NorthWest Carrollton

Thanks for your continued interest in our recovery process. Many of you have participated in the School Facilities Master Plan for Orleans Parish, your valuable contributions are an important factor in determining the future of public education in New Orleans.

As we begin the second round of community meetings I urge your organization to continue being stewards of neighborhood development. Although we were pleased with public participation during the first round of meetings, a few schools in your planning district were not as represented as others. I am including a list of neighborhood schools in your area which would benefit from additional public comment at the planning meetings.

Even if a building is not currently in use as a school it is still a discussion topic and a plan for its future will be made by the Recovery School District and the Orleans Parish School Board. It is very important that the future of each school building receive input from community members and surrounding civic and neighborhood development organizations.

Please see the list below of schools and the meeting date for the second round of community meetings.

Tuesday February 26th McNair ES/KIPP Believe 1607 S. Carrollton Ave 6-8pm

We are encouraging increased feedback concerning the following schools at the meeting

Arthur Ashe School (In use for school purpose)
401 Nashville Avenue

Bethune ES (In use for school purpose)
4040 Eagle Street

Dunbar ES (Vacant building)
9330 Forshey Street

LaSalle ES (Sale in process)
6048 Perrier Street

Wilson ES (Vacant building)
3617 General Pershing Street

Wright, Sophie B. MS (In use for school purpose)
1426 Napoleon Avenue

Banneker ES (In use for school purpose)
421 Burdette Street

Green MS (In use for school purpose)
2319 Valence Street

Johnson ES (In use for school purpose)
1800 Monroe Street

The following schools will also be discussed:

Allen ES (In use for school purpose)
5625 Loyola Avenue

Audubon School (In use for school purpose)
428 Broadway

Benjamin Franklin ES (In use for school purpose)
1116 Jefferson Avenue

Lafayette ES (In use for school purpose)
2727 South Carrollton Avenue

Lusher ES (In use for school purpose)
7315 Willow Street

McNair ES (In use for school purpose)
1607 South Carrollton Avenue

In addition on Saturday Feb 23 @ John McDonogh HS 10am-12noon all East Bank High Schools will be discussed

Joe Butler
concordia,llc
201 St. Charles Avenue
Suite 4314
New Orleans, Louisiana 70170
p 504-569-1818
f 504-569-1820
www.concordia.com

May 24 Island Update

Times Picayune reporting murder and shooting at Daiquri Island

ISLAND UPDATE

I spent a considerable amount of time yesterday discussing Zoning on Daiquri Island. Since the Zoning is Light Industrial, they are able to build this addition because the Parking regulation for this type of establishment is 3 spaces.

I have seen 20 or more cars parked on Earhart at night, spilling across the street to other business owned by the same proprietor. This is a bar we may want to keep our eye on to avoid spill over into the Neighbor.

There have been multiple meetings in regards to the Design of the Walgreens/ Roberts at the corner of Carrollton and Claiborne. Since there seems to be such wide community interest in that development I thought there may be a similar interest in what is happening on the other end of the Neighborhood.

Earhart Blvd. has long suffered from poor planning and design.

Here is a photo of some questionable new construction.

The cinderblock building is located in the Parking Lot. Which begs the question, Where do the patrons park?

In other Cities where there have been massive disasters there is a flurry of Post Disaster building, some shanties, some businesses hoping to build and not get caught. And some legitimate residential and commercial neighbors who want to create something better than before.

We are going to spend the next decade dealing with these issues.

While we were mouring the loss of our City shortly after the Hurricane ,many felt that the future in New Orleans would be a brighter,cleaner smarter City

Those early days of hope are gone, replaced with a nagging sense that we are in stasis, and looking in the wrong direction.

Ask your self this question,What does it mean to rebuild a City? Remove the bricks and morter from this scenario and ask yourself again, What does it take to rebuild a City? I suggest it involves transparency,strict code enforcement,partners with law enforcement, timely and accurate information from ALL City and State agencies and continued dialog with out leaders.

As long as we have agencies that do not enforce the rules, we will have residents and leaders exploiting them for their own gain.

My Santa Wish List.

1. Levees

2. StreetLights

3. Sidewalks

4. Fix Pot Holes

5. No more Demolitions in Historic Districts

6. Lower Entergy Rates

7. Lower Insurance Rates

8. No more Garbage in the Streets

9. A Mayor

10. People..come home

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Here is a great photo of a proud Broadmoor resident at City Council.When we were told to watch the plans for our Neighborhood and to make sure they were being honored I am glad to see even the youngest of our New Orleanians is taking it to heart.

I saw Matt Mc Bride, the Hardest Working Man in Drainage at City Council as well.

We have copies of the Neighborhood plan on disc if anyone would like to see it let me know.

There are more planning meetings, and I will post the times and dates later.

Yesterday was an interesting day at City Council with many emotional issues coming forth. From Neighborhood Planning to the Inspector generals position.

There is a rundown of several of these issues at Think New Orleans

I would encourage you to go and leave comments there with your opinion about the myriad of issues facing us.

Mr. Robert has met with the Review Committee to further develop the plans for the Fresh Market on Carrollton and Claiborne. His team has requested a deferral in order to more fully develop the plans. The hearing on this matter will be held in November.

All interested parties are hopeful for compromise on this site.

Please be advised that the location of the October 9, 2006 meeting of the Board of Zoning Adjustments has been switched from City Council Chambers to the City Planning Commission conference room, located in Suite 9W03 on the ninth floor of City Hall. The meeting will be called to order at 10:00 a.m.

Dear Friends and Neighbors of the Dublin Street/Nelson Street area and all of Northwest Carrollton:

Today, I received a letter from the City Zoning Adjustment Board regarding a public hearing requested by Pivach-Perrino Realty (the owners of the vacant property on Nelson and Dublin Streets where the Canal Villere bldg is), and Robert's Fresh Market, doing business as Claiborne Fresh Market, LLC.

They have submitted plans to build a grocery store/delicatessen on the lot. (Please see attached site plans).  Unfortunately, the plans being submitted place the building directly on the corner of Nelson and Dublin Streets and not on the Claiborne/Dublin corner which is the most appropriate space for a commercial building.

Although this neighborhood has worked long and hard to get a grocery store in our area, the site plans to be presented, in no way, honor the integrity of the residential area.

As the plans read now, there will be large flat walls on the Dublin and Nelson Street sides, with a loading dock and garbage storage/pick-up area immediately on the corner of Nelson and Dublin Streets.  They also own the vacant residential lot across on the opposite corner of Claiborne and Dublin.

This placement lends itself to nothing but negative things for our neighborhood.

1) Increased traffic They are requesting that Nelson become two way for the 8100 block only. This increase of traffic will greatly effect the corner of Nelson and Carrollton which is almost impossible to pass over now not to mention it could, most certainly put the Firehouse response time in jeopardy.

2) The loading dock and garbage areas will be intrusive, noisy, and very dirty.

3) From the property lines of the residents on the 3 adjacent corners, the distance is 50ft. to the proposed commercial property. They have requested no setback. This is a very highly trafficked area now. With the addition of a loading dock, garbage storage/pickup area, and two-way traffic on Nelson Street, there will be no room for two cars to pass in each direction and no on street parking for the residents.

4) The large, flat walls will create a dangerous site barrier at the corner. Because the grocery store will be selling alcohol, the blank corner will become a place to hang around for drinkers, could become a more heavily visited drug traffic area, and will provide space for graffiti and possible other crime.

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5) The garbage storage/pickup area location will increase neighborhood trash and debris and most certainly increase the rodent population.

6) If they are allowed to rezone the residential lot on Claiborne and Dublin it will
will remain a commercial space rather than reverting back to residential in the event that the grocery store does not remain open forever. Commercial properties will continue to encroach on our residential area.

As a resident of this area, I am asking for your help in opposing the site plans as they are being presented and to demand that the commercial building be placed at the other end of the lot where it will more appropriately serve the community, collect additional tax revenue dollars from passing Jefferson Parish residents for Orleans Parish, and allow us the respect to maintain our residential status

We are not against the building of a grocery store, but in fact completely for it, just not as the site plans read now.  If we allow these requests as they are now without a fight, we not only face all the negative possibilities sited above, but also the value of the properties in the immediate surrounding area will suffer greatly.  Our City Council representative has seen alternative plans for this site, which places the store at the Claiborne/Dublin corner.  It CAN work that way.

The most effective and important thing we can do immediately as the neighborhood most impacted by this site plan is to attend the meeting at City Council Chambers on October 9th at 10:00 am to voice our opposition.  If you do not have transportation I will arrange a ride for you.  If you cannot attend the meeting, please write a letter of opposition and I will submit them to the Zoning Board.  I will be going to speak and hope that you can join me and other homeowners of the Northwest Carrollton area.

Thank you very much.  This is a great neighborhood, full of people trying to make things good again.  Please don't allow the big boxes to mandate how we will live.

Best Regards,

Debi Theobald
8200 Nelson Street

The Ugly issue of Dollar General has raised it’s head again here in Northwest Carrollton.

In spite of the fact that we, as a Neighborhood Organization have requested that a perfectly good house not be demolished to make way for this crime magnet

These stores are designed to have minimal employee, square footage ratio, as well as minimal security. Often these stores are manned by young employees.

Here is a quote from a Florida newspaper

While low prices bring in customers, low security may put them in danger. In just the last few weeks, nine Family Dollar and Dollar General stores have been held up in Lake, Volusia and Polk counties.

The developer is attempting to peddle it as a grocery store, just what we don’t need is a promise with out proof. We have been shown no supporting documentation.

We have fought the demolition and will continue to do so.

At this point in time we feel that there is an undue burden being placed on Neighborhood Organizations. We are people who are working to generate a positive future for our City, not one where developers are preying on us. And that is the case here.

I invite the people of New Orleans to take some time out to think about the political history of New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana.

New Orleans has always been Louisiana s largest city.
We are not anymore. We are now 3rd behind Baton Rouge and Sherveport.

The rest of the State of Louisiana, especially those above the South Louisiana Cajun/Catholic line, has always had a love-hate relationship with the City of New Orleans. We in the New Orleans area were different, our faiths, our racial mix, our culture, our flavors, our music. We are different from other areas in Central & North Louisiana. We are different from the rest of “the South”. The relationship has always been a little uncomfortable. Historically the New Orleans generated significant tax revenue for the State of Louisiana and there has been more than on occasion when New Orleans had to fight to have that tax revenue returned to provide services, because once that tax revenue got into the state coffers it belongs to the whole state, regardless of where it was generated.

Take a look at the LRA.
Why is Orleans parish the only parish that has been required to have a master plan before the dollars that the Federal Government has provided to assist recovery can begin to flow and allow repairs to essential services? In December, the federal government provided recovery dollars to the people of South Louisiana who were affected by Katrina and Rita. Why is it that the State of Louisiana is still holding on to the money? Perhaps the are those in power in Baton Rouge that are hoping that the victims of Katrina and the Corp of Engineers will give up trying to jump through all the hoops the LRA puts before us and then the recovery dollars can end up in the hands of other Louisiana cities.
Nah, our government wouldn’t do that to us.

NEW ORLEANS, LA (September 6, 2006) – On Thursday, September 7, 2006, the Mayor’s Office of Planning and Development will host a press briefing at 11 a.m. to update the public on the Code Enforcement phase of the Good Neighbor Plan. The press briefing will take place at the Amoco Building located at 1340 Poydras St.

Who: Donna Addkison, Director of Planning and Development, and Penya Moses-Fields, City Attorney

What: Press briefing to update citizens on the code enforcement process of the Good Neighbor Plan

When: Thursday, September 7, 2006 at 11:00 a.m.

Where: 10th Fl. Conference Room, Amoco Building, 1340 Poydras St., Suite 1000, New Orleans

I recieved this link from the Mid City Listserv. A Hat tip to the sender C

But that’s not how its works out in practice. “Zealous nuts” know more about the places where they live and work than anyone else, and therefore their ideas turn out to be most practical and valuable. They naturally engage in what PPS calls “Placemaking”–a new way of looking at public spaces that takes into account all the factors that make a successful place.

There has been a war on the corner of Carrollton and Claiborne. The enemy has shifted at times, and there was never a Peace or Resolution. Just an uneasy cease fire.

Our Neighborhood was never much of a player in this war. We live in the Territory but we had always figured it was someone elses fight. That we were powerless to effect a change and that the outcome would be one that we would have to live with.

As is said so often “Katrina changed everything”, it changed our landscape and it reinvigorated our desire to save our Neighborhood.

Jenel…..One of the quickest thinkers ever, she walked the Neighborhood and passed out flyers till she assembled the beginings of a Team. She wrote the letters and spoke up when perhaps Silence was what was expected.

Scott… One of the first ones back, no gas, no hot water, no heat. His first fight was with Entergy and our then Council Person. He is The Architect, and the quiet force who balances our strident yells with a quiet firm no.

Kim…. The Bow Tie Man, he is the Yin to our Yang and flew the Flag. Before we met I would silently salute the Flag on the front of his house on Carrollton. “DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP” it said. He has taught me a lot.

Morrey…. The passionate pragmatic actress. See her now at Southern Rep. [shameless plug] She kept us on point with paperwork and membership and remebering to dot the i and cross the t. It made all the diffrence.

Our last recruit. Debi…. She lives at the corner of Blight and Despair. Her house overlooks the 4 Corners. When we met she was worn to the nub from this fight and sure that the outcome would be one that was inevitable. She brought reality to the situation. When ever I thought that the fight was over I drove to the Parking Lot and looked at her house. I thought about being a single mother and trying to make a home for a 11 year old. As the piles of trash and gas tanks and flooded cars grew I thought about what it was like to live there. As I write this I am listening to “Room with a View [of the Blues} by Johhny Adams. That is her theme song.

Me…All I know is that there is a right way and a wrong way, and my list of gratitude is long. Alan at Think New Orleans he pointed me in a the direction of Civic Activism that has forever changed the way I see things. Maitri the Magnificent and Ray from New Orleans relocated to Austin and back again with a shovel and broom.

All of this is an introduction to the announcement this week that Walgreens will be working with the City, and the residents of our Flooded City. They are planning on building according to the Carrollton Overlay and including a much needed Grocery in the equation. Marc Robert is on board with this and we are as well.

For the first time in a long time the residents of the 4 corners are working together for a better community.

We have Shelley Midura to thank for that. Shelley did not even have time to hang her hat in her City Hall office, and she was meeting with us, and other residents in the area. She and Alex Morgan worked tirelessly and dogedly to resolve this issue. At a time when there are nothing but issues, she gave this one her full attention and we can not say enough about her even handed approach.

So Thanks to all those who made it happen. Walgreens, Gordon Kolb, Justin Schmidt, Marc Robert and all those that care about the future of this City. And not to forget, Mid City, Neron Place, Marilyn Barbera [The Sage], Richard Layman in D.C. Michelle and Peter, for gas when I was running low.

I have probably forgotten to thank you, my mind is now hampered by chemo and Double Post Traumatic Stress, and the relentless sound of jack Hammers in my Neighborhood.
So Thanks…

There is a lot of back tracking and mumble mouthing but here is where you go when you try and apply on-line for the Road Home Program

Now the LRA officials are calling it a massive Real Estate project. Huh?

When asked how long the site would be down they said, “if it is more than a few days we will be mad”

Well how about getting mad now, they have been talking about the careful way they are constructing this plan and then they shut it down after 6 days and then Blame the Applicants

Here is a quote from the New York Times

In the neighborhoods, New Orleanians are skeptical. Why does it seem that every time someone swoops in to help us, it winds up being a mess ? asked Jenel Hazlett, of the Northwest Carrollton Civic Association, a neighborhood group. They keep moving the players around, and we as citizens keep getting jerked around.

Read the entire article in The Sunday Times

Where oh where did the BNOB go?

And maybe the only way to find out is to do what Ryan is doing. Look. And write it down and look some more.

Cause I have a feeling if we want to know where we are going we better figure out where we have been.

as an aside. Just got caught in a flood in the subway in New York. I don’t think they should rebuild this City.

The Unified Planning Process has a component of selection in the process. Although the process is more of an informal poll than a vote I believe that it gives you the oppertunity to see what Planners actually do. There are those who believe that it is an exercise in fantasy but we can not afford to NOT participate.

Alan and Sarah at Think New Orleans have put together an Audio Town Hall component of the process This service is a fast and easy way to get your questions answered and as the Planning Process unfolds another way to hear about what other Planning Districts are up to.

We need to keep on participating in this project but keep our eyes and ears open as to issues of concern regarding the process. Maitri provides insight over at VatulBlog. Becky Houtman reminds us that public participation should be more than a Buzz Word
and finally for those of us who think that on-line voting is a sure way to have a valid vote Alan at Think New Orleans explains with limited technical lingo the faulty application of an online Vote.

Listen Up !

This UNOP is a giant headache, coupled with todays Announcement of the Non Profit land grab it all makes you wonder if there is in justice in this rebuilding extraveganza.

Here is what Schroeder has to say

What’s that? You want to know why the federal grant money for __neighborhood improvements can’t go straight to the neighborhood organizations, where there’s already grassroots accountability, so they can spend it with whomever they choose _to complete their projects? What a quaint notion. You probably believe in unicorns too, don’t you?

To read more and get an even more giant headache go to

Thanks to my new friend Richard Layman I first saw this image on his blog. He has an encyclopedia of information on his site. He is in D.C. but he knows and loves New Orleans

A friend sent me this link, Seems that we are not the only ones who are upset about the vacant spaces, and the lack of commitment to our Community. When a company sucks the life out of a Neighborhood the vibrations are felt for blocks. When a company send the message that we are not wealthy enough or important enough to be considered, we hear it loud and clear.

Almost a year has passed, and everyday it seems we hear another story coming out of Our Neighborhood about a loss, a death or a life made difficult.

A few of us from the Neighborhood spent last night walking, we walked on the street where there was a murder, we will not give up. We met up with a family that lives there. The husband was born there and his Grandma died there during the storm. They are working on the house and have dreams for their Commercial Property.

If the City can not save Apple Street then the City can not save St. Charles or Prytania or Newcomb Blvd.

This is a copy of A Letter to the Editor from a Resident of NorthWest Carrollton
As a recovering neighbor in a flooded neighborhood on the edge of the Isle of Denial I looked around to the few neighbors who were back and we all said: HUH?!!!! or “We’ve got to get busy” and “How the heck do we prove our viability or plan?” So we organized, we went to countless meetings, we learned and we were annoyed by the conflicting signals being sent from Federal, State and City government as well as the well meaning non-profit organizers. Some neighborhoods “have money to hire their own planners others have worked connections with local and national universities, _some neighborhoods used both money and connections to start their plans._

In January BNOB said that neighborhoods had to prove their viability.

Many neighborhoods had neither money nor connections and were left to figure it out for themselves, while they were rebuilding their houses and lives.

The City Council’s Planning process allows these “have not” neighbors and neighborhoods a voice. Has the process been perfect? Nope. Welcome to PostKatrina New Orleans. In case you haven’t noticed, not much is perfect.

But if you take the time to attend the meetings, talk to the planner or planners directly, speak to Mr. Lambert (who attends the meetings) directly and explain your frustrations, concerns, ideas then, I promise you, the City
Council Planners will listen and respond and work with you. This is true bottom up grassroots planning by the neighborhoods and the neighbors who are here struggling to make it work. We can not throw the baby out with the bathwater just because the GNOF _and the Rockefeller Foundation have ridden in their white horses. Lest we forget, the funding for the GNOF planning and the associated recovery funding is coming in on the backs of flooded, recovering neighbors. The plan to fold the work of the City Council planning process and other independent planning processes into the work being done by GNOF honors the work of citizens who have been at this for a long, long time. Let our city government work out a process that joins the City Council planning efforts and GNOF efforts It is possible. To assure continuity in the planning process key contacts from neighborhood groups who have actively participated in building their own plans or working with City Council planners should be included in GNOF’s efforts. The CSO process and associated contacts are not enough. I am glad the Rockefeller foundation is working here in New Orleans. I’m sure they will do good work.

We must collaborate and cooperate to make this work. By “we” I mean all of us: Neighbors, Non-Profits, Federal-State-City governments, Wet and Dry, Back and Not back, all of us. Because if we New Orleanians do not all stand together in our recovery and planning then we shall surely all drown together. And most of us know what that is like and do not care to repeat it.

Jenel Hazlett

NorthWest Carrollton

We seem to be operating under the mandate of Civic Involvement, in order for the City to move forward we have been asked to participate.

And because of that things that may have gone unchecked are now in the forefront we need to remember to continue to participate, continue to ask questions and continue to be a pain in the ass.