Letters From Our Readers

‘Hoods, Highrises and Heads In The Sand

Thanks for your great site. A minor suggestion, however: There is no direct way on the page with the “‘Hoods and High-rises” letter to respond or comment. Thus I am commenting here. [Editor’s Note: Our web site has been redesigned since this posting]

I generally agree with Mr. Pecoul, BUT reality is that there is a necessity, currently, for responding to and opposing these development projects on a piece-meal basis because that’s the way we in the neighborhoods learn about them.

Rather than suggesting that Tulane or UNO or some other institution take on the planning/vision task for our neighborhood, I think it should be “incumbent” on our elected “incumbents” to initiate and maintain such a process—with LOTS of involvement by and input from the neighborhoods. The problem now is that we often only learn of these projects (Bruno’s, the Short St. condos, Tulane’s project) a few weeks before they are scheduled for an up-or-down vote before the City Planning Commission. That is unacceptable. And THAT is what generates the apparent circus of outlandish proposals being shot at by neighborhood groups with whatever ammunition may be available.

Yes, we need a Master Plan, for the whole City, but especially for this very popular area. Just don’t blame the problem on “head-in-the-sand” citizens.

-Jerry Speir