank you.

Now we'll move on to zoning docket.

Um26.

Zoning Docket 1626 is a request for a conditional use to permit a community center in an H U RM1 historic urban multifamily residential district.

The property is undeveloped and located on the corner of Third Street in Loyola Av in the central city neighborhood.

Adjacent to the properties of third rows of Sharon Baptist Church, which is the applicant for this request.

The applicant previously applied for a conditional use on this property, which was docketed as Zoning Docket 056 Das 17.

The docket was approved by the commission and city council, but the approval expired.

The current proposal has a smaller building footprint than the previous application, and the rear yard now offers off-street parking.

The staff finds that the proposed use meets some of the standards for approval in Article 4 of the CZO and is consistent with the master plan.

However, the proposal does not meet lot size and parking requirements because the size is the site is undersized for non-residential use and therefore would not meet the approval standard for required waivers.

Staff finds that the waivers of these requirements do not meet them, and therefore staff is recommending denial consistent with its previous recommendation.

Thank you.

We have one card.

I love your handwriting.

You must be the architect.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes.

Please state your name and address.

Um Charles Silmanagel.

How do you pronounce that?

Silbernagel.

Silber Nagel.

All right.

3129 Edenborn.

Okay, you've got two minutes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm the architect for the church, and this project has been going on since since Katrina.

Um there was an existing building on the site, give you all a little history about the project.

There was an existing building on the site.

Um, it was a shotgun double, and it was being used as a community center for the church at the time of Katrina.

The building was destroyed and it was torn down.

They commissioned me about two years after, so it'd be about 08.

And um we had some funding with FEMA, and we went ahead and prepared the documents.

Uh we actually got a building permit, state fire marshal, we had a con a conditional use, we were all there.

FEMA did not fund FEMA reduced the funding on the project, and the church had to match more than they could do at the time.

So the church went and started raising some money, FEMA readjusted some of their funds, and now we're and now the conditional use permit has expired.

So we're back in front of, we're going through the whole process again.

So we're starting, we reduced the size, the scope of the project in order to get it into their budget, and now we're back starting with the conditional use at this time.

And FEMA is on board now for funding, and the church has raised some money.

Hallelujah.

That's great.

So we hope.

So I'm looking at the analysis that the staff did, and the two issues are the permeable paving.

I can increase that to the 30 percent.

That's not an issue.

And as far as the parking, we're gonna provide the seven bike racks, which will get us to the three required parking spots spaces.

And then looking at the non-standard criteria that need to be met.

I believe uh six of them were met, and we're looking at um the standards of one, three, and six, which has an issue.

And with this community church, I understand that uh the best use of the property would be residential, as stated in their staff report, but but using this as a community center does does some good for the neighborhood.

Uh, what this community center provides is it provides computer services.

They'll have computers in there where the neighborhood, uh the elders in the neighborhood could use these computers, uh applications, looking, searching internet, whatever they they need.

And they also use this as a food bank.

They it's a pantry for the neighborhood.

So they they gather food, they have uh food that they distribute to the neighbors.

They also have produce uh they also give out cook food during the week uh for the neighbors that that need it.

Um it will probably be used up to church as a gathering space, but they're a congregation is less than 40 people.

It's a small church, so it's not a big impact on to the neighborhood.

And um I think we have all the neighbor support.

They think it's a good good thing for the neighborhood.

Thank you.

We may have some questions as we go through.

I don't have anyone else here to speak on this matter, but are there people here in attendance regarding this docket item?

Uh none of my church, none of the church members are here.

Okay, so just and there's no opposition.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Oh Commissioner Seek, too.

So I'm gonna move um uh for approval as opposed to staff's recommendation.

I think for the reasons we've heard stated that the other three criteria are uh are met.

So that means all nine are met.

Uh so I uh um were there provisos um in case in the report in case uh of approval.

So um I move approval with the provisos in the staff report.

Commissioner Flickle second.

Thank you.

For the record, can you state if there are any provisos?

Yes, there are a few.

Okay.

And you're aware of what those are, sir.

Can you just are there how many are there?

There are four.

Five total counting the boilerplate one.

Okay.

And sir, you're aware of what those are.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Any other question?

Okay, let's vote.

We'll let Commissioner Steak vote.

Okay.

So uh the motion on the floor is again staff or again, staff approval, a motion to approve.

The motion carries all yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good luck and congrats on getting the funds and FEMA and just bless you.

Thank you very much.

We're gonna move on to um zoning docket 01726.

Zoning dock at 01726 is a request to permit a wine shop in an HUB1 Historic Urban Neighborhood Business District located at 802 Fern Street, 7901 to 7903, and 7911 to 7915 Maple Street.

The site is currently developed with three structures a multi-suite commercial building at the corner of Fernand Maple Street, another multi-suite commercial building fronting Maple Street with a detached rear garage.

The applicants propose developing the 7913 to 7915 suite in the internal commercial building, a 950 square foot artisan grocery store to contain a wine shop.

Staff finds that this proposal is consistent with the existing nature and scale of commercial activity along Maple Street as several higher intensity restaurant and bar uses already exist on neighboring blocks.

Additionally, any potential adverse effects from the proposed upzone of the subject site would be mitigated through proper implementation of the suggested staff suggested staff provisos.

Staff also finds that the proposed use meets the standards for approval in Article 4 of the CCO and is consistent with the master plan.

Therefore, the staff recommends approval of zoning docket 01726, subject to two provisos.

Mr.

Young.

All right, you have you know the drill, but you need to state your name and address, and you've got four minutes.

Hopefully, I will not need till your afternoon.

Chris Young, 1524 Edwards Avenue, Harrohan 70123.

Um, I'm here on behalf of the applicant.

And this is a pretty simple request, I think.

Those are the ones that usually end up being not so simple.

But we um we agree with the staff report.

We have no objection to the two provisos that are proposed.

This is a very small specialty growth grocery store that was originally was less than 375 square feet, now it's 750 square feet, and the uh they've been open for under two years, just under two years, and they would uh like to add one to their uh to their selection or alcohol to their selection.

Well, I don't know if any of you have had the chance to visit the establishment, but it is very popular in the neighborhood, but it's kind of a quaint specialty grocery store.

And the neighbor surprisingly, not surprisingly, but after some work, we actually come to you for approval with uh support from the uh neighborhood association, and they can speak for themselves.

The president of the Maple area residents is here to speak if necessary.

Um he'll make that decision.

But we do have one request.

We um the the owner and the neighborhood group got together and we've crafted five provisos that we would like to be considered by the commission.

Um, in addition to the two that are being proposed by the staff.

Um we we had originally all uh presented them to the staff, and I think the indication was that they didn't they did not have the authority to uh add them to the proposed recommendation, so we're bringing them to you for your consideration.

Okay, we'd like to have copies of those if you'd um if someone could please uh make a motion to make a motion to suspend the rules.

Right, is there a second?

Second, Commissioner Pochet.

Thank you.

Um, is there any discussion?

If not, we'll vote.

Um, I do have a clarification about the address because the address shows that Suma restaurant, and I just want to make sure that's okay.

Let's vote first, and then we'll um is everyone in favor um to receive the additional provisos for review.

Okay, yes.

All in favor, yay.

Okay.

Let's look at this, and then I'll make a comment about the document as it's being passed out.

The first page are the proposed provisos, and the second page is the letter of support for, and and again, the president of Maple Army residents is here, and I believe he's gonna speak.

Um, but that's their letter of support.

I just want to make it very clear that these provisos, uh, their support, the neighborhood association's support of this are conditioned on the adoption of these provisos.

Otherwise, we're fine with it, and pretty straightforward.

I just want to clarify the address of this application.

7913, there's 7915 Maple Street.

Okay.

Because I know you see that entire address listing.

I think that's for the entire pub.

Parcel.

Parcel, yes.

Because does that then include the restaurant as well?

The parcel may include the restaurant, but that's not what's in consideration here.

No, what I mean is technically we'll I don't know if the restaurant serves alcohol.

I'm just saying it does.

Okay.

Satsuma?

Yeah.

The the approval here will only apply to the retail store.

Um all of the addresses, because they are on the same lot and the lot houses this store are included for notice purposes, but but the approval of should there be an approval would be entirely limited to the retail store.

Okay, I just want to make sure.

Thank you.

Mr.

Hill.

And then Katie Press press the chat chair is after that.

Kate.

I have you too.

I have you.

But I've got to get through the um support first and then the information.

We got systems.

Okay.

Good afternoon, commissioners.

My name's Graham Hill, 917 Hillary Street.

I'm just here as a neighbor in support of the application.

Um Greg's uh provided a great service to our neighborhood.

Um my provision does a wonderful establishment, well-run business.

I think offering this um additional uh wine sales is going to enhance their business and and therefore enhance um the vitality of Maple Street as a business quarter, so thank you so much.

Uh really appreciate the staff report as well.

Thank you.

Kate, Miss Kate.

Miss Kate does not want to speak.

No.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Hardy, please.

I don't have any other cards and app are in support.

Okay.

Good afternoon.

My name's Keith Hardy.

Um I just want to correct my current role.

I am no longer president of Maple Area residents.

We're in an era where presidents sometimes want to stick around when you're not supposed to.

But I was I served for many years, and and we were we were elected a new president last year.

I did negotiate these first four proposals on there when I was president.

So uh we got a long history in the Maple area of opposing ABOs, and you you know that.

And you you know that we're okay with this property getting uh selling wine.

We don't want wine consumed on the premises because being in a college area that usually goes downhill fairly quickly.

So with the provisos here, we feel for five provisos, we feel comfortable that uh this good operation, which provides fresh bread and all kinds of these fancy gourmet foods can continue to be part of our neighborhood without having to worry about the problems that go with alcohol being consumed uh in an in a in operation is this your final work as the um past president of the association?

Am I doing what?

Is this your final work as the past president association?

Um I'm still cleaning them up and I'm still on the board, so I'm still around.

Okay.

Thank you.

We don't have any other cards on this matter.

I do have a question, I guess, for legal or for staff, since if in fact these provisos get included in the motion or adopted.

Do we need to read them out because we're the only ones privy to them at this moment?

I mean okay.

Maybe that would be staff and not me.

You sure?

To clarify is staff reading the provisos, or is this uh being read when they pass a motion?

Or initiate a motion, I mean.

Probably when we pass the motion.

Right.

Oh, good.

When the motion is adopted, they should be read in if they're new, and they were in the staff report.

Um I'll make a motion.

Um vision, so congratulations.

It's a great spot.

It's my neighborhood.

Um I'm gonna make a motion for approval of zoning docket 1726.

Subject to two provisos plus the additional five provisos as provided during uh the CPC meeting.

And am I to read those out?

Yes.

Now I'm gonna do that.

Okay.

Proviso one, the consumption of beer and liquor on the premises shall be prohibited.

Wine may be consumed on the premises for the purpose of tasting one or more types.

Number two, operating hours, the operating hours shall be no earlier than 7 a.m.

and no later than 8 p.m., notwithstanding the foregoing, the closing time may be extended during the holiday periods beginning December 15th and ending January 1st, two days prior to and after Thanksgiving, five days prior to Mardi Gras and Mardi Grad Day, and two days prior to July 4th and 4th of July Day, but not later than 9 p.m.

Sunday through Wednesday and 10 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday during the holiday periods.

Number three, the wine shop shall continue to stock and sell groceries, and no less than 75% of the publicly accessible gross floor area of the shop shall be used for the display and sale of groceries as a condition for selling wine, beer and liquor.

Number four, beer shall be sold only in six packs or larger, and liquor shall be sold only in containers of no less than 25 ounces.

And lastly, number five, the consumption of alcohol shall be prohibited on the outdoor patio at all times, including during tastings.

Thank you.

Is there a second?

Thank you, Commissioner Steek.

So there is a second.

I think there's an issue.

Okay.

Well, now we now we have a first and a second.

Okay, gotcha.

Um I think the proviso provisor number the proposed proviso number two is in conflict with proviso number two in the staff report, is it not in terms of timing opening hours?

Um we could is my understanding that we could amend proviso two in our staff report to reflect what is what was proposed by the applicant.

Okay.

How do we do that?

Yes.

We will amend proviso two essay in the staff report based on proviso two in the supplemental list of provisos.

Commissioner C okay.

Thank you.

Good catch.

All right, Madam Chair.

Just have one quick clarification on the um the provisos in terms of the definition of a wine shop and whether it's whether liquor can be sold in a wine shop.

I know that in reading it, it does contemplate beer being sold, but I don't see anything about liquor.

Oh, there it is.

Here, Bob, it's in the end of this first sentence.

Wine shops may also sell food and package beer and liquor for office.

So it's the it'll allows liquor sale, but only for off premises.

Yes.

What section is your wife would like it?

It's the definition of one shop.

It's I don't know if you've I can't read that, but it is on there on that screen.

Raise your hand if you can read that.

Not well.

So we're just clarifying, I don't think that changes our motion at all.

No.

Right.

All right, so um we'll just get the nod from the never mind.

Never mind.

Is there a we can vote?

Okay.

We have six years.

The motion carries.

Let's move on to the next zoning docket, which is 1826.

Zoning Docket 1826 is a request for a conditional use to permit a hotel in a CBD2 historic commercial and mixed use district and within the transient lodging interim zoning district.

While the site is in the CB2 district that would otherwise allow a hotel by right, this development requires a conditional use as the site is in the citywide transient lodging interim zoning district, which only allows such uses as conditional.

The site fronts along Iberville Street and is currently developed as an eight-story parking garage with a restaurant being Dickie Brennan's steakhouse located on the ground floor.

The applicant proposes to completely renovate the site into a hotel, leaving the ground floor restaurant as is.

In doing so, the applicant is seeking a variance from the short-term bicycle parking requirement.

Five short-term bicycle parking spaces are required.

However, current proposed plans show no short-term bicycle parking.

That variance request for short-term bicycle parking space is not supported by staff.

However, the staff does find that the proposed use is consistent with the master plan and meets the standards for approval in Article 4 of the CZO.

Additionally, staff finds that the proposed use meets the approval standards written into the interim zoning district.

Therefore, staff recommends approval of zoning docket 1826.

Yes.

Please Heather Cooper, AQ Studios 1100 Poitras.

I just wanted to explain why we were seeking the waiver of the short-term bicycle parking.

Um the sidewalks only about seven and a half feet wide.

So when you go to put those bicycle parking in, this the CZO requires it to be two foot wide by six foot long.

When you park a bike on either side of that, that's four feet of our you know, seven and a half feet.

And with the pedestrian nature of the neighborhood, we just didn't feel like we had the space to accommodate it.

Um but in general, we are appreciate the support of the staff.

Thank you.

Is there anyone here to speak on this matter?

Okay.

No opposition.

Okay.

And is the approval staff you remind me about the waiver that they had asked for?

Uh yes, they are requesting to provide no bicycle parking.

Um they are required five spaces.

Um it's our understanding that bicycle parking doesn't have to be provided externally.

Um I do believe it can be located interior to the site.

Um do you want to come and speak on that matter?

If there's space for interior bike help bicycle parking, um, sorry.

To be honest, I wasn't aware that short-term bicycle parking could be um interior to the building.

No long-term parking, you know, should be.

Um the issue with our site happens to be that it's actually a split level.

So half the floor plates at grade, and then the half the floor plate is actually basement.

Right.

Um so we're we're quite limited in our square footage between the restaurant and the other requirements for like a vault, a fire pump.

Um so we wouldn't have the space inside the building to accommodate short-term bicycle parking.

Um, but we could certainly work with DPW to find a good spot on the street if that's the ruling of the committee.

Okay, thank you.

Oh, I'll have a few more questions.

Uh will you have a person in the lobby at this hotel?

Yes.

Yeah, full-time staff at the lobby of the hotel.

And the floor plans, um they say it's like a four-bedroom unit or a six-bedroom unit.

Are they apartments or are they uh they're apartment style?

Um, so they'll have like a a kitchen and everything, but it operates as a hotel and full-time staff.

I'm just, you know.

We're all sensitive.

Because it it makes a flag, it definitely has a flag of a short-term rental, uh the floor plans.

So that's what I'm asking.

Sure.

I understand the question.

But yes, there will be full-time staff.

Um we're still working on the mix of hotel um sizes, but there are gonna be some traditional hotel rooms mixed in.

Um other questions?

Do you have any other com questions?

No, okay.

I think the item to think about also is the the bicycle parking and if that needs to be interior or if we need to address that or work with Department of Public Works to figure out where it could go on the exterior, as long as we don't impact the pedestrian traffic or wheelchairs or strollers or people.

Um I'm not sure if I'm going to be for this in support of this project.

Because the floor plans to me stream short-term rental.

Um not in support of it right now.

Okay.

I have a little more clarity on the short-term bicycle location.

Okay, thank you.

So it states in Article 22 looking at the off-street parking and loading for locations.

229A.

Where did it go?

Four.

Short-term bicycle parking spaces shall be located no more than 50 feet from the principal building entrance and at the same grade as the sidewalk or on an accessible route, except for otherwise authorized pursuant to 25 225 C.

Okay, so they do have to be within that front build line.

Okay, with within 50 feet of that.

Thank you.

Commissioner Steve.

In light of that, can I ask the applicant?

Um does that mean you can live with it, or does that mean you can't live with it?

What what she just read?

We'll make it work.

Okay.

Then I move um approval in accordance with staff recommendation.

Um staff recommendation was without the waiver, but she says she can live with it.

So then I move approval with in accordance with staff recommendation.

Um we've heard that they're willing to they're operating a hotel, they're gonna get a permit as a hotel.

They better have a lobby because um you have to.

So I move approval.

Is there a second?

Just to clarify that, and so you're in agreement with staff's recommendation, and then as well as not being in favor of the variance request?

Correct.

Okay.

I know there might be some discussion, so if there's a a second, at least we can have a conversation.

Second.

Thank you.

So we have a first and a second.

What questions?

There's some con I see that it's CBD 2.

Um, which side of canal?

Is it in the quarter or not in the quarter?

It's in.

It is in the quarter.

So what about the moratorium on hotels in the quarter?

Technically within the central business district because it's the first block off of canal.

The quarter does not start the across Iberhood.

Yeah, I think that's a good thing.

Okay.

Yes, thank you.

Does that answer?

I could hear no.

So it is in the quarter, but it is not.

Is it under moratorium for short-term rentals or not?

Is the main question?

The whole city is under what's effectively an moratorium by virtue of the interim zoning district.

This is a district that uh normally permits hotels by right.

Um, so this is not really a introducing something new that hasn't been allowable in the past.

Um, but it is subject to the uh um IZD that covers the entire city.

I understand that, but the floor plans do not indicate a typical hotel style layout.

But there is 24-hour on-site reception.

Yes, and the the owner will have an operator whose full-time business is running, yeah, they run hotels around the country.

But they're gonna be there on site.

Yes, yes, yes.

Okay.

Yeah, multiple staff members on site at a time.

So, Mr.

Kroll, just to clarify, so when it's it's subject to the um interim zoning district or the overlay, which makes it a conditional use.

That's right.

But it doesn't forbid it.

And it it does exactly what's happening now and makes them come here for a conditional use as opposed to being permitted by right.

That's right.

Okay.

So none of y'all have a opposition to the floor plans that show multiple bedroom units.

I I don't.

It's not really our purview necessarily.

I'm more concerned about somebody.

I would rather have somebody there on site 24-7 than necessarily the floor plan.

Well, that's what we've been asking the short-term rentals as part of that, you know, the commercial short-term rentals.

That's what we've been asking them to do.

So this is going to be a commercial short-term rental that's that's monitored.

But a hotel.

No, it's a hotel.

Are you applying for a hotel permit?

Yes.

Okay, you're gonna get a hotel license.

Not a short-term rent.

Correct.

I understand that, but I'm just saying if you looked at the floor plans, it is not a hotel layout.

It's like suites at a hotel.

You know, we've just gone through a decade of discussing short-term rentals, so thank you.

Uh I think there's all different styles of hot.

I'm not the engineer or the architect, but I think there's all sorts of different styles of floor plans that are coming for different generations.

We have six generations in the marketplace that are staying in hotels and have all sorts of different needs.

So that is personally not a concern of mine as long as it meets fire code, that's more important to me.

I understand that, but we're trying to work between people who are trying to you know get permits for short-term rentals and hotels.

But if this was laid out like a hotel and not these six-bedroom, four-bedroom, three-bedroom units, which are lots of bathrooms and bedrooms.

Um I'm just questioning that.

I just had to take seven of my family members, and we did not stay in a short-term rental, but in a hotel, it was three hotel rooms, and it was a lot, and there were children and stuff.

It would have been nice if we could have stayed in a hotel that had sort of different spaces, but not a short-term rental.

And this is seems interesting.

No, I under I understand that.

I understand the difficulty in that, but I'm just saying the what we're trying to avoid is the short-term, you know, agreed.

Agreed.

So we have a first and a second, healthy discussion.

Anything else?

If not, then let's vote.

So um five years, one nay, the motion carries.

Zoning docket 1926.

This is a conditional use application affecting a property on Babylon Street, which is in the Amelia subdivision uh portion of New Orleans East.

Uh historically, a residence proposal is to use it as a small child care center.

That would uh the the zoning ordinance would allow up to 75 children, um, but that would be further restricted under state regulations.

Um there are also uh use standards within the zoning approval that uh further restrict the operational limit impacts on surrounding properties, with the the really overall point being that uh the intensity of the child care center should be fairly minimal and compatible with surrounding residential development and further would be an amenity to neighborhood residents.

Um the staff's view overall a child care center is an appropriate neighborhood serving use uh and not likely to be detrimental on surrounding residential uses and further is consistent with the purpose of the zoning district, and so the staff recommends approval with uh four provisos.

Thank you.

Is there an applicant if so after you speak if you don't mind filling out a card just because I don't have a card for the applicant?

Hi y'all doing.

Hi, welcome.

Thank you.

I am Kian Cooley, and I am here for the 4701 Babylon uh property.

Um looking to change to commercial, I mean to uh conditional use for a uh child care facility.

What's the current use of the building?

Um right now, nothing.

Just a single family home?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

I'm assure you're aware of all the all of the opposition.

I am, yes, ma'am.

So you'll have um unless you have more to say or we have any questions, you'll have an opportunity to come back and speak after we hear the opposite.

Any questions that you may have now, yes, that's fine.

Um I can again.

My name is Um Keon, and I'm here today to um bring some joy and um happiness in in the neighborhood.

Um I do understand that there are those who um do not want um a child care facility in this particular neighborhood, um, and that's understandable.

Um, but this will be a small um daycare center Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

Um, not there on the weekends, we're closed on holidays.

Um, and as far as like the noise, um, each classroom will go out at a specific time.

So all kids are not outside at the at the same time.

Um there is a lot of space um in the yard.

Um I know that was a concern, and also they had a question about parking, but as you can see, it's um off-street parking, so I have two streets um feasible, a lot of a parking space.

Can we pull up the property, please?

Sure.

Thank you.

It's the corner lot.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

So with that being said, um, whatever needs um that the neighborhood association and um any other neighbors see that we can sit down and agree with.

Um, I'm more than happy to do so as if I same than I did when we had the meeting, um, the the NPC meeting that night.

Um there are needs that need to be met.

I'm more than open to to discuss it with them.

Um, but again, this is a corner lot with a lot next to it.

So it's not as if I'm on top of other neighbors um or in the way of anybody's driveway or parking.

Do you own the lot on the other side too?

They just mentioned.

No, ma'am, but we need to find out who do.

Okay.

The tax assessor office will let you know that it is.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, and again, as you can see, that lot there would also serve um for parking, also, and it when we do our toy drives, um, different things that we're gonna do for the community in the community.

So there is a lot of space in that area.

And I'm also two or three blocks away from Kip Elementary School.

Okay, thank you.

We'll move on to um the opposition, okay.

And then you'll have an opportunity to come back.

Thank you.

So, Miss Jackson.

You have seven cards ceded to you, so that would be 14 minutes.

The rules read you have 10 minutes to be able to speak.

Okay, and then I have um one, two, three, three other cards of individuals that would like to speak after you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Lavon Jackson.

Address is 4802 Shalomar Drive.

I am one block away from 4701 Babylon.

I also have a bigger picture so you guys can see that we are I am opposing uh small daycare due to the fact I have the residents that will be directly impacted by uh putting a small daycare.

We did meet with uh her on October the first, and we expressed our concerns as we were meeting.

Um we show where the there is traffic that will be increased there.

Also, our property taxes will go up if we present a small daycare.

She at that time stated that it would only be seven children, and then we asked again.

Now it's gone from seven to five now, and then she said it was going to be 20.

We have an association that is basically on that particular street is elderly residents.

They are here today.

Um they've been there 25, 30 years.

Um, and we're just opposed.

So I don't think you all have a bigger picture of that uh property address, but I do have it on uh display for you guys to see as well.

We also submitted a petition with over 50 to 100 names on there opposing a small daycare in this area.

It's on the corner lot.

Um prior to that being a daycare, it was also a residential area where they did not keep it clean, the grass was not cut, and at this present current state, there's a big uh truck there um where she says it has enough for parking, which it does not have enough for parking.

Um also we would have loved to um assist her um right on down the road, they have a bunch of commercial places where they she can put plenty parking uh and have plenty of kids.

Um none of our kids on that particular street, it's family owned, and they are very upset.

So I'm gonna give them some time to express themselves as well.

But here's a bigger picture, and I submitted two petitions to you guys, so I don't know if you all have it, so you can take a look at our concerns as well.

Like to suspend the rules so that we can look at this additional document motion to suspend the rules.

Is there a second?

Thank thank you, Commissioner Sieg.

All in favor.

Um Commissioner Sieg, second, and then I think everyone's voted except Commissioner Stewart.

So that would be all in favor, so that we could look at thank you.

We have um while we're looking at this, I have three names.

Miss Lenore, Miss John, and Miss Tammy.

And if there's anyone else to speak, just let me know.

But if you all would like to come up, um you each have two minutes, and you can state your name and address.

And Ms.

Jackson, we may have questions after we um look at the supplemental documents.

Okay.

You can go ahead.

Hi.

State your name and address.

My name is Tammy Vicente.

I live at 4732 Babylon, which is about three houses down from the proposed daycare center that they want to put in.

Um we don't um I didn't I didn't originally have a problem with the daycare, but I do have a problem that the owner of the property is not the daycare.

The staycare is just uh a lease tenant, so they are not they don't own this house, and once it's zoned commercial, that what's to take the landlord from renting it to a different business.

So it doesn't look like you knew that information.

Uh that's my main concern.

Thank you.

Uh I will say that this doesn't change the residential zoning that it creates permission for child care centers, so there would not be an opportunity to convert it to another type of business under this approval.

It's just a conditional use request.

Correct.

Correct.

Not just, but it's a conditional use request.

Yes, ma'am.

You want me to start with the clock running like one minute.

Oh, yeah, we'll we'll go ahead and start.

Of course.

All right.

My name is Dawn Abair.

I'm the president of the East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission.

And I'm really representing the commission and our members because we are in support of this neighborhood who is in opposition to this daycare center.

And I gotta say, on October 17th, when she had the NPP meeting, there were at least 15 to 20 neighborhood members that showed up.

So they are very concerned about this.

And as you can see with the uh petition that they have presented, there are over um, like she said, but that one has like 40 some names, but neighbors have been continuously getting the um the signatures of the neighborhood.

At that NPP meeting, um, she did say that uh the amount of children would be five to seven, maybe up to twenty.

So that is a confusing part.

Also, in her letter for the NPP meeting, it stated that it would only be operated from seven to five, you know, to assist families and members, but a lot of people work from seven to five, and you would have to get there at five o'clock to get your child.

Uh that community is very quiet, they're very concerned about the quality of life, you know, of the neighbors of drive, in fact, and that is a major street um that that corner uh right off of Babylon.

So that is of grave concern.

Um I just wanna say, I think you know, as uh members of the CPC, you should be concerned and take into account what the community is asking for because it has been uh related to the owner that there are many places along Dawman that she could move this location to, and in fact, there is a huge daycare center on Dalman Road, which is not far from this particular location.

So alternatives is available for this owner or the the daycare center um person if she wanted to move it to another location uh and it's a concern, and she is not the owner of that property, so please take into account what the community wants.

Thank you.

And Miss Abear, it's good to see you.

I know you were with us for all the master plan amendments.

So I didn't recognize earlier until you came up.

It's nice to see you.

Okay.

Thank you for coming.

Hello.

Good afternoon.

My name is Lenore Ancalord.

I reside at 4747 Babylon Street.

I am an opposed to, I am opposed to uh this uh new project of bringing a daycare into the community.

I have been there since 1975.

I was the first black to move into an all-white neighborhood.

Three months after being there, I was tried, they tried to force me out.

They set the house on fire.

I was nine months pregnant, and I was determined that I was going to return to that neighborhood.

And I am as determined as I am now to keep this as a residential area.

We have been there since 1975.

It's a quiet neighborhood.

Uh we don't have any hostility, we don't have violence, we don't have traffic.

We have none of these things, and to establish a uh commercial business will open the door to other businesses coming into our quiet community.

Our neighborhood is been there, like I said, since 1975.

Many of us.

Several here, the second to third, the fourths.

We've been here a long time.

We do not need a nursery, a commercial business in our community where traffic will be a problem, where different faces will be seen.

We don't know them.

Once you establish a business like this, you have people coming in and out, and you won't know them.

And you won't feel as secure as we feel now to have uh this quiet residence by bringing on a commercial business, a daycare, although it's a it's a lovely thought.

There are other places where she could establish her business and not in our in our unique neighborhood.

Thank you.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

I don't have oh, Mr.

Kindle.

Hello, Nick Kindle.

Uh I'm the director of facilities with agenda for children.

My address is 4103 Annunciation Street.

So I came here today uh initially to just talk about uh some of the issues in the original version of the staff report that went out.

There were some provisos that reflected old sections of the CZO, uh, but staff has gone into it, updated it, and so we now have the correct version of the report with all the correct provisos in there, uh, which uh which looks good.

Uh I did want to just address some of the general concerns that have come up as well.

Uh, one thing talking about this being as a commercial use under the zoning code, uh, child care centers are considered institutional uses, so like you would have a school, you know, these centers are treated the same way uh in the zoning code.

Um, you know, these there's plenty of similar small child care centers and other neighborhoods in New Orleans East.

You know, it's very common for these facilities uh to be located in former residential homes.

There's probably I don't know, a half dozen to a dozen of them in different neighborhoods in New Orleans East, so this is a fairly uh common use and a common uh layout for that use, and you know, these are kind of appropriate uses in you know these neighborhoods where it is fairly low impact as well.

And uh, and you know, one comment that came up is oh, this should be more in the commercial zoning districts.

I will say I've worked with a number of forwriters looking for locations in New Orleans East, and it's very difficult in the commercial districts just because of the requirements for a child care center having to have outdoor play space that's directly accessible from the indoor of the structure that you know it's a lot of those commercial uh buildings in the area tend to be strip malls that have like parking in front and a loading zone in the rear, so there's like no places really to have outdoor play area, which is a requirement for uh a child care center in in state law.

And finally, on capacity, that is something that is regulated uh by the Department of Education.

It's 35 square feet uh for classroom space uh per child.

So uh that's my time.

Thank you all.

Um could you then let us know how many children would be allowed to be cared for in this location based on the square footage?

Uh I cannot.

I was going to do some quick calculations on it.

I would need to look into it.

Staff did an initial calculation, and I forget the exact number.

I want to say it was like 23 or 24, but uh I'd have to go in because it does just include classroom spaces and not the overall square footage of the structure, so it can be difficult to calculate sometimes as well as depends on the furniture and everything in those spaces, because if you've got fixed furniture, the Department of Education will uh subtract capacity for that.

So I can try to run some quick numbers and it sounds like around 20.

Right quid children.

Yeah, I think it was 20 to 25 was I think what staff initially estimated.

Thank you.

Miss Cooley, you can come down, please, and um you can oh it okay, yes, yes, I see.

Um, we're gonna hold that for a second because we can still accept another card um in a pink card.

Yes, hello.

Welcome, please state your uh Oh, you want to have a goal?

Yes, sorry, yes, we we need to finish the opposition before we can move to to the rebuttal and yes, please state your name and address.

Claudia Celestan, 5706 West Lewis Prima.

Um, I attended the community meeting because I wanted to see what this entity would uh be comprised of in this neighborhood.

And one thing that I noted when we were out at night is the traffic that zips to and fro on that street.

The other thing that I noted was the amount of yard space that this property had and also the diameter of the house.

So there was a concern for me about really the space that kids would have in order to be inside and outside.

But most of all, the community is in opposition of this.

This community has been in this neighborhood for a while, and when you have done blood, sweat, tears, investment into your property, you want to be able to, in your older age, to enjoy some of the fruits of your label.

And I think if we allow this daycare that we're gonna disrupt the quality of life for the applic for the people who have been in this neighborhood who have helped to maintain this hate neighborhood, and who also want to just enjoy their senior years.

Thank you.

I have a question.

Yes.

Question for the speech.

Um and and I'm as I'm going through this.

So can you speak, I guess, specifically of how a daycare can actually impact someone?

So is it the kids themselves, or are you thinking just the amount of traffic?

What is it?

So in my neighborhood, we have a home that um has like up to six kids.

I guess you can be an unlicensed facility if you have less than six kids.

And so they do have just a little bit of traffic that is in the morning and in the evening.

But for this neighborhood, this is a on, I think it's Drew.

Drew is the street that uh it bounds.

So um that's a busy thoroughfare in that subdivision.

So it's impacted by the traffic that's gonna zip through to make shortcuts, and also the traffic that's gonna be coming to pick up the kids.

All right, thank you.

Miss Cooley, please come forward.

You have two minutes to address the opposition.

Okay.

Um, I want to say overall, um, this is just not a career for me.

Um, it's a passion.

I've been doing it now for well over 16, 17 years.

Um she did make a comment about at the meeting, it was night time.

We won't be there at night time.

Um, five o'clock, everybody is gone.

Um, weekends, we're not there.

Holidays, just like the school system, like Nick explained, we're not there.

Um, I um want to do this the correct way.

That's why I'm here today to make sure licensing is up to par to make sure uh regulations, I mean all the regulations.

And as far as like Nick said, um, we won't know a number until the fire marshal comes through and say, okay, this is what you can have in here.

And we can't go over it because again, we will be um going by the regulations.

Um but I just wanted to read something really quick um to you all.

Um over the course of my career, I've had the privilege of caring for and nurturing countless children, helping them learn, grow and thrive in a safe and supportive environment, and that's what I want to do in the New Orleans East area.

Child care is more than just a profession for me, it is actually my calling.

My work has also been centered on creating spaces where children can feel secure.

Parents are supported, and families know that they have a partner that they can trust.

Because without child care, we all know we can't go to work.

Um we are the we're superheroes.

Um we are the we are we'll just say that lifeline, um, because without child care, we they have to start out as infants, they have to go somewhere safe and secure.

Um, I do uh plan on having and I will have professional teachers, CDAs.

Um I actually have two teachers now that's waiting, they have master degrees.

So this just is not a fly by night um business that I'm just trying to just open up.

There's no money in education, you know, it is no there's another surprise.

Um, but I have um a passion, a passion for it.

Um, and then I want to just finish by saying um that I want to help enrich the lives of the future doctors and lawyers, entrepreneurs, councilmans, and educators, mayors, and and thus far.

My credential also includes but not limited to.

I'm also a teacher trainer, professional developer in the classroom setting, family advocate.

The list goes on and on.

So today I am here um acting to counsel to uh please approve True Learners Academy.

I have a I have a question.

Sure.

Um, do you know the number for unlicensed facility?

How many kids was the limit?

Uh five.

It's five for unlicensed five, yeah.

Well, again, it depends on the square footage, but it it is five.

Okay.

So if you're unlicensed, you can have five, and your facility that you're looking to do would be a licensed facility.

Yes.

So what was the actual requirements for a licensed facility?

It depends on um fire marsh to come out, it depends on the square footage, which is 35 per square feet each child.

And for the outdoor space is 75.

But again, classroom sizes with the classes of the rooms that I have um at this property can be no more than five to seven kids in each classroom.

There's four bedrooms.

Okay.

All right, thank you so much.

Question for staff.

This is a conditional use.

Um, so if this is approved, it would be conditioned just for um this Ms.

Dixon.

Yeah, well, so there would be conditions tied to the applicant or any operator of a child care facility.

Uh they're shown below.

These are the kind of standards that are built within the zoning ordinance, and they also supplement the regulations that exist in state law as well.

Why this exact location?

I mean, um, this is something I've been wanting to do for a while.

Um, and yes, there are I can I can go to uh other areas, but the need is so bad in this particular area.

They're saying that it is quiet, it is quiet, but again, by me on the end of seeing the wait list of children that needs the care in the area, maybe not this block, but in the whole, I'm thinking of the entire area of the need.

I I've seen parents and I know of parents who walk kids to school and and catching the bus of the school into school in the type of weather that we have because they needed the child care.

Why do that if you know the need is in that area and you can have something healthy and safe for them to come to, and the parents can go to work.

And is your goal to have around 20, depending on what the fire marshal says?

Whatever the fire marshal says, I cannot go past anything that the fire marshal says.

Okay.

And I to understand by the speaker earlier that you will not be operating the daycare.

You will just own the dwelling.

I will be operating.

Oh, you will be operating.

Yes.

Yes, and I have all the requirements.

Yes.

Okay.

Any other questions?

If not.

This is the owner of the property.

She did put a card in and gave it to uh Ms.

Dixon.

Okay.

Um that could be my error.

I thought that you had spoken for more than two minutes, so then I had thought that she had ceded her time, but I'm gonna look over there.

You can ask her.

You want to do would you like to say anything before we close?

Hello, my name is Tony Dixon.

My address is 11409 North St.

Andrew Circle.

Um, I understand the residence concern.

Uh I previously had a tenant, as she mentioned, as one of the homeowner homeowners mentioned that my property was not being maintained.

I had to evacuate, she had to be removed from my property.

Um, my property has been vacant uh for since October, solely because I am working on working with Miss Kian, which I thought would be a great idea.

She's also um I my relationship comes from Kian because she actually um raised help raise my kid.

She babysited my youngest kid, so I know what she can do for the community and for the children, and so again, I thought it would be a great idea when she proposed a daycare, a small daycare, and I my property is not required to be converted into commercial.

It will be it was it's continued to be residential, and also Kean and I have an agreement for her to actually purchase the property eventually.

So I just wanted to make the residents aware, and also the truck that's in the drive in my driveway at the property is my vehicle.

So and the property has been maintained since the since the um tenant has moved out.

So I just wanted to add that.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

And and let the record show you there is a card there.

So thank you.

I have a question for staff.

Okay.

Um, would zoning districts, residential zoning districts permit child care center by right currently?

So we did an update um perhaps last year within the last couple of years that were was intended to really um facilitate uh additional child care centers coming online.

That was uh really uh an objective that the the council had in terms of passing that legislation.

Um for the most part uh the update allowed by right child care centers in the more urban neighborhoods, so historic urban, residential neighborhoods, uh historic core, uh, and in the suburban neighborhoods, they uh kind of remained the status quo in terms of uh there was not that change from conditional to a permitted use, it stayed as uh as a conditional use in the suburban neighborhoods.

So to answer your question, kind of the older, more central neighborhoods are where they are allowed by right.

I'm okay.

Any other questions?

No.

I'm gonna not support the motion.

I think it's a great business plan.

I'd love to see more child care centers.

It's huge, especially as a working mom, I understand.

Right.

Oh, and I can't make a motion.

All right.

So, Madam Chair, if there's uh no further discussion on zoning docky 01926, I will move for approval um of staff recommendation.

Um after listening to uh the the opponents, uh I hear concerns.

Um however, I think we need to have a need for small child care centers that are accessible to more maybe people who don't have in neighborhoods, people who don't have uh transportation.

Uh second of all, if we look at the location um where this particular house is situated, it's it's on a corner, so it doesn't necessarily impact uh the actual block because it's on a corner of a uh major street, which will provide an ample amount of amount of parking uh for uh parents who drop their kids off.

Uh so for those reasons um I'm going to support uh the approval of this zoning docket.

Is there a second?

Any discussion?

I'm not gonna support.

I think it's a great business plan, but I just don't think this is the right location for this particular property.

Okay.

Um if there's no other comments, we can vote.

So we have three A's and two nays.

So there's so under yeah, under our rules is that.

So unless um you want to try another shot at a uh different motion.

Um if it stays like this, it would go as a de facto denial to the council I like to over because we have new rules in this situation.

So there's three A's, two nays.

The motion does not carry is there and make the record note that Commissioner Flick has also um left.

So if Jonathan doesn't remove his motion, it just carries Commissioner Stewart.

No, the motion has been voted on, so there would be a need to be a new motion, or the vote would just stand as is and be transmitted as a denial.

Just calling, is there a new motion?

Yeah, and I think we'll take those three um if if no one is.

Well, I guess my motion will stay the same.

I think for instance in this case, what I'm particularly look at is the fact that um it's gonna be a license regulated uh child daycare.

So in this particular block, if five people wanted to have open up daycares, they'd be unlicensed and they can have five kids at each and every house if someone wanted to.

Uh so I think if there's a community benefit necessarily for uh some residents in the area.

So that's why I will stand on supporting uh the motion uh if any other commissioner may have changed their mind.

I wanted to ask uh Commissioner Steag if there was any reason for opposition.

The uh neighborhood opposition convinced me.

I'm in opposition to the location of this.

I'm not in opposition of the daycare center, but more of the location in the neighborhood in the opposition.

By location, you mean the in this order?

Yes, in this particular residential area and not having any anyone else here in support and having almost 15 neighbors in opposition holds strong for me.

But what about the location is problematic?

So is there a in the residential area in this particular situation?

Yeah, I think unless there's another motion, I think the matter is in decided.

Looks like we're moving on.

Okay.

So it will get um for everyone that's here, it will go to city council.

Um what's the exact language?

It as a because it's uh not a majority.

Um the city council passed uh rule that basically says it'll be transmitted as a de facto denial as a de facto denial.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh street name change 001-26.

Street name change 00126 is a proposal to rename West Robert E.

V.

Boulevard, founded by Hammond Highway, Regent Street, and Ponta Train Boulevard to Zefford Court.

The street is approximately 0.3 miles in length and would affect 46 parcels and 77 addresses.

The subject street is slightly west of Alan Tucent Boulevard, separated by West End Boulevard.

Alan Tucson Boulevard itself was formerly named Robert Ely Boulevard before being renamed in 2022.

The current proposal continues this renaming effort.

The proposed name Zephyr Court honors the Zephyr roller coaster from Poncer Train Amusement Park and the Minor League Baseball team, the New Orleans Zephyrs.

Two street signs would be affected, costing the city approximately 200.

The staff recommends approval of street name change 00126.

As a request meets all criteria within the street renaming policy.

Thank you.

And there's yes, no one here to speak.

Oh, yes.

I have no more cards, so if you don't mind after you speak, just to um the last one here looks like not yet.

Ms.

Johnson's here.

Oh well.

And Miss Claire's here.

I'm for the change.

I live on that street.

I have three properties on that street.

I've loved it.

You say your name and address.

Name's Charles Howley.

I live at 255 West Robert Lee, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Okay.

Okay.

The map is wrong.

The street stretches all the way to West Own Boulevard.

Because of the curve in the street, the street changes at West End Boulevard, not a Platz Train Boulevard.

So the red should go up through the curve.

Yes.

Yes.

So they just have it wrong because actually there's another block.

Because it but a new base and canal was that's the start of West End below bus robbery.

So it's a little bit more than you think.

So you're in favor, sir?

I'm in favor.

Yes.

Just get the map right.

So thank you.

All right.

Any other is the mapping correct?

Okay.

I'll I'll fix it.

Go to West Coast.

Thank you.

All right.

Is there a um there is a motion on the floor?

Oh, there is.

Yes, you want to state your motion, Mr.

Motion to adopt or approve measure 1926 as recommended by staff.

I second.

Street change 00126?

Yes, 00126.

Okay.

Yep.

And Commissioner C second.

Any discussion?

If not, let's vote.

Five yes.

The motion carries.

Thank you.

There's I'm sure a process after this, so thank you.

And then uh Mr.

Kroll, we have some subdivision ratifications.

Sir, and your packet contains a list of just one subdivision that uh we find eligible for administrative approval, and you would ratify to adopt that.

Thank you.

Is there a motion to approve the subdivision ratifications?

Motion to approve subdivision ratifications?

Thank you.

Is there a second?

I second.

Any uh discussion?

If not, we'll go ahead and vote.

That's going to be five yes.

The motion carries, and there's no other order of business, so I'll make the motion to adjourn.

Second.

All right.

Second.

Thank you.

Um, we'll see everybody next, I don't know, two weeks, I guess.

Thanks.