Planning Districts Nine, Ten and Eleven  (continued)

New Orleans East

Section V: Community Participation

The following section provides a synthesis of citizen comments and input gathered at a public workshop held at the New Orleans East Regional Library on Read Road, June 24, 1998 and a follow up meeting on November 9, 1998. Approximately 37 residents and business owners, in three small groups, participated in the workshop identifying pivotal development parcels and land use conflicts and creating a proposed land use map for the district. In a subsequent work session, approximately 25 residents and business partners participated. The resulting input was incorporated into the Future Land Use section and appropriate changes were made to the proposed land use map. The following section summarizes input gathered at both meetings.

In general participants expressed pride and satisfaction in the infrastructure and major roadway systems serving the districts were reflected. The redevelopment of existing major facilities such as The Plaza Shopping Center as a major regional commercial center with quality shopping was envisioned. Continued development of the Almonaster corridor with quality industrial jobs and additional commercial development was discussed extensively. Distribution centers and light industrial use were suggested for areas bordering the heavy industrial areas near Almonaster and Chef Menteur Highway. New regional attractions such as Jazzland and the redevelopment of Lincoln Beach were unanimously supported.

Enforcement of all codes and land use regulations, particularly in the area of blighted housing and abandoned apartment units, was encouraged. A general discussion regarding the future of the large multifamily apartment complexes resulted in a feeling that fewer of these would be better for the district. Participants felt that the area was generally safe; however car theft was a major problem and more policing is needed. There were mixed views on the expansion of the Lakefront Airport and the proposed raceway project, with some reservations expressed about noise, traffic congestion, environmental impacts, and other negative effects of such intense, visitor- or business-related development on the low-density residential areas.

Support of the Bayou Sauvage Wildlife Refuge was evident, as was the development of properties around the refuge in accordance with sensitivity to environmental issues balanced with the land development needs of the district in areas inside the levee protection systems and drainage systems. 

Pivotal Parcels

Participants discussed three major types of pivotal parcels: vacant parcels, redevelopment parcels and new projects. 

Vacant Parcels

The recognition of this planning district as an area with growth potential led the discussion of a variety of creative ideas for the vacant parcels in the area. There was a general consensus for completing the development of the surrounding area and complementing what is already developed. Mixed use concepts for the large parcels, neighborhood commercial for key intersections and green space in residential areas were mentioned for the following areas:

 
• The Cummings tract (3,000 acres next to Bayou Sauvage) 
• Vacant NW Quadrant, I-10 and I-510 
• Vacant area between Jazzland and Chef Menteur 
• Downman near Morrison 
• Lake Forest between Chef Menteur and Dwyer 
• Lake Forest and Bullard 
• Bundy from Lake Forest to I-10 

Several key areas poised for redevelopment were mentioned. Most apartment areas were encouraged to redevelop with lower density. Most shopping districts were encouraged to develop at the neighborhood commercial level, rather than the district level, and to seek a higher quality and greater variety of merchandise. Specific area mentioned were:

 
• Oakbrook apartments (I-10 and Crowder) 
• Shelly Arms apartments and vacant lot across street (Downman and Dwyer) 
• Bullard and Morrison (shopping center) 
• Mall at Crowder and Morrison 
• Retail at Crowder and Lake Forest 
• Lake Forest and Mayo - Vacant Lots 
• MacFrugal's 

Several new projects were discussed as pivotal parcels. Most discussion supported these projects as much needed job centers and tax producing assets for the city, although some reservation was expressed for the racetrack proposal. These projects include:

 
• Lincoln Beach 
• Racetrack 
• Jazzland 
• Truck stop (proposed) at Paris (behind the tourist center) 

The schematic map which faces page 200 summarizes comments recorded on district maps during the workshop. The summary schematic is an attempt to graphically represent the most frequent and consistent comments made by citizen participants. For ease of interpretation, various local landmarks, such as parks, housing developments, and large-scale developments, have been included.

Section VI: Proposed Land Use for Planning Districts Nine, Ten, and Eleven

New Orleans East has many significant physical assets that are important both to the entire city, and to the three planning districts comprising this part of town. New Orleans East contains all of the various land uses that make up the city of New Orleans as a whole. The three planning districts contain a complete range of residential development opportunities, from large-lot single-family residential to high-density major apartment complexes. This variety of residential choices speaks to the socio-economic diversity that makes these districts vibrant, exciting communities. Moreover, there are extensive opportunities for future development of vacant parcels that range from single vacant lots to multi-thousand acre tracts. Long term, these development opportunities represent not only population increases but also significant potential employment for the city. 

The city's only regional commercial center outside of the downtown area is located in this planning district (The Plaza Shopping Center). New Orleans East contains the largest concentration and largest total available land for industrial development in the city, and most of it is served by all forms of transportation infrastructure including: Interstate Highway 10, U.S. Highway 90, deep-water channels (the Intracoastal Waterway and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet), multiple rail lines, and the Lakefront airport. Supported by the New Orleans Business Industrial District, these properties are available and marketed on an international basis to the leading industrial developers in the world. 

No other area of the city has as much acreage devoted to natural and recreational use as that encompassed by the 137 acre Joe W. Brown Memorial Park; the adjacent Louisiana Nature and Science Center, a 65 acre natural park area and major science and environmental teaching facility; and the U.S. Department of Interior's national urban wildlife refuge known as the Bayou Sauvage Wildlife Refuge. This natural wetland area of over 20,000 acres is located in the eastern end of the planning districts. The numerous lakes, canals, wetlands and lagoons in the refuge provide fish and wildlife habitat as well as recreational opportunities, but even more importantly, the wetlands provide protection for New Orleans from storm surges caused by hurricanes and tropical storms. 

Not only is New Orleans East rich in the expanse of public recreational and natural areas and in future development sites, but each of the three districts is also among the most stable in the city. None of the three experienced as great a population decline as that of the city, and District Ten has exhibited growth from 1980 to 1997. Household income remains above the city's average. Nonetheless, all three districts have experienced some areas of residential or commercial decline and, since several of these areas are along the I-10 corridor and highly visible, the passing visual impression is more negative than statistics and the actual development activities indicate. 

Issues/problem areas:

Major problems confronting Planning Districts 9, 10 and 11 are the high vacancies and low quality of the many apartment complexes built in the 1960's that are now ripe for renovation, and vacancies in the area's general commercial centers. These conditions contribute to the negative images of New Orleans East as whole. To counter these images, participants in the Land Use Plan workshops placed a high priority on securing new investment in these older commercial and residential (primarily multi-family) developments. Improvements recently undertaken among the abandoned multi-family developments along the interstate -- renovations at a lower density, demolition of some buildings, and such site improvements as landscaping -- are helping to change the image of New Orleans East. The residents of these districts remain concerned about any increase in the number of subsidized units, however, fearing a future repetition of the cycle of rapid physical deterioration and increased problems for surrounding neighborhoods. 

Comments at the workshops also indicate that business groups and residents are aware of the difficulties involved with encouraging major new development without impacting the wetlands, large park areas, and low density residential communities. While they aggressively market the East for new investment, these groups are not of one mind as they consider such projects as expansion of the Lakefront Airport, an auto racetrack, new regional commercial and entertainment centers, even new landfills. The residents' assessment of problems is confirmed in detailed neighborhood plans as well as in the daily duties of the City Planning Commission to research zoning applications. Other concerns include: 

• Limited transportation corridors as alternatives to the high rise bridge, and problems with traffic management on the high rise; 
• Improved public services (street surfaces, drainage, maintenance of public facilities) and the timely anticipation of needed new services (especially police and fire) as the area grows; 
• Illegal dumping; 
• Problem corridors such as Chef Menteur, with concentrations of alcoholic beverage outlets, adult entertainment, massage parlors, live entertainment and similar problematic uses; and 
• Overall enforcement not only of zoning regulations but also of public standards regarding litter, loitering, management of ABO's, and so forth. 

Plan Recommendations:

With the nation's largest urban wildlife refuge, Bayou Sauvage, and thousands of vacant acres adjacent to the refuge, these three Districts must have sensitive and effective planning. The most significant recommendation is to continue the modern and effective zoning pattern which separates different land uses to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community. This separation and careful location of different land uses according to the characteristics of the land and supporting infrastructure (access roads, drainage, and so forth), will provide New Orleans East with the ability to preserve open-space wetlands, stimulate economic growth and encourage resident influx. 

Toward this end the 1999 Plan supports a scale and intensity of development around Bayou Sauvage much lower than that proposed in previous plans, limiting the amount of new development that is medium to high density residential, containing commercial uses to major corridors, and concentrating industrial uses to land abutting the Intracoastal Waterway and Industrial Canal.

Protect natural areas and increase green space: These Planning Districts are home to three of the city's major recreation assets, Joe Brown Park and Recreation Complex, the Louisiana Nature and Science Center, and the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. All three are expected to prosper and to serve the city's recreational needs. The future development of Lincoln Beach as a recreation area is also anticipated in this plan as a way to offer citizens Lakefront vistas and the improved condition of the lake. Finally, the plan includes creation of green space as buffer areas between the Industrial Canal and residential and commercial property at the western end of the district, as well as along Interstate 510 from St. Bernard Parish. 

The 1999 Land Use Plan recognizes Bayou Sauvage as one of the dominant land uses in the East and a resource critical to well-being of the entire city.  The Plan protects these wetlands by calling for low-impact uses on privately owned properties adjacent to the refuge.  The  Eastern Orleans Parish Wetlands Action Plan, which was prepared for the City Planning Commission in 1995 based on input from residents, private developers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife personnel, cautioned against “negative impacts resulting from lack of planning and incompatible use” and recommended the “enhancement of water-oriented recreation and eco-tourism.”  Future development occurring within Bayou Sauvage will be limited to educational centers.  Federal funding of such interpretive and activity centers in Bayou Sauvage will help ensure its prominence as both a city and a regional attraction.  The adjoining Bayou Sauvage natural levee ridge -- along Highway 90 – contains some of the last remaining bottomland hardwood habitat on the East Bank of Orleans parish.  When translating the Land Use Plan proposals into zoning, care should be taken to encourage the preservation of the bottomland hardwoods. (paragraph amended July 25, 2000)
 

Develop neighborhood and regional commercial corridors: Commercial expansion in New Orleans East should proceed smartly in line with market demands. However, the local residential base cannot support an unlimited amount of commercial activity. Indeed, commercial use, much of it vacant, already accounts for 10.5% of the land use in District Nine, compared to 6.4% in Algiers and 4.7% in Gentilly, two districts with similar residential character and development history. While new commercial areas are indicated in the Plan, their development should be dependent on either a new regional market, or sufficient growth in the surrounding area to support both existing and new commercial activity. Overall, future commercial uses have been centralized throughout the planning districts.

Neighborhood commercial, and mixed use areas: Neighborhood commercial uses are limited to smaller thoroughfares bordering residential areas, such as along Chef Menteur Highway. As defined for the 1999 Land Use Plan, a mixed use land designation is a hybrid category that encourages a flexible mix of residential, commercial, office and certain light industrial uses. Portions of Chef Highway would benefit from the mixed use category, at a scale compatible with the density and intensity of nearby land uses. Another area of mixed use is indicated on the lakeside of Almonaster Boulevard, to provide a buffer for residential areas from regional commercial. Finally, mixed use provides for a planned unit development on the western border of the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. 

Regional Commercial: Regional commercial land uses are confined to major thoroughfares and intersections. Major commercial centers at Kenilworth and at the Plaza are proposed for continued use and redevelopment as significant commercial nodes along major transportation corridors. 

Visitor/Regional Activity Centers: Several opportunities for such centers exist in New Orleans East, and many do not entail large numbers of visitors and intense traffic pressures.  For example, Bayou Sauvage draws visitors from all over the country, but their activities are limited to research and low-impact recreational activity.  The possible development of an interpretive center for the archaeological site on Oak Island could similarly draw small to moderate  numbers of visitors from a very wide geographic range.  Since this property is currently privately owned, care should be taken when translating the Land Use Plan into low impact, compatible zoning that will preserve the archeological site and allow for compatible development of the surrounding area.  Further public and private consideration should be given to allowing public access (as through nature trails) to such archeologically and ecologically valuable sites. (paragraph amended July 25, 2000)

New large-scale commercial projects will benefit New Orleans East to the extent that they can attract patrons from outside this area. For example, the new Jazzland Amusement Park is being constructed next to a major roadway, Interstate 510. Even though plans for surrounding commercial development have not been announced, the proposed Jazzland Park is expected to promote future growth of the district. The I-510 corridor is proposed as a major North/South concentration of various levels of commercial land uses to support this major catalyst. Proposed development of vacant land near the intersection of Interstates 10 and 510 is also shown as commercial, but it is projected to be focused on new markets (such as high-end outlets), and support services (such as hotel accommodations), associated with activity generated by the Jazzland project.

Industrial/Business Centers: Two of the goals of the 1999 Land Use Plan are to concentrate industrial land uses in NOBID and along the Industrial Canal, and to create buffer zones as transitions to other land uses, particularly residential land uses. The 1999 Land Use Plan also shows the planned industrial/business development, Enterprise Park, shown as light industrial land use, at Old Gentilly Road and Michoud. 

Promote residential integrity: The 1999 Land Use Plan for New Orleans East allows for future development of residential areas, while also strengthening and improving current residential and commercial uses. Continued development of the Eastover area is anticipated in this plan, and will provide the planning district with single-family residential developments that complement the "golf/residential development" theme. The Plan reflects current understanding that large parcels of multi-family land use parallel to Interstate 10 and Bullard, and along I-510 are poised for redevelopment at lower densities, including offices and neighborhood businesses on the western side of I-510. Multi-family uses are projected to continue along the service corridors, primarily through redevelopment at lower densities of the blighted housing along these areas.
 

Other recommendations: Due to their general nature, general land use plans do not provide recommendations regarding particular or site-specific land use problems that are of concern to neighborhoods.  There problems are best analyzed on the level of detailed neighborhood plans, proposed zoning, or plans developed by other agencies such as the Orleans Levee Board.  As a guidance for future planning actions, the 1999 Land Use Plan makes several recommendations and proposed completion of the following detailed studies:

•  Transportation studies to identify and pursue improvements in traffic management on the high rise bridge and alternatives to the few corridors into and across New Orleans East.  Consideration of transit alternatives should be included, with particular reference to how public transportation can complement and improve land use patterns.
•  Enforcement of zoning regulations and other city codes 
•  Monitoring for any increase in area or number of blighted structures;
•  Monitoring to anticipate new capital projects for additional police and fire stations and other city services.
•  As part of the work on the revision to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, develop a “New Orleans East strategic renaissance plan” for future development decisions that ensures successful development of current projects, supports new projects, maximizes present and future capital improvement resources and balances growth, economic development and the quality of life in New Orleans East in accordance with the City Planning Commission’s Strategic Renaissance District Administration Policy.  This strategic renaissance plan should include the development of design guidelines for specific neighborhoods and commercial areas to ensure harmonious relationships between existing, proposed and infill developments.