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Proposed Charter Changes from UNOP District 1 Steering Committee
Apr 22 2008
The Nagin administration is poised to sign a contract with the highly respected planning firm of Goody Clancy to complete a Master Plan for New Orleans - a plan that will direct the future use of land as well as the rebuilding of the city. Part of that contract will entail the creation of a new Zoning Ordinance that will assist in the implementation of the plan. That planning effort will include citizens in the planning process, and it will utilize the conclusions reached in the numerous planning efforts that citizens have been engaged in seen Katrina devastated this city.
So that the Master Plan when completed will be followed by public officials as well as private citizens, so that in the future land use regulations and capital expenditures will be required to be consistent with the plan, and so that henceforth all citizens will be structured into the planning process, the Unified New Orleans Plan (UNOP) District 1 Steering Committee supports the amendments to the Home Rule Charter recently prepared by Smart Growth for Louisiana. Furthermore, in order to receive a favorable vote on the Charter amendments from the City Council and to have the Council place these amendments on the November 4, 2008, ballot to receive a favorable vote from the electorate, the Steering Committee forwarded a copy of the nonprofit’s Charter amendments, with accompanying cover letter and a Citizen’s Guide to Land Use Reform, to each Council member. (A copy of the Charter amendments and accompanying materials are attached to this E-mail.)
I ask that each of you — and the organizations that you are associated with — to join with the UNOP District 1 Steering Committee in supporting the attached Charter amendments, and that you request the City Council to approve the amendments and to place them on the ballot for a vote in November. With work soon to begin on a Master Plan and a new Zoning Ordinance for the city, we now have the opportunity to establish a planning process to go along with this serious undertaking that can gain the respect of citizens - both here and across the nation. This is a great opportunity — shame on all of us if we do not take advantage of it.
Respectfully yours,
William E. Borah
President
Smart Growth for Louisiana
533 Esplanade Avenue, Suite B
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(504) 944-4010
(504) 942-3176 (fax)
Institute for Southern Studies: Blueprint for Gulf Renewal
Sep 29 2007
An in-depth analysis of federal Katrina spending since 2005. The Institute reveals that, out of the $116 billion in Katrina funds allocated, less than 30% has gone towards long-term rebuilding—and less than half of that 30% has been spent, much less reached those most in need.
Download a copy of the Blueprint for Gulf Recovery [PDF]
Bring New Orleans Back Commission: Urban Planning Final Report
Jan 14 2006
Download a copy of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission’s Urban Planning Final Report [PDF].
Memo on “Baker Bill” to Establish Louisiana Recovery Authority
Dec 12 2005
Overview of the Baker Bill [PDF] establishing the Louisiana Recovery Authority by Partnership for Working Families and Brennan Center for Justice.
This memo provides advocates with a discussion of specific problems with the original version of H.R. 4100, the Baker Bill. A revised version is expected to be introduced around December 7th. The memo focuses on one aspect of the Baker Bill, namely its failure to provide for significant local control over the shape of redevelopment, and suggests areas of improvement.
After the Disaster… Information to Help Small Business Owners Make Post-Disaster Business Decisions
Nov 29 2005
This article is a supplement to a research project report — Organizations at Risk: What Happens When Small Businesses and Not-for-Profits Encounter Natural Disasters [PDF] and published by the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI).
A Report On Planning In New Orleans
Oct 3 2005
How can we create a zoning plan that unifies New Orleans City Government? [PDF] Land use attorney Daniel Mandelker, from his January 14th 2002 presentation.
Riverfront Vision 2005
Aug 1 2005
Downriver Riverfront [PDF]. New Orleans City Planning Commission. Esplanade Avenue to Industrial Canal. Final Draft. August 2005.
The Big Greedy
Sep 1 2001
The Big Greedy [PDF] A Background Check on the Corporations Vying to Take Over New Orleans’ Water System. A special report by Public Citizen’s Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program, September 2001
Proposed Charter Changes from UNOP District 1 Steering Committee
Apr 22 2008
The Nagin administration is poised to sign a contract with the highly respected planning firm of Goody Clancy to complete a Master Plan for New Orleans - a plan that will direct the future use of land as well as the rebuilding of the city. Part of that contract will entail the creation of a new Zoning Ordinance that will assist in the implementation of the plan. That planning effort will include citizens in the planning process, and it will utilize the conclusions reached in the numerous planning efforts that citizens have been engaged in seen Katrina devastated this city.
So that the Master Plan when completed will be followed by public officials as well as private citizens, so that in the future land use regulations and capital expenditures will be required to be consistent with the plan, and so that henceforth all citizens will be structured into the planning process, the Unified New Orleans Plan (UNOP) District 1 Steering Committee supports the amendments to the Home Rule Charter recently prepared by Smart Growth for Louisiana. Furthermore, in order to receive a favorable vote on the Charter amendments from the City Council and to have the Council place these amendments on the November 4, 2008, ballot to receive a favorable vote from the electorate, the Steering Committee forwarded a copy of the nonprofit’s Charter amendments, with accompanying cover letter and a Citizen’s Guide to Land Use Reform, to each Council member. (A copy of the Charter amendments and accompanying materials are attached to this E-mail.)
I ask that each of you — and the organizations that you are associated with — to join with the UNOP District 1 Steering Committee in supporting the attached Charter amendments, and that you request the City Council to approve the amendments and to place them on the ballot for a vote in November. With work soon to begin on a Master Plan and a new Zoning Ordinance for the city, we now have the opportunity to establish a planning process to go along with this serious undertaking that can gain the respect of citizens - both here and across the nation. This is a great opportunity — shame on all of us if we do not take advantage of it.
Respectfully yours,
William E. Borah
President
Smart Growth for Louisiana
533 Esplanade Avenue, Suite B
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(504) 944-4010
(504) 942-3176 (fax)
Institute for Southern Studies: Blueprint for Gulf Renewal
Sep 29 2007
An in-depth analysis of federal Katrina spending since 2005. The Institute reveals that, out of the $116 billion in Katrina funds allocated, less than 30% has gone towards long-term rebuilding—and less than half of that 30% has been spent, much less reached those most in need.
Download a copy of the Blueprint for Gulf Recovery [PDF]
Bring New Orleans Back Commission: Urban Planning Final Report
Jan 14 2006
Download a copy of the Bring New Orleans Back Commission’s Urban Planning Final Report [PDF].
Memo on “Baker Bill” to Establish Louisiana Recovery Authority
Dec 12 2005
Overview of the Baker Bill [PDF] establishing the Louisiana Recovery Authority by Partnership for Working Families and Brennan Center for Justice.
This memo provides advocates with a discussion of specific problems with the original version of H.R. 4100, the Baker Bill. A revised version is expected to be introduced around December 7th. The memo focuses on one aspect of the Baker Bill, namely its failure to provide for significant local control over the shape of redevelopment, and suggests areas of improvement.
After the Disaster… Information to Help Small Business Owners Make Post-Disaster Business Decisions
Nov 29 2005
This article is a supplement to a research project report — Organizations at Risk: What Happens When Small Businesses and Not-for-Profits Encounter Natural Disasters [PDF] and published by the Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI).
A Report On Planning In New Orleans
Oct 3 2005
How can we create a zoning plan that unifies New Orleans City Government? [PDF] Land use attorney Daniel Mandelker, from his January 14th 2002 presentation.
Riverfront Vision 2005
Aug 1 2005
Downriver Riverfront [PDF]. New Orleans City Planning Commission. Esplanade Avenue to Industrial Canal. Final Draft. August 2005.
The Big Greedy
Sep 1 2001
The Big Greedy [PDF] A Background Check on the Corporations Vying to Take Over New Orleans’ Water System. A special report by Public Citizen’s Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program, September 2001