Squandered Heritage

Housing Conservation District Review Committee
Meeting Agenda
December 4, 2006

RESULTS=DENIED

128 S. Prieur St. Owner Lisa Clark has applied to demolish this two
story
wood frame single family residence to be replaced with a vacant lot.

I saw Beth, Ray and Carl while I was taking photos of this house. They told me that the owner bought and demolished many homes in the area. He also collected architectural elements. They also told me that the Neighborhood Organization has offered to help gut, clean and secure the house.

It seems that Mr. Herdman, the owner passed away recently.

To see more photos of this house click on the photo

Mark Folse from The Wet Bank Guide sent me a photo of a house on the FEMA list.

It seemed from the photo that the house was in pretty good shape. I have been back three times because I could not believe that this house was in need of demolition.

I looked around and although no one was there, it seems as if someone is doing some work on the house.

I looked around to see if any neighbors were there who may be able to tell me about the house, but it was pretty quiet.

I hope the listing was a mistake or possibly has been taken off the list.

Let’s hope

Address: 340 S Clark St
Owner: Angeline Larrieu
Tax Bill: 105300320
Property Description: Sq 686 Lot 23 So Clark And Banks 30 4X120 ** M/A Chng Phone
Planning District: Mid-City
Flood Zone: A4
Damage Assessment
Estimated Flood Depth: 5.5
Flood Duration (days): 11
Damage Report: 69.4%
Report Detail:
Items Sort Descending% Breakdown % Damage
Superstructure (Framing/Masonry) 18.5 50
Foundations/Basements 16.9 0
Interior Finish (Plaster/Drywall) 8.7 100
Plumbing 8.0 100
Exterior Finish 6.2 100
Electrical 5.4 100
Cabinets/Countertops 5.2 100
Floor Covering 4.5 100
Heating-Cooling 4.2 100
Doors/Windows/Shutters 4.1 100
Lumber Finished 4.1 100
Roofing 3.9 50
Painting 3.4 100
Insulation & Weather Stripping 3.2 100
Built-in Appliances 2.5 0
Hardware 1.2 100

For a list of the addresses and to comment on the historic significance of
the buildings, visit Comments can be
submitted to FEMA for a 15 day period beginning on Thursday, October 5 at
the above website or by regular mail to:

FEMA TRO

Historic Preservation - 2nd Floor
800 West Commerce Road
Harahan, Louisiana 70120
If mailed, it must be physically received at the address by Thursday,
October 19.

The Irish Channel is located below the Garden District near the river. It did not flood.

Irish peasants fleeing the potato famine in the 1840s and 1850s debarked at Adele Street and were channeled from there to the rest of the country.

For more information on this Neighborhood

Just recieved the latest agenda for the HDLC, the meeting is set for 9:30 a.m., Friday, Oct. 13, 2006 City Council Chambers

I noticed that there were a number of Citations to be issued for Demolition by Neglect.

They are as follows:

1027 9th Street

This house is one house away from Magazine Street.

608 Sixth Street

This very small house looks adandoned.

2131 Chippewa Street

This is located acroos from a School and a Church.

The types of deficiencies identified as “Demolition by Neglect” include any structural deficiency or a deficiency in a building part which left unrepaired could lead to deterioration of the building’s structural frame. A building is also identified as “Demolition by Neglect” if it is open to entry by vandals or vagrants.

For more on the HDLC

This listing came from the FEMA website which is open for public comment

They are encouraging public participation.

Address: 1435 Elysian Fields Av
Owner: Rene’ Norfleet
Tax Bill: 38W105911
Property Description: Sq 617 Lot 6 Elysian Flds 32 X 112 Sgle/Fr 7/Rm S/R
Planning District: Marigny, Bywater, St. Claude, St. Roch, Desire
Flood Zone: B
Damage Assessment
Estimated Flood Depth: 0.5
Flood Duration (days): 2
Damage Report: 50.52%

DENIED [6-0] based on the fair condition and architectural significance

Oct 9 Meeting Results RESULT: Denied

In spite of the water depth in this part of town the house looks like it weathered the last year pretty well.

Owner Mike Keller has applied to demolish this shotgun double residence to be replaced with a vacant lot.

Regarding these buildings proposed for demolition that FEMA, in consultation with SHPO, has found eligible for the National Register, FEMA is requesting the aid of the public in identifying alternatives to demolition. Any member of the public who has specific practical information on feasible alternatives to demolition for any of these buildings is encouraged to respond. Alternative proposals should include a source of funding for stabilization and/or repairs and the timeframe required to accomplish these actions.

FEMA is looking for public comment

As it says on their website you can make comment.

It would be a shame to lose this corner store.

Perhaps some Non Profit could rehabilitate this building

Address: 3036 Banks St
Owner: Anthony Ferrara
Tax Bill: 105204525
Property Description: Sq 635 Lot 14 Banks And Salcedo 29 8X98 4 And Lot 15 Banks 32X98 4
Planning District: Mid-City
Flood Zone: A4
Damage Assessment
Estimated Flood Depth: 6.5
Flood Duration (days): 14
Damage Report: Unavailable

This is another FEMA proposed demolition
They are looking for public comment.

Address: 3612 Banks St
Owner: Philip Page
Tax Bill: 105301708
Property Description: Sq 712 Lot 18 Banks 30 8X108 **
Planning District: Mid-City
Flood Zone: A4
Damage Assessment
Estimated Flood Depth: 6.5
Flood Duration (days): 14
Damage Report: 62.65%

Uptown/Jefferson City
5323 Pitt St. De La Salle High School has applied to demolish Peck
Hall,
formerly known as Gilbert Academy, to be replaced with a vacant lot.
The
building dates to 1911 and is the ole remaining building from Gilbert
Academy’s New Orleans campus. RESULT: DEFERRED TO DECEMBER 4

The matter is deferred until Nov. 9th.

Gilbert Academy had grown from being an orphanage for black children from the Civil War period to the premier private school for blacks in the city.

Louisiana Weekly

This building is located on the De La Salle High School Campus. It was difficult to get photos since the landscaping is very overgrown, but I was struck by the Motto on the building and after doing some research on this building and the school that it housed, Gilbert Academy I was suprized that the Building was being considered for demolition.

At the southern end of the site on Pitt St. was Peck Hall, the boarding home for out to town girls who attended the Academy

I imagine the photo above shows some residents of Peck Hall.

I wondered who else had been educated at the School and came across the bio of Tom Dent an important member of the cultural Community, as well as Rev. Avery Caesar Alexander a notable figure in the Civil Rights Movement. In addition Elis Marsalis attended and graduated from Gilbert.

Since I have been following the demolition request post Katrina there have been a remarkable number of Schools and Institutions requesting demolitions for ‘vacant lots” which seems to be the indirect path to parking lots.

I would hope that since our recovery Funding efforts are relying on Planning that Neighborhoods would be able to view and participate in the Planning of the institutions that exist side by side with them.

APPROVED [5-2] based on hurricane-damaged condition. Touro Hospital shall install decorative metal fence in the front of the lot and wooden fence on the side and rear.

APPROVED WITH A REQUEST FOR IRON FENCING ACROSS THE CHESTNUT SIDE

Hard to believe this will be torn down.

Uptown/Touro- Bouligny
3505-11 Chestnut St. Owner Touro Infirmary has applied to demolish this two story wood frame single family residence to be replaced with green space.
DEFERRED TO SEPT. 25

I thought that Green Space was something they were talking about in the flooded areas. This looks more like, everyone is really busy and preoccupied so we are going to tear a house down, replace it with a vacant lot and pretty it up by calling it Green Space.

There already is a vacant lot next door and it is filled with Trash.

Also, be warned of people running a demoltion scam.

APPROVED

5 -1 applicant shall submit letter requesting salvage of architectural features

This house is about a block from Jefferson Parkway and D’Hemecourt. The house on one side has been well kept and looks to be totally renovated. The house on the other side has been demolished and there is a vacant lot.

UPDATE
APPROVED
BASED ON REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

UPDATE

Uptown/University
2413 Nashville Ave. Owner Robert Warren has applied to demolish this
bungalow single family residence to be replaced with a vacant lot. DEFERRED
TO SEPT. 25

Meeting Agenda
September 11, 2006
10 a.m., Room 7E07 City Hall

The owners of the properties listed below have made application to
demolish
them. Their applications will be considered by the Housing Conservation
District Review Committee on the date described above. We invite you to
attend the meeting to make your neighborhood’s position known. For more
information about the proposed demolitions or to express an opinion,
please
call Maryann Miller at 636-3046 or email her at mmiller@prcno.org

Uptown/University
2413 Nashville Ave. Owner Robert Warren has applied to demolish this
bungalow single family residence to be replaced with a vacant lot.

One of the most striking details of this house are the windows.
I have noticed that a number of renovations in town have used vinyl windows which are much smaller and not paticularly interesting.

This last photo is a house around the corner from me which is in the process of being renovated. It was in much worse shape than this house.

UPDATE
September 11
426-28 S. Solomon - Jesuit wants to put a parking lot there. Their request was denied since this is a residential block.

Before I talk about this house I would like to share some research on vacant lots.

There is always the assumption that a School is a Good Neighbor. A clean industry albeit a minor nuisance.

There have been many a squabble here in the City based upon a Schools decision to build out into a residential area. Most notably the Stuart Hall expansion. While Stuart Hall seems to be in no danger of closing if it were to close, the Neighborhood would face a large scale blight situation.

In my Neighborhood we have seen the closing Post Katrina of both a School and a Church. The building is now a target for vandals and fire. A constant source of worry.

We must remember that Schools are a business, and like a business they are subject to the whims of the economy and decisions made far from our view. As an example Holy Cross in the Holy Cross Neighborhood is leaving the Neighborhood and moving out of the Parish.

Friday I recieved the list from the HCDRC [Housing Conservation District Review Committee] of prior decision and upcoming reviews.

I decided to first take on the Mid City properties, the 2 that stood out in my mind were properties that are on the Jesuit Campus.

426 S.Solomon
and
4148 Banks Street

I wrote a brief post about the Banks Street property below.

To get a sense of the location of these properties I would advise you to pass by, if you are unable to they are located at the opposing ends of a Residential Block adjacent to the School. There are some beautiful homes in this Neighborhood, they are in a great location one block from Carrollton and minutes away from I-10 or Jefferson Parish and Downtown.

I looked at the Assesors Map and from the information that is posted there Jesuit owns the entire 300 Block of S. Solomon, a fact that is obvious as the S. Solomon block serves to unite the Main Campus with an athletic Field.

The Banks Street Property is owned by Jesuit as well and it appears that they own much of the 4000 Block of Banks. These properties have been in the hands of Jesuit for quite some time. Jesuit has educated movers and shakers.

All of this is a very very long winded way of saying that Jesuit High School is in control of a significant amount of Property there. Like Stuart Hall they are in the middle of a Residential Neighborhood. I am sure that the addition of 2 new vacant lots will do little to appreciate the value of other Homes in the area. In fact Vacant lots are a determing factor in the viability of a Neighborhood.

I plan on doing more research and encourage other opinions. Especially those that live in the area.

UPDATE

September 11
4148 Banks - Jesuit wants to put a parking lot here. The decision is deferred to Sep 25 at 10am, at which time Jesuit has been asked to provide plans for the parking lot. They stated that their students need a parking lot, since it is not safe to park and walk long distances.

The description of this House was a little confusing. It is not at the corner of Banks and Carrollton, but rather at the corner of Banks and S. Solomon.

Mid-City 4148 Banks St. Wayne Pontiff for Jesuit High School has applied to demolish this Arts and Crafts double shotgun to be replaced with a vacant lot on the corner of S. Carrollton.

It looks as it they plan to create a Parking Lot or an area for future building.

This house is on a great street. I have always enjoyed going down State Street Drive. I would say that this is one of the more modest homes on the block. It still appears to be sturdy.

Down the Side

UPDATE DEFFERED TILL SEPTEMBER 11

Housing Conservation District Review Committee
Meeting Agenda for August 28, 2006
10 a.m., Room 7E07 City Hall

2523 Gen. Ogden St. Owner Maurice Thompson has applied to demolish this Arts & Crafts single shotgun to be replaced with a single family residence of no specific style or type (no redevelopment plan has been submitted).

For more information about the proposed demolitions or to express an opinion, please call Maryann Miller at 636-3046 or email her at mmiller@prcno.org.

I have always loved the word quotidian. I love that it is an unusal word to say. Yet the meaning is common, daily, perhaps even used to describe dullness.

I was a student of textile design in College and the one great surprize was going into the textile archives in the Museum in Lowell Mass., and seeing sample books from the late 1800 s. The fabrics were “daily” fabric. The fabric that made the dresses and daily clothing of the women who toiled.

Usually in Museums you see the Grand and Great. The Wedding Dress, the Party Dress, The Funeral Dress. You never see the Daily Dress, and the Daily Dress is really how we live our life.

It is easy to fight the Preservation for the Grand House, but not so easy to fight it for the Daily House, the houses that most of us live in.

When I shot these photos of this house this morning, I wondered if the owner knew what he was trying to destroy? Does he know that no matter what he builds there it will never be as great and grand as the house that stands there now.

UPDATE: APPROVED

Carrollton

2418 S. Carrollton Ave. Owner Pivach-Perino Realty has applied to demolish this former Canal Villere grocery to be replaced with a Walgreens.

I have been told that in order to demolish the Building there needs to be a redevelopment plan in place, I plan on attending the meeting.

UPDATE APPROVED

Owner Pivach-Perino Realty has applied to
demolish
this raised commercial building to be replaced with a Walgreens.

UPDATE APPROVED FOR DEMOLITION

530 S. Telemachus St. Owner Daryl Adams has applied to demolish this
bracketed shotgun single residence to be replaced with a new single
family
residence of no specific style or type (no redevelopment plan has been
submitted).

APPROVED

DEFFERED TILL SEPTEMBER 11

Claiborne-University
3508 Calhoun St. Owner Pedro Garcia has applied to demolish this single family residence to be replaced with a vacant lot.

October 9 Results Withdrawn

DEFERRED
TO OCT. 9

UPDATE

DEFERRED to September 11 due to lack of specifics

4122 S. Johnson St. Owner Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), represented by Cityside Management Corporation, has applied to demolish this raised shotgun double residence to be replaced with a vacant lot.