Housing Conservation District Review Committee

Hearing Results

March 26, 2007

Room 7E07, 7th Floor, City Hall

Committee present: Nelson Savoie, Safety and Permits; Pearl Dupart, All
Congregations Together; Geoff Moen, City Planning; Eleanor Burke,
Historic
District Landmarks Commission; Sarah Bonnette, Preservation Resource
Center;
Winston Reid, Neighborhood One.

Committee absent: Health Department representative

NEW BUSINESS:

Broadmoor

4917-19 S. Derbigny St.: DEFERRED 30 DAYS

* Owners George and Elaine Haas had applied to demolish this
altered
double shotgun to be replaced with a modular home of no specific type
or
design (no redevelopment plans submitted with application).

* Ms. Bonnette reported she had spoken to the owners who wish
to
defer while they entertain an offer on the property and negotiate with
Road
Home.

* The New Orleans Demolition Services representative confirmed
the
owner’s request to defer.

* Ms. Bonnette moved to defer for 30 days, there were multiple
seconds, and the motion passed unanimously.

Holy Cross (outside of National Register and local historic districts)

1022-24 Tupelo St.: DEFERRED 45 DAYS

* Owner Tamyra Jackson applied to demolish this Arts-and-Crafts
style double shotgun to be replaced with a vacant lot.

* Ms. Jackson now lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and
does not
plan to return.

* Contractor Russ Wentworth appeared on Ms. Jackson’s behalf.

* Ms. Bonnette reported that she spoke with Ms. Jackson who
said she
might be interested in selling the house rather than having it
demolished,
but was concerned because there are squatters inside and the building
has
not been gutted.

* Ms. Bonnette reported that she is helping Ms. Jackson get a
free
gutting and to secure the building, while they continue to discuss the
possibility of selling, possibly to the PRC.

* Mr. Reid moved to defer action for 45 days, Ms. Burke
seconded the
motion and it carried unanimously.

Lower Ninth Ward

1609-11 Deslonde St.: APPROVED

* Applicant City of New Orleans Housing Unit Demolition Task
Force
applied for owner Joan Johnson to demolish this altered camelback
double
shotgun to be replaced with a vacant lot.

* The property is situated in the geographic area (east of the
Industrial Canal, West of Jackson Barracks, south of Florida and north
of N.
Claiborne) for which the HCDRC agreed to grant blanket approval for
voluntary demolitions.

* The house is slab on grade.

* Mr. Reid moved to approve the request for demolition, Ms.
Burke
seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Mid-City

1809 Tulane Ave.: APPROVED

* Owner Paula Picker has applied to demolish this contemporary
commercial building to be replaced with a vacant lot.

* Ms. Picker appeared accompanied by a representative of
Crescent
Environmental Services.

* Mr. Reid explained that the building housed a bar and is
across
the street from the Econolodge, which recently burned and was being
demolished.

* The building adjacent to the subject property is part of the
Econolodge parcel and will be demolished shortly.

* The subject building is slab on grade and was described as
“a
mess.”

* Ms. Picker stated she wished to demolish the property and
sell the
land to the LSU Medical Center.

* Mr. Reid moved to approve the application, Ms. Burke seconded
the
motion and it passed unanimously

Other

2432 Bartholomew St. : APPROVED

* Owner Mary Henry has applied to demolish this altered
bungalow to
be replaced with a single-family residence of no specific type or
design (no
redevelopment plans submitted with application).

* Ms. Henry appeared accompanied by a young man from Eagle One
LLC
(616-5391).

* Ms. Henry reported she had originally hoped to repair her
house
but the contractor discovered bad termite damage.

* Ms. Burke asked to see plans for the new house and Ms. Henry
provided.

* Ms. Burke stated that the new house would be similar to the
old
house and after a short discussion Ms. Henry revealed that there will
be a
driveway on one side.

* Ms. Burke moved to approve the application based n the
condition
of the house and the redevelopment plan; Multiple members seconded the
motion and it passed unanimously.

2411 Congress St. : APPROVED

* Owner Harlene Washington applied to demolish this
single-family
residence to be replaced with a vacant lot.

* Ms. Washington is close to 00 years old and lives in a
nursing
home in Houston. Her daughter Bonnie is in her 80s and also lived in
Houston. The elder woman does not plan to return to New Orleans.

* A representative from New Orleans Demolition Services
appeared on
behalf of the owner.

* Ms. Bonnette reported that she had spoken to Harlene
Washington
who has not yet applied for Road Home and thought it might be a good
idea to
try to sell her property to the program. Ms. Bonnette suggested the
committee defer.

* However, further discussion revealed that water was over the
roof,
the house has not been gutted, and would likely be cited by the Good
Neighbor program.

* Mr. Reid moved to approve the demolition and Ms. Burke
seconded
the motion. The motion carried 4 to 1 with Ms. Bonnette voting against
the
motion.

306 Fairway Dr.: DEFERRED TWO WEEKS

* Applicant City of New Orleans Housing Unit Demolition Task
Force
applied for owner Wayne Miller to demolish this brick ranch to be
replaced
with a vacant lot.

* No one appeared to represent the owner of this house (the
owner
may be an estate).

* The house is slab on grade and the committee agreed that base
flood elevation would be a consideration.

* Ms. Burke expressed concern about taking action on the
request in
the absence of information about redevelopment plans or whom would be
responsible for caring for and fencing the vacant lot.

* Ms. Burke moved to defer action for two weeks and requested
that
the executor of the estate be compelled to appear to provide additional
information. Ms. Dupart seconded the motion, and it carried
unanimously.

9431 Oleander St. : APPROVED

* Owner Tanya Lewis applied to demolish this single-family
residence
to be replaced with a modular home of no specific type or design (no
redevelopment plans submitted with application).

* Ms. Lewis appeared and explained that she originally wanted
to
raise the house (it currently does not meet BFE) but received an
estimate of
$43,000 to do so. Therefore, she had decided to demolish and replace
her
home with a modular one.

* Ms. Lewis showed plans to the committee.

* Mr. Reid moved to approve the demolition, Ms. Burke seconded
the
motion and it carried unanimously.

3819-21 Third St.: APPROVED

* Owner Melford Wilson applied to demolish this raised basement
Arts-and-Crafts style double to be replaced with a modular home of no
specific type or design (no redevelopment plans submitted with
application).

* Mr. Melford Wilson Jr. appeared and explained that the house
flooded with 5’ of water. He expressed the desire to remove the
existing
structure and replace it with a “pre-fab” house set 40’ back from
the front
property line, to allow for parking outside of the front yard setback,
and
provided images of the “pre-fab” (modular?) house. Mr. Wilson will
apply for
a free demolition by the Army Corps of Engineers.

* Ms. Bonnette urged Mr. Wilson to salvage architectural items
should the demolition be approved.

* Mr. Reid moved to approve the demolition, Ms. Burke seconded
and
the motion passed unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS:

Central City

2336-38 Washington Ave. : APPROVED

* Owner First House of Prayer Baptist Church has applied to
demolish
this raised basement, Arts-and-Crafts-style double shotgun to be
replaced
with a parking lot.

* The reverend from the church appeared at the meeting and
showed
the long-awaited site plan for his church and parking lot. He explained
the
lot would be surrounded by an 7’ tall iron fence on a brick footing.

* Ms. Bonnette urged salvage of architectural materials and the
representative was amenable. His demolition contractor is Hamp’s.

* Ms. Dupart moved for approval of the application, Mr. Reid
seconded the motion. The motion carried 4 -1, with Ms. Bonnette voting
to
deny the request.

Mid-City

1126 S. Genois St. : DEFERRED TWO WEEKS

* Owners Terri and Sean Gascie have applied to demolish this
altered
raised basement house to be replaced with a vacant lot.

* This was the third hearing at which the application was
considered.

* At the first hearing, it was agreed that the applicant’s
sister
and representative should bring interior photos of the collapsed roof
she
claimed warranted demolition, and that committee members would visit.

* At the second hearing, representatives of City Planning and
the
PRC said they had visited the house and seen no indication of a
collapsed
roof or significant damage to the upstairs living quarters. The vote
was
deferred to allow Mr. Reid to get a building inspector to the site, to
be
accompanied by the PRC’s Stephanie Bruno

* At today’s hearing, the demolition contractor was present
but the
owner’s sister was not when Mr. Reid reported that his inspector
stated “the
house does not warrant demolition.”

* Ms. Burke moved to deny the application, Mr. Reid seconded
and the
motion carried unanimously.

* Later in the hearing, the owner’s sister appeared. She
drove in
from Slidell and was delayed by an accident on I-10.

* Mr. Savoie explained that the demolition request had been
denied
and that she could appeal the decision to the City Council.

* Mr. Reid elaborated, and said that another option was to get
an
inspection by a structural engineer. He then said it might be possible
to
reconsider the earlier motion.

* Ms. Burke explained that the person who originally moved to
take
action has the right under Robert’s Rules of Order to move to
reconsider
whatever action was taken.

* When it was stated that it was she who moved to deny the
application earlier in the meeting, she made the motion to reconsider
the
action. Mr. Reid seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.

* Mr. Reid then moved to defer action for two weeks to allow
time
for him to inspect the property personally with a representative of
Safety &
Permits and the PRC, during which time he would take a moisture
reading.

* Ms. Burke seconded the motion to defer, and the motion
carried
unanimously.

426 S. Salcedo St.: TO BE HEARD April 9, 2007

* Owner Ronald Fuss applied to demolish this
Arts-and-Crafts-style
single shotgun to be replaced with a vacant lot.

* This item was erroneously placed on the 3/26 agenda and will
be
heard instead on 4/9/07.

Non-agenda items

Mid-City: 4006-08 Canal St.

* Owners and owner reps appeared and reported that they were
told by
Louisiana demolition to appear at today’s hearing at which their
application
to demolish the subject structure would be considered.

* Mr. Savoie checked the agenda for 4/19 and other applications
submitted and reported that no application had been submitted for this
property. Moreover, he stated that the contractor had already missed
the
deadline for the 4/9 hearing.

* Mr. Savoie advised the owners and their reps to discuss the
matter
with their demolition contractor and apologize for the inconvenience.