As reporter Richard Webster clearly illustrated in his excellent article (“Houses without a home; A plan to save historic properties goes to pieces,” Nov. 25) the tragedy — the destruction of a historic New Orleans neighborhood with 165 historic buildings — continues. And Charity Hospital, a million-square-foot facility eligible for listing on the National Register, sits abandoned, continuing to fall into ruin.

And Charity is the same hospital that RMJM Hillier, a nationally recognized architectural firm, found could be retrofitted to satisfy the current needs of a new state-of-the-art hospital. That firm also said the work could be completed three years faster and 34 percent cheaper that building a new facility.

New Orleans is a special American city — historic in character, pedestrian in scale, with a culture unique to this nation. In so many ways, a model for the rest of the country. When, if ever, will government officials and the business community learn that new development should complement the city, not destroy it in the name of progress?

William E. Borah

Land use attorney

New Orleans

June 27, 2011

Dear Councilmembers,

I thank you for your letter, Councilmember Guidry, as well as your attention to the matter regarding the “Mid-City Market” development. There are many groups and determined individuals that have been working in Mid-City to bring this area back since Katrina, and make it better than it was. I should note here that I am painfully aware of the economic challenges our city now faces, and will for years to come. As I write this, I am actively working with various community efforts to better understand how we can improve our city, and accurately serve its’ residents. I’m speaking with stakeholders, business owners, residents, and of course, my legislative council. I’m asking you all to consider how we can examine the myriad of possibilities for procuring good business plans for a stronger community development in our city’s future.

So now, with widespread interest and participation, we have brought a vision to our city worth standing behind (or bicycling through). We are progressively moving toward the goal of repurposing a corridor of blight to that of a positive land improvement, with intelligent design, community involvement, and innovative ideas that offer a whole new way of planning for residential and commercial interest. But what we are getting in return is an under-designed, under-planned, over-priced mall on Carrollton Ave that will squash this part of Mid-City and make a speed bump out of the Lafitte Greenway. The owners of this proposed development site already have a valuable piece of property. And it is because of their preliminary design that I am concerned and object to this development. Let’s face it if you want to sell something, you have to make the product an appealing choice.

With little to none of their own ingenuity have these developers brought to the table anything I’ve seen that serves our unique community. In fact, at the MCNO meeting the developers explicitly stated that they are excited about “taking advantage” of the corridor. I have to wonder where they would be if it were not for everyone else’s hard work. This includes particular design suggestions by various individuals about how to incorporate more thoughtful architectural interaction with the surrounding greenway. I’ve seen the template they sent out via theurbanconservancy.org to invite local retailers, and there’s not much to it. Ironically, the majority of the lease options they’re holding are large businesses that directly threaten similar existing businesses in the area, some with large investments, having recently opened. But it’s the lack of initiative on the part of the developers that left me with some questions: What is the role of business in the community, what do we expect from our businesses, and how can we work together to make this a stronger development for our District?

Throughout our country, there is a growing interest in urban renewal ideas. A younger demographic is moving into the city, and people are thinking differently about growth. I know, because I’m one of them. Though I was born here, and have many generations of my family’s bones here, which the tourists visit everyday. But we are the future of Mid-City. We are the ones that will be using this Greenway for years to come. We are the ones working hard to protect and encourage the growth of our ailing communities. We have been setting up farmers markets, Broad Street bazaars, music venues, coffee shops, healthy community grocery stores, art galleries, clothing shops, and volunteer organizations. We are the students, the homeowners, the future doctors, lawyers, community organizers, and artists. We will be caregivers for the residents of St. Margaret’s, voices for homelessness and blight, stewards of our parks and waterways. We came back because we want to be here! And the people I know are getting it done.

This part of Mid-City has a viable working class, a strong neighborhood organization, as well as numerous advocates through FOLC and surrounding local businesses. This is already a vital commercial area for Mid-City. But I have to ask, do we run the risk of “over-doing” it? How big is too big? I feel that we really need to think realistically about the scale. Much of that requires a good look at the automobile impact of this area, and how we can plan for future growth with the least amount of traffic.

So my question to you is, can we evaluate the sustainability of a different kind of development, i.e. repurposing the two existing buildings, with improved parking accommodations, water management solutions, as well as a more progressive design that will appeal to locals and spur a stronger consumer response for a fraction of the cost—which translates immediately into independently owned-local businesses? In catering to our local economy we create a culture of consumer involvement that is a staple of the American Business Model. It is my belief that we can make this a more economically viable solution for District A by streamlining the impact and working together to create something that fits into the neighborhood.

Yours respectfully,

Daniel Eames

April 6, 2011

Mitchell J. Landrieu, Mayor
New Orleans City Hall
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112

Arnie Fielkow, Councilmember-At-Large
New Orleans City Hall, Room 2W40
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112

Dear Mayor Landrieu and Council President Fielkow:

NEWCITY Neighborhood Partnership is a diverse coalition of over seventy community organizations, developers, healthcare providers, faith-based groups, schools and government agencies that are committed to catalytic, place-based development in the Tremé/Lafitte and Tulane/Gravier neighborhoods of New Orleans. NEWCITY formed its Hospital Design Working Group in the summer of 2010 to advocate for a more urban and sustainable design for the University Medical Center. We were consulted for the UMC Peer Review Assessment commissioned by the City in July 2010, and on several occasions in that report, the authors recommended that the UMC coordinate with NEWCITY to create a better design.

Though the State of Louisiana and Louisiana State University have since reduced the amount of surface parking on site, the UMC plan still occupies too much land and closes streets unnecessarily. While the State has agreed to an access easement that will allow the public to continue using the street grid between South Claiborne Avenue and South Roman Street for the time being, we urge the City to retain the public rights of way between these two streets so that they may remain open indefinitely.

New Orleans’ largely intact street grid for centuries has fostered transportation efficiency, connectivity and the success of our compact and walkable neighborhoods, including the Central Business District. The grid is a hugely valuable asset to be protected as much as possible from the pressure to close streets for suburban-style superblocks like that originally proposed for the UMC. In addition, the city’s open street grid makes it possible to consider turning the elevated I-10 expressway over Claiborne Avenue into a surface-level boulevard. The grid gives drivers options to avoid congestion. Closing South Roman and South Derbigny Streets-and the portions of Cleveland and Palmyra Streets between South Claiborne and South Roman-will increase the difficulty of making the surface-level boulevard work. This will undercut the city’s current federally funded study of Claiborne Corridor improvements.
Moreover, we are alarmed that demolitions within the proposed UMC footprint have begun and continue despite major design flaws and despite a remaining $400-million gap in financing. We ask the City to compel the State and LSU to halt demolitions until the project’s financial issues are resolved.

Perhaps the most alarming of the proposed demolitions is that of McDonogh No. 11 School. Built in 1879, McDonogh 11 is a Selected Landmark within the Mid-City Historic District. The Orleans Parish School Board renovated the school before Hurricane Katrina and again afterward. However, the UMC’s current design plan proposes to replace the building, in part, with a surface parking lot. This proposition is particularly shortsighted given the chronic shortage of habitable public school buildings in New Orleans. In 2008 when the Louisiana Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board collaborated to adopt a School Master Facilities Plan, there were 6,000 students in modular temporary buildings. In 2008 when the Louisiana Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board collaborated to adopt a School Master Facilities Plan, there were 6,000 students in temporary modular buildings. Though the RSD and OPSB have already committed $440 million of the $1.8 billion program, there are still 6,000 students in modular buildings today. Under the circumstances, we urge the City to continue working with the State to avoid demolishing this usable public school building.

NEWCITY was encouraged to see the February 28th letter from City Council Members to the State requesting that the UMC incorporate McDonogh 11 into its design. We agree with the Council Members’ observations, and we recommend first and foremost that the building remain in place and that the University Medical Center be redesigned to accommodate the school. The current site plan can easily be modified to accommodate McDonogh 11 by shifting the proposed buildings closer to Galvez Street and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Furthermore, the BioDistrict has stated (most recently in its February 2011 online planning survey) that it would like to open a math and sciences charter school. McDonogh 11 could house the charter school’s operations on the UMC site.

Last week the State wrote to the Mayor and City Council that it would dedicate up to $3 million to relocate McDonogh 11. However, we strongly recommend that McDonogh 11 be left in place until the State has demonstrated that it is ready to begin construction and relocation becomes absolutely necessary. Relocating the building before then may prove premature, if not wholly unnecessary, and would waste both State funds and the City-owned land onto which the State proposes relocating the building. LSU may have to redesign the UMC, possibly shrinking its footprint, and the new design may not require the McDonogh 11 site at all.

If the building ultimately needs to be moved to allow for actual construction of the UMC, we recommend that it not be moved to the location of the former Crime Lab of the City of New Orleans (2900 block of Tulane Ave). Rather, we recommend that McDonogh 11 be moved to the edge of the UMC site, to the block bounded by Tulane Avenue, South Roman Street, Palmyra Avenue, and South Derbigny Street. According to the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the City and State on August 29, 2010, this block (Block 438) is currently designated for greenspace and would remain so until an expansion of the UMC becomes necessary and the Mayor provides written approval. Moving the building to this site would thus save the State from having to build and maintain greenspace on that block. Should expansion become necessary, the State and LSU would have ample time redesign the second portion of the UMC to incorporate the building. The scale of McDonogh 11 matches that of the buildings surrounding Block 438, which include the Louisiana Cancer Research Center and Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, and the school would nicely complement the ground-floor retail in the proposed adjacent parking structures along Tulane Avenue. Furthermore, Block 438 is considerably closer to McDonogh 11’s current location than the site of the former Crime Lab is, and moving the building here would avoid having to transport it along or across major streets including Galvez Street, Broad Street, and Tulane Avenue. If the building must be moved in order to preserve it, this option is surely the most feasible and least expensive.

In the event that the Orleans Parish School Board opts to relinquish McDonogh 11, we request that the City and State work with NEWCITY Neighborhood Partnership, the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, BioDistrict and other appropriate development entities to facilitate relocation and reuse options for the building. Such an arrangement has already been established for structures within the VAMC site.

We thank the City for its continued efforts to ensure the best possible design for the University Medical Center and for this opportunity to provide input. We sincerely hope that the City will consider our recommendations before the City Council hears the State and LSU’s renewed request for street revocations within the planned UMC site. This is perhaps the City’s last chance to halt potentially unnecessary demolitions until the UMC’s financing is definite, and to require that the State and LSU redesign the UMC to be closer to Galvez Street and to incorporate McDonogh No. 11.

Sincerely,

The following members of NEWCITY Neighborhood Partnership:
Broad Community Connections
Community Advancement
Congress for the New Urbanism
Claiborne Corridor Improvement Coalition
Foundation for Historical Louisiana
Friends of Lafitte Corridor
Lagniappe Project of New Orleans
National Trust for Historic Preservation
NewCorp Business Assistance Center
New Orleans College Preparatory
Preservation Resource Center
Providence Community Housing
SaveCharityHospital.com
Smart Growth for Louisiana
The Urban Conservancy

CC:
Councilmember-At-Large Jacquelyn Clarkson
Councilmember Susan Guidry
Councilmember Stacy Head
Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer
Councilmember Cynthia Hedge-Morrell
Councilmember Jon Johnson
Deputy Mayor Andy Kopplin
Deputy Mayor Cedric Grant
Mr. William Gilchrist
Ms. Yolanda Rodriguez
Mr. George Amedee
Mr. Robert “Bobby” Yarborough
Ms. Elaine Abell
Dr. Byron Harrell
Mr. Stanley Jacobs
Mr. T.A. “Tim” Barfield, Jr.
Mr. Donald “Boysie” Bollinger
Dr. Christopher Rich
Mr. David Voelker
Mr. Darryl Berger
Mr. Alden McDonald, Jr.
Mr. Charles Teamer
Governor Bobby Jindal
Mr. Paul Rainwater
Mr. Jerry Jones
Ms. Sandra Strokes
Secretary Shaun Donovan
Deputy Secretary Ron Sims
Ms. Shelley Poticha
Mr. Fred Tombar

Thank you for your attention to the development project along the 5600 block of Magazine Street. My husband and I have dedicated the last 7 years of our lives to rehabilitating a foreclosed property on Joseph Street, less than 2 blocks from the Romney construction project. We have raised our two children (ages 7 and 4) at this location as we have painstakingly poured ourselves into improving not only our home, but our city and community.

We are extremely distressed over the development of the Romney Pilates project. There is no question that the documents disclosed at the BZA hearing are inconsistent with what is currently being developed. Further, any assertions that the neighbors who live within a walking radius of the project would be supportive of it are soundly false: there is no way our neighborhood can support an additional business who expects to serve 10-20 clients and 8 employees each day. We do not have the street parking to support this. As it stands, the recent addition of Pinkberry to the same block brought a dramatic increase in parking pressure; we cannot accommodate another large capacity business on that block of Magazine Street.

I appreciate your dedication to representing community members in local issues and understand how you value neighborhood involvement and community rights. Please help us be heard: we were not made aware of the Romney plans in construction, we are distressed at the inconsistencies in what they initially presented at BZA and their current intentions, and would like to be clear that as residents who live within 2 blocks of the project, are NOT in support of their efforts.

I am grateful for your time and efforts in this issue and hope that there will be opportunities to do what is best for our neighborhood.

Respectfully,
Holly Scheib
—
Holly Ann Scheib, PhD, MPH, MSW

Read more about the issue here.

The state of Louisiana and its contractors have continued to demolish historic buildings in the footprint of the proposed University Medical Center in lower Mid-City.

This is truly regrettable because a number of the houses, located in a national historic district, could have been moved off the site using the same process we’ve seen in the neighboring Veterans Affairs hospital footprint.

It’s also regrettable because the University Medical Center board has not obtained adequate financing for the planned hospital — and won’t for some time — and is nevertheless using LSU’s eminent domain power to acquire properties and bulldoze them.
Demolitions need to stop until a house moving plan can be finalized for the dozens of historic properties that remain in the UMC site.

In a site like the UMC footprint, house-moving should have been in the mix from the beginning. And the total number of parcels involved won’t be acquired for some time.

Sadly, a house-moving effort won’t necessarily save some of the architectural and cultural icons slated for demolition, like the 1879 McDonogh No. 11 School or Deutsches Haus. But such an effort would pull a small silver lining from the dark cloud that continues to hang over the residents of Lower Mid-City.

Brad Vogel
National Trust for Historic Preservation
New Orleans Field Office
New Orleans

The continuing health problems of people involved in cleanup of the Exxon Valdez spill present urgent lessons for the Gulf cleanup crews.

My name is Merle Savage, a female general foreman during the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) beach cleanup in 1989. I am one of the 11,000+ cleanup workers from the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), who is suffering from health issues from that toxic cleanup, without compensation from Exxon.

Dr. Riki Ott visited me in 2007 to explain about the toxic spraying on the beaches. She also informed me that Exxon’s medical records and the reports that surfaced in litigation by sick workers in 1994, had been sealed from the public, making it impossible to hold Exxon responsible for their actions.

Exxon developed the toxic spraying; OSHA, the Coast Guard, and the state of Alaska authorized the procedure. Beach crews breathed in crude oil that splashed off the rocks and into the air — the toxic exposure turned into chronic breathing conditions and central nervous system problems, neurological impairment, chronic respiratory disease, leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors, liver damage, and blood disease. See this video to learn more.

My web site is devoted to searching for EVOS cleanup workers who were exposed to the toxic spraying, and are suffering from the same illnesses that I have. There is an on going Longshoreman’s claim for workers with medical problems from the oil cleanup. Our summer employment turned into a death sentence for many — and a life of unending medical conditions for the rest of Exxon’s Collateral Damaged.

Sincerely,

Merle Savage

For information related the proposed LSU-VA Hospital complex, visit: www.savecharityhospital.org and www.DoctorsforCharity.com, and www.fhl.org

April 08, 2010
Re: A significant victory, Our Opinions, April 4.

The Time-Picayune editorial praises Judge Eldon Fallon’s ruling that the federal government obeyed environmental law in planning two new hospitals.

But what kind of victory is it to abandon a weakened Central Business District and destroy lower Mid-City’s chance to be a viable neighborhood?

How will New Orleans win by bulldozing 150 historic buildings and violating our street grid, creating superblocks for suburban-sprawl hospitals?

Do we win by abandoning the principle of “citizen involvement in the planning process”? We invited citizens to get involved in the “Master Plan,” but then told them they couldn’t decide where to build the hospitals. We’re back to the same old top-down, autocratic planning.

While they endorse “sustainability,” why can’t our politicians see a victory in reusing the landmark Charity Hospital for the state-of the-art teaching hospital? Why aren’t they outraged by the defeat of putting historic buildings in the landfill — cypress frames, pine floors, slate roofs and all?

Why can’t both hospitals enjoy the win-win of sharing the spacious LSU site, since more than half of its land is to be used for parking lots?

It’s not too late for a real hospital victory.

Last-minute wisdom saved New Orleans four decades ago from a plan promoted by political and business leaders as “the answer” to our economic future.

The Riverfront Expressway would have separated the French Quarter from the river. But this “done deal” died suddenly when an enlightened Washington review found more harm than good. Even its supporters admit today that this was a genuine victory.

We don’t want people in 20 years to ask, “Why didn’t they put the hospitals in the right places? Why did they give up on the CBD and leave it a wasteland? What were they thinking when they tore down that neighborhood?”

We want them to say, “I’m glad Mayor Landrieu and Gov. Jindal got together with the senators back then and talked sense to LSU and VA and built our hospitals the smart way.”

Bill Borah
Jack Davis
Smart Growth for Louisiana

According to the minutes, 7 people spoke in support of the Mayor’s plan, 3 persons for ‘information only’, and 20 people spoke in opposition to the plan. But, 15 people who signed up to speak were denied the right to be heard. 15 people were denied the right to speak at a public hearing to a body of public officials. At a 2 minute time limit, this would have only added 1/2 hour to the meeting. Did the Commissioners have some place to go?

At an organized public hearing, the job of public officials is to listen to the people. These are citizens of the metro area who have taken precious time out of their busy schedules to attend a government hearing. The citizens are making sacrifices.

The public hearing becomes a mockery, a sham, when citizens are denied their right to speak their mind to a body of public officials.

The people were denied a fair and democratic hearing before the City Planning Commission.

We want a fair and democratic hearing before the New Orleans City Council. We want a public hearing before the City Council that allows the maximum participation of the citizens. People’s homes and properties are at stake here. The Mayor wants to begin the process of demolishing close to 200 homes and businesses. We think any public hearing on this plan should deny no one the right to speak.

We think the City Council should strongly consider holding its hearing on the Mayor’s plan in the evening. Many people who wanted to participate in the 1:30p CPC hearing couldn’t because they work during the day. The City Council should take this fact into account. FOR A FAIR AND DEMOCRATIC CITY COUNCIL HEARING.

Dear Neil:

As an independent bookseller based in New Orleans, I am writing to urge you in the strongest terms to address a serious issue of business equity and fiscal prudence as it relates to the collection of state sales tax for online sales.

As I’m sure you know, currently, some out-of-state retailers with nexus in Louisiana are refusing to comply with our state’s sales tax law and are not collecting and remitting state sales tax for sales to residents of Louisiana. I hope you will take immediate steps to close this tax loophole by directing the state taxing authorities to enforce existing state law and to require out-of-state online retailers with nexus in Louisiana to collect and remit sales tax.

Federal law clearly defines nexus as a retail store, warehouse, office, or sales agent. I believe it is indisputable that any out-of-state online retailer that has one or more affiliates based in Louisiana — affiliates that clearly act as solicitors on the online retailer’s behalf and earn commissions based on sales — has nexus in our state. These out-of-state online retailers should therefore be charging sales tax. Louisiana booksellers and other in-state businesses that have e-commerce operations collect and remit sales tax, and so should merchants outside our state that have nexus in the state.

It is very important that you act now. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the worst recession since the 1930s has caused the steepest decline in state tax receipts on record. Even in the wake of drastic budget cuts, states are facing enormous deficits, shortfalls that are project to continue into 2011. In Louisiana, we have a projected budget gap of approximately $248 million, according to ABC News. It’s estimated that the total state and local sales and use tax revenue losses from e-commerce sales in Louisiana will total $344.7 million for 2010, and they are projected to reach $439.6 million in 2012. By refusing to obey the law, companies like Amazon.com are siphoning away critical revenue that should be going to essential local services such as policing and fire fighting.

The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government’s October 2009 edition of the State Revenue Report noted that, for the second quarter of 2009, sales tax revenue in all states declined by 9.5 percent. Meanwhile, as traditional retail sales remained flat or declined this past holiday, online sales appeared immune to the recession. According to the National Retail Federation, Internet sales increased by about 14 percent on the Monday after Thanksgiving and, according to ComScore, 5 percent overall, and show exponential growth each year.

The failure to equitably enforce existing state tax law has put Louisiana retailers at a significant competitive disadvantage to e-commerce competitors. With a “discount” of about 4 percent, out-of-state online giants have an enormous competitive advantage over in-state retailers selling the same merchandise. These in-state businesses employ thousands of residents and collect millions of dollars in sales tax, and inequitable enforcement of state sales tax law puts these core engines of our state economy in jeopardy.

In 2008, New York State signed into law a provision that required out-of-state merchants that have clear nexus in the state to collect and remit sales tax. Though the provision was initially challenged by Amazon.com, a New York State Supreme Court judge dismissed the online retailer’s lawsuit. Amazon.com is currently collecting New York sales tax and has maintained its affiliate network in the state. In 2009, North Carolina and Rhode Island passed e-fairness laws modeled after New York’s.

It is not the business of state government to play favorites when it comes to enforcing tax law. The results of sales tax inequity can be seen in the many empty storefronts on Main Streets (or Canal Streets) throughout Louisiana. Sometimes, however, it doesn’t result in a store closure, but in lost sales tax through decreased sales and lost income tax through job cuts. A downturn on Main Street creates a ripple effect seen throughout our state’s economy, resulting in higher property taxes and budget cuts for police and fire departments. It’s important to understand that when out-of-state retailers with affiliates in our state shirk their responsibility to collect and remit sales tax, it doesn’t just affect a few small businesses here or there, it hurts the state’s entire economy.

For the good of in-state businesses — and all of the residents of Louisiana — I sincerely hope that you will take a stand for equity and will direct our state taxing authorities to enforce existing state law and require out-of-state online retailers with nexus in Louisiana to collect and remit sales tax.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Tom

Thomas P. Lowenburg, Owner
Octavia Books
New Orleans

Mr. Pres Kabacoff
CEO, Historic Restoration, Inc.
909 Poydras Street, Suite 3100
New Orleans, LA 70112

Dear Mr. Kabacoff,

Thank you for the time and energy you are putting into the Eleven37 Esplanade project, and for your open interaction with the community. The meeting with the community on February 25 helped over 200 of our members understand your progress. Unfortunately, we cannot support the project as presented. There are three fundamental issues.

The first issue is density. We all agree that density is good within limits. The most dense zoning considered by the City Planning Commission staff in their review of this project is HMC-2. This allows 600 square feet of land per unit, which translates to 49 units for the site. Any density greater than this violates the intent expressed by the citizens of New Orleans who amended the charter to give planning and zoning the force of law.

We could support a zoning change to HMC-2 as long as there was an agreement to abide by that zoning as well as the height (45’) and floor-area ratio (2.0) cited by the City Planning Commission staff from Article 5, Section 5.57, Height, Area, and Bulk Requirements of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. During the February 25 meeting, you advocated that the community support a project that satisfies the needs of the city, developer, and neighborhood. Increasing the mass and density beyond the most dense zoning considered by CPC staff does not satisfy the needs of the city or the neighborhood.

Although we are in full support of affordable housing, our second concern is that your model will result in isolating low-income residents in an environment where they would not receive the benefits of living in a mixed-income community. This would not be fair to our constituency when many struggle to be a part of a diverse environment. The model of 70% of units dedicated to subsidized, affordable units with only 30% for market rate tenants is not consistent with a sustainable model that will attract a diverse population. Rather, this model will likely result in all low-income residents. You offered no experience, precedent, or logic to support sustainable success with more than 40% affordable units. The 70% affordable/30% market mix you propose turns the basis of HOPE VI directives on its head. Increasing the mix to beyond 40% affordable is unacceptable.

Third, the facades of the building facing St. Claude and Kerlerec are in prominent view of the historic neighborhood and travelers on Esplanade Avenue and Rampart Street. These elevations need to be consistent with those facing the Esplanade and Rampart sides. The three affected neighborhoods are locally protected and nationally recognized historic districts because of the large quantity of intact, preserved architecture, and their character must be respected.

Mr. Kabacoff, we appreciate the investments you have made in New Orleans, and in this project. We would like to be able to support the project. To earn that support, we ask you that you hold to your principle of accountability to the needs of the city and the neighborhood. We ask you to adapt the design to within existing zoning limits, to use a proven operating model, and to complete appropriate facade changes as described above.

Respectfully,

Michael D. Moffitt
President, Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents, and Associates

CoCo Paddison
President, French Quarter Citizens

Naydja Bynum
President, Historic Faubourg Treme Association

Matt Norton

President, Esplanade Ridge/Treme Civic Association

Cc
James Carter, Councilperson, District C
Jackie Clarkson, City Council President
Arnie Fielkow, Councilperson-at-large
Shelley Midura, Councilperson, District A

Stacy Head, Councilperson, District B
Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, Councilperson, District D
Cynthia Willard-Lewis, Councilperson, District E
Yolanda Rodriguez, Executive Director, City Planning Commission
Elliot Perkins, Executive Director, Historic District Landmarks Commission

Chris Costello, President, Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association

March 10, 2009

Thanks for the heads up about the new City Park golf proposal. I went online to read it, and compare it to the 2005 Master Plan it will supersede.

One of the joys of City Park post-Katrina has been that the vast 400+ acre golf complex between I-610 and Robert E. Lee has been available as a public greenspace. For the first time since the former swamp was drained and cleared, people have been out walking, jogging, bike-riding, flying kites, birding, and picnicking as well as fishing in the formerly inaccessible lagoons. Public land used for a public purpose, instead of for the exclusive use of the tiny minority who play golf. Last year City Park re-opened the north course, closing everything between Filmore and Robert E. Lee once again to public use. But the golf area between 1-610 and Filmore has remained open. If you haven’t been out there, give it a visit. The paved golf cart trails are perfect for strolling or bike riding. Wildlife, especially birds, are everywhere.

The issue to be addressed at the public meeting Tuesday night is whether or not the City Park Improvement Association (CPIA), the largely self-perpetuating board that controls the park, should amend the pre-Katrina publicly-vetted March 2005 City Park Master Plan to allow a bigger and much more expensive golf complex to be constructed. Changes from the City Park Master Plan proposed by this new Golf Master Plan include getting rid of the baseball complex on Diagonal Drive; building a new road into the park from the end of Mirabeau at Wisner; moving and building a new Club House and new driving range on that road; shaving off Couturie Forest east of the shell road (that now services the model airplane field); and converting the island next to the police stables, designated a natural area in the 2005 plan, into golf fairway.

In essence, the new plan would make everything north of I-610 and Harrison east of Diagonal into golf courses, except what is left of Couturie, Pan Am Stadium, and the equestrian enclave on Filmore. (Though the new plan doesn’t say so, City Park staff tell me there is no plan to re-open the obliterated baseball field anywhere else. The former driving range area is left blank—it is unclear what would go there.) There would be a lot of re-arranging of the existing lagoon system, and a lot of new lagoons and ponds excavated to get the fill for the new courses. It does not appear from the plan that any attempt will be made to hydrologically link these new lagoons and ponds either to each other or to the existing system, except that some would be linked by underground culverts. Indeed, the existing ring lagoon system will be cut up and made discontinuous. Ironic, ain’t it, that while we struggle to restore the hydrology of Bayou St. John, City Park proposes to dig new stagnant water holes.

The cost of this plan is projected to be about 46 million dollars. City Park has about $6 million coming from FEMA in repair money. The state has authorized (but had not yet appropriated last time I checked) about $10 million. That leaves $30 million. This will supposedly be a public/private partnership, and a group called the Bayou District Foundation (who are redeveloping the St. Bernard Housing Project) has been intimately involved in the development of this golfing master plan. It would be illegal to pre-select the private partner in this venture, so the plan is careful to say that the Bayou District Foundation will not necessarily be the private partner. Right.

The potential sources of the missing $30 million dollars are not addressed in the plan. Surprise.

City Park depends on golf for cash flow. Because CP is the bastard child of an unhappy marriage between the city and the state (New Orleanians bought the land, but the state took away control a century ago in order to placate reformers who felt that it was too important to be left in the hands of politicians beholden to the rabble), it is claimed and supported by neither.

The CPIA, beholden to no one, is the foster parent. It gets little taxpayer support as a result. The golf fees have been important, since the park gets so little tax revenue. The re-opened north course may eventually give them some much needed cash flow. But one of the great lies you’ll hear bandied about is that golf in City Park pays for itself. That is nonsense: the taxpayers pay for millions in capital outlays to build the golf courses, and rest assured golf fees are never collected to pay this back. We pay to finance those bonds with our tax dollars. When everything is going swimmingly, golf fees offset the daily operational costs of the courses, and there is a profit that goes back into daily City Park operations. But, of course, no money is used for real upkeep—just let golf facilities decay, and eventually the taxpayers step in with a new capital outlay.

Whether or not City Park should embark on a $46 million golf dream is one question (remember Hemeter and the single Monte Carlo style casino that was going to rake in tax dollars?), but don’t let anyone tell you that it will make a profit. Our fair state is studded with bankrupt and shut-down golf courses. If golf was profitable then membership in Country Clubs and homes in golf subdivisions would be cheap. But in fact, golf is the loss leader for these institutions. It appeals to a certain affluent (or wants to be affluent) demographic.

Making golf accessible for those of us who aren’t affluent is a good thing, and City Park did that, and is doing that with the north course.

Unfortunately, though, it got addicted to the cash, and turned nearly half the park into a low rent country club. (And much of the rest of the park is accessible only by paying a fee.) You might notice that most great city parks have no golf (Central Park in New York City), or very little (Golden Gate in San Francisco). New Orleans is unique in that its four large parks—City, Audubon, Pontchartrain, and Brechtel, all have significant acreages devoted to golf.

The problem, of course, is that golf requires a lot of space (about 200 acres per 18 hole course), and that acreage can’t be used for anything else. (Notice that our suburban neighbors don’t subsidize golf—why should they? We do it for them.) These new courses will require higher fees, meaning that the only justification for using public space for a golf course, to make it accessible to the less affluent, will be diminished. I can look at birds while you jog. You can fly a kite while I fish. But golfers need acres of expensively and unnaturally maintained lawns, and they fire lethal projectiles around their lawns. The public is unwelcome on that “public” land.

Despite the excitement generated by Tiger Woods, golf is a diminishing American pastime. On the other hand, forms of recreation like jogging, biking, fishing, birding, and photographing nature, continue to grow.

I personally think there is room in City Park for an inexpensive and accessible golf course. Perhaps even two, if our city’s recovery continues. But that is no excuse for closing off the park to the public. The new paved paths along Robert E. Lee and the bayou are good and long overdue, but, let’s face it, they are just landscaped sidewalks. They don’t provide access to the heart of the park, away from traffic and noise. A smaller golf footprint could give us that which we now enjoy on the ruin of the pre-Katrina courses.

If you think that devoting more of the north-of-I-610 park to golf, in a post-Katrina shrunken city, during the worst recession in 80 years is a good idea, then you need do nothing, because I suspect the fix, as they say, is already in. But if you doubt the wisdom of this course of action, you might want to go on record Tuesday night, on the off chance somebody is listening. I asked if there was an open public comment period, and was advised that no dates had been set, so it might be good idea to get written comments in by Tuesday night. Apparently the CPIA is voting on the Golf Master Plan later in the month.

David Muth
Orchid Street

by Karley Frankic

February 13th, 2009

When it comes to development in New Orleans there seems to be a repeated offense of pushing the “Hail Mary” project. Much like that desperate pass in the last seconds of a football game, zoning and permitting, preservation of neighborhoods and just plain logic are compromised by claims of huge financial returns.

A good example of a “Hail Mary” project: the New Orleans World Trade Center. Last month the Bureau for Government Research released a thorough report that took a hard look at what it is costing taxpayers to hold onto a building that the City has been unable to find tenants for. The recommendation: sell it.

Now we have the City’s latest “Hail Mary” Project: LSU/Charity plan. The time has come to admit that the numbers are bad.

The Foundation for Historical Louisiana released a study conducted by the architecture firm RMJM Hillier, that LSU has hired to design the $98 million Louisiana Cancer Research Center in at Claiborne and Tulane Avenues. There is no disputing the experience and reputation of this international architecture and engineering firm. Their report clearly shows that renovating Old Charity Hospital into a state of the art medical facility as opposed to acquiring hundreds of individual lots and building a suburban style center would save both time and money.

The State’s Legislative Budget Advisory Committee heard testimony from both sides. Despite not providing any cost analysis to back up his claims Jerry Jones, State Facilities Manager, objected to the well researched numbers from RMJM Hillier presented. Mr. Jones said that the State estimates they will have to spend $54 million just to acquire the land.

Memories are short around here. Any recollection of St. Charles Ventures, the Albertson’s Developers, that got edged out by A & P on a strategic lot and had to buy the Dr. Tichenor’s plant adding close to a million dollars in expense? What about the lengthy legal battles and eventual multi-million dollar payout for the Convention Center Phase IV to purchase TWIROPA on Tchoupitoulas Street?

In both cases the City supported the projects - giving subsidies and claiming huge returns - but neither project was ever built and returns on taxpayer investment was never realized. The site of the Convention Center Phase IV has since been wrapped in with land from failed River City Casino by the developer, MidTown Group of Miami, who demolished the 100-year-old building last year. And now Blaine Kern is planning on building a Mardi Gras World Facility on the casino site.

Why would a medical complex succeed when groceries, hotels and convention centers couldn’t overcome delays and extra expenditures from eminent domain, which the state legislature drastically restricted in 2006?

The proposed LSU site is composed of 70 acres of private property owners. There will almost certainly be legal fights that will increase expense much more than estimated.

And then there is the notion that an urban hospital is not as good as a suburban medical center. That notion is unfounded. There are numerous examples of internationally renowned urban hospitals in America including John Hopkins in Baltimore and Mt. Sinai in New York.

Inserting suburban models in a city is just bad planning. The residential development River Garden (locally referred to as Faubourg Wal-Mart), sucked up every possible public subsidy to tear down structurally sound housing in the St. Thomas project in order to build singles, doubles and apartments that are already falling apart. One homeowner who purchased his home just a year ago is calling in the warranty a second time for shoddy workmanship. And the development did not get rid of the crime as promised.

Then there is the idea that a big project is going to save downtown. Both Armstrong Park and construction of the elevated Interstate 10 on Claiborne Avenue were touted as expensive modern projects that would save downtown. All they have managed to do is to cut into pieces the historic Treme neighborhood and reduce the property values adjacent to the park and expressway. In fact, the first draft of the City’s Master Plan has recommended removing the elevated expressway as they are already doing in San Francisco, New York, Portland and Milwaukee.

Finally there is Jazzland/Six Flags. That project received a huge HUD loan and taxpayer subsidies. Now the park is a blight in the swamp that continues to waste money.

The track record of the City’s “Hail Mary” projects is dismal. They do not produce the promised return on investment and in some cases caused a terrible impact on the city. Perhaps logic will reign this time around.

Background: 165 historic homes are slated to be demolished for the new VA / LSU
hospital complex, even though other suitable property is available.
If you go to this website you can edit the letter and send to Gov. Jindal and other involved parties.

More information available here.

Here is my sample letter:

Nov 26, 2008

Governor Bobby Jindal

Dear Governor Jindal,

I am writing to comment on your recent decision to bulldoze a historic
neighborhood in order to build new LSU and VA hospitals in New Orleans,
instead of choosing one of the three other options that would provide
equivalent space without destruction of homes. We should not have to
choose between timely, quality health care for residents and veterans
and neighborhood destruction - it is a big mistake and a backwards
step.

The three alternatives suggested by neighborhood residents and
preservationists would provide for a quicker return of health care to
New Orleans veterans and residents at less cost to the VA, the city,
and the state and would avoid the destructive “lose-lose”
situation that is currently presented.

As it stands, to get permission to demolish 165 historic homes may take
years and cause needless heartbreak and bad feelings. While I
understand the desire to have a large hospital complex close to
downtown, it really isn’t necessary, because wherever it is located, it
will be utilized.

A solution that puts health care first, without needlessly destroying a
historic neighborhood, is the winning alternative. Please take steps
to revisit this issue immediately.

Sincerely,

Ms. Ze daLuz

Progressive Medical Care, or PMC, has just opened in the Marigny. As one of those who helped build it, I must say it’s rather nice.

PMC was concieved and opened by Dr. Frederick Floyd, Bywater resident, and owner of the Rookery Recording Studio, also in the Bywater.

Like myself, many residents in the Art-Rich neighborhoods of the Marigny/Bywater/Lower Nine have little or no access to medical care without a trip to a hospital waiting room in the CBD or Metairie. Many certainly operate with limited or no health insurance.

The PMC works with Medicaid, Medicare, most forms of independent health care, and has a pay-as-you-go system for those without any form of insurance.

A fully equiped clinic, they perform echo-cardigrams and sonograms in house, have handicapped access, and take walk-ins as well as appointments. They’re also equipped to deal with many immune deficiency health issues that other clinics do not address.

Progressive Medical Care is located at 2909 St. Claude Ave, at Press Street.

Hours of operation are 8:30am until about 4pm, Monday through Friday For appointments call: 504 942-1167

Tell ‘em HumidCity sent ya

And thanks, Dr. Fred Thanks very much.

P.S. I also highly recommend the St. Claude Pharmacy at 3916 Saint Claude Ave / Phone: (504) 942-5792. They are very friendly, give excellent service, and their prices and (lack of) wait time put Walgreen’s to shame… support our local businesses! - Andrea

——————-
Andrea Garland
l’art Noir New Orleans Gallery — www.lartnoir.com
St. Claude Arts District — www.SCADNOLA.com
“It’s that bracing spirit of art anarchy that makes the on-and-near St. Claude Avenue art scene the spot to watch in 2008.” - Doug MacCash, Times-Picayune, Dec. 28, 2007

It will start at 11am and finish around 2pm at Washington SQ Park where the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association will have live music. So pull out your Sunday ride and join us in helping to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions in New Orleans.

To get event starting location register by Friday morning by calling 504.324.2429 or green@greenlightneworleans.org.

Mark Tobler
Green Light New Orleans
P.O Box 13564
New Orleans, LA 70185

504.324.2429
mark.tobler@greenlightneworleans.org
www.greenlightneworleans.org