Letters From Our Readers

Letter From Greater Carrollton Neighborhood Association

Greater Carrollton Neighborhood Association a new Carrollton organization for a new century

To: City Planning Commission
Cc: Jay Batt, City Councilmember, District A

Date: August 20, 2002

Re: Docket #71/02, for a conditional usage to expand the existing Castellon Pharmacy building and permit accessory parking on Square 135, lots B, pt. A; A, X, 19 pt. 20 in the Seventh Municipal District, bounded by Dublin, Zimpel, Dante and Oak streets. The municipal addresses are 8232 Oak, 1111-1119, 1137-39 Dante Street, and 8231 Zimpel Street.

The Greater Carrollton Neighborhood Association was formed in 2000 by residents who bring together all of the diverse elements, including businesses, to promote responsible and sustainable economic development, as well as solutions to other problems such as crime, litter and housing in Carrollton in ways that are neighborhood sensitive and economically sensible.

Unfortunately, Mr. Castellon’s request demonstrates neither sensitivity nor sensibleness. His residential demolitions and his sealing off of his business from access to Oak Street show a lack of sensitivity toward our residential neighborhood and also toward the village like setting of Oak. We have made repeated efforts to invite him or a spokesperson to our monthly meeting on August 19, only receiving a reply three hours prior to the meeting from an attorney who was hastily given the case, and who failed to appear at our meeting. His proposal would create a parking lot that intrudes into a residential area and a building that will dwarf adjacent structures in scale, leaving the residential blocks of 1100 Dante and 8200 Zimpel streets less desirable and habitable. Many hundreds of thoughtful residents have made it very clear for several years that a change in the use of the residential lots was undesirable because its sets a bad precedent for other development projects seeking relatively inexpensive residential land for commercial expansion in a neighborhood already nearly surrounded by commercial and light industrial zoning. This sentiment has been repeated emphatically so frequently that it is actually referenced in text and map form in the 1999 New Orleans Land Use Plan, adopted by the City Council in 2000 (attached).

His proposal is also not very sensible economically. His customers will not benefit from his expansion because the transportation infrastructure in that part of Carrollton will not make their arrivals and departures any more convenient than now. Any transportation planner will tell us that expansion of automobile facility will, after an interim of relief, beget a higher volume of sitting time and congestion in the future for motorists. If expanding market share is Mr. Castellon’s problem, he could solve it through branch stores in other areas such as Lakeview, New Orleans East or the West Bank. Majoria Drugs, as an example, has three outlets in the metropolitan area; his neighbor, Double M Feed, has eight stores in three parishes. This solution will allow him to grow market share much more rapidly instead of shoehorning his elderly regional customers into an already congested corner of New Orleans.

The GCNA wishes Castellon Pharmacy and all other businesses in the area success in their operations, but it strongly states that these businesses must address business related issues within the existing commercial zoning area or alternately seek resolution of their market share problems through proactive assistance from the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and the active participation of adjacent neighborhoods in the beginning planning stages.

Please protect this little neighborhood in Carrollton from decline by denying the request.

Sincerely,

James Segreto
8419 Zimpel St.
New Orleans, LA 70118
866-4005