(C) Verite News New Orleans This story was originally published by Verite News New Orleans and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . City Council votes to allow upper-floor housing in commercial areas; longtime clerk fired [1] ['Katie Jane Fernelius', 'More Katie Jane Fernelius', 'Verite News', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width'] Date: 2024-05-03 The New Orleans City Council voted Thursday (May 2) to approve two measures that proponents say will increase the volume of affordable housing in the city, the most significant of which would make it easier to permit residential dwellings on upper floors of buildings in many commercial and industrial zoning districts. “This is one of many initiatives that we’re taking to ensure our residents have access to quality, affordable housing,” said Councilmember Lesli Harris, who sponsored the motion. As it stands, many commercially zoned areas only allow for residential dwellings above the ground floor through a “conditional use” permit, if they allow it all. This means that developers have to go through a lengthy multi-step process that requires neighborhood input and votes before the City Planning Commission and City Council. The new zoning change will let developers of larger properties in many commercial zones receive a permit “by right” to create residential dwellings above the ground floor. Supporters of the measure say it will incentivize mixed-use developments and increase the overall affordable housing supply across the city, especially in the city center. The City Planning Commission recommended approving a change that would have permitted above-ground-floor dwellings in all commercial districts. But councilmembers ultimately modified the proposal to include carve outs for much of New Orleans East and the West Bank, where “conditional use” permitting will remain. “This substitute motion is the result of my office’s intense collaboration with the other district offices to make sure we are not only facilitating the creation of more affordable housing, but also to keep our residents’ voice in the process,” Harris said. The question of zoning “by right” or by “conditional use” has been a source of debate in the council, most recently in its April 19 discussion of loosening zoning requirements for child care centers. As in the case of child care centers, the council maintained conditional use permits for large swaths of New Orleans East and the West Bank while easing them elsewhere in the city. “I believe this is a smart way to cut red tape for housing construction in the city, as well as support new, small, local businesses by adding housing and an additional revenue stream for commercial property owners,” Tyler Russell, who works with the City Planning Commission, said in a presentation before the council. Russell added that the Biden Administration and affordable housing experts identified red tape in zoning codes as a major contributor to increasing housing costs. But Councilmember Eugene Green advocated for the maintaining of “conditional use” permits, a position he also articulated in the debate over child care centers. “I am going to be consistent in my desire to allow communities to participate in a process that results in zoning changes that impact their community,” Green said. “But I also don’t want it to be said that it’s because of bureaucracy created by the laws that we can’t get things done on a faster basis here.” Another measure, also sponsored by Harris, updates regulations around small multi-family affordable units in an effort to encourage the building of more low-density multi-family housing. While a previous zoning change had allowed for the building of fourplexes, the new zoning change allows for two two-unit complexes on lots, instead of one four-unit complex, relieving developers of the requirement to install costly commercial sprinklers – a requirement from the International Building Code for developments exceeding three-units. Both measures now go to the City Attorney’s Office, where they will be written into ordinances. The council will take a final vote to codify them in law at a later meeting. Longtime clerk fired The council also voted to terminate the employment of its longtime clerk Lora Johnson. The motion came after two meetings in a row where the councilmembers entered into a private executive session for the sake of discussing personnel matters. No further details were available by the time of publication. Verite News has filed requests for Johnson’s termination letter and personnel records. Johnson has worked for the New Orleans City Council since 2006, and had served as the Clerk of Council since 2013. Johnson was not present for the meeting. Ceasefire proponents again demand support from council Advocates for a ceasefire in Israel’s war in Gaza again made an appearance before the City Council on Thursday pushing for councilmembers to pass a pro-ceasefire resolution. As has been the case in prior such appearance, there was no specific agenda item related to the ongoing war, so the activists took advantage of other agenda items as an opportunity for public comment, this time selecting Agenda Item #1. “I am deeply disappointed in the lack of leadership on this City Council,” said Hakm Murad, an activist who has been in regular attendance at the City Council meetings. Murad noted that he and other activists had finally had a chance to meet with some councilmembers after being rebuffed for months, but that they had continued to decline to take any action. At its height, the protest had over 50 participants in the council chamber, including some of the protesters present during the Wednesday (May 1) raid on the student encampment at Tulane University. That raid, which was led by officers from university police in collaboration with New Orleans Police Department and the state police, ended in 14 arrests. More than 100 American cities have passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, which, to date, has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, including nearly 15,000 children. Related Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. [END] --- [1] Url: https://veritenews.org/2024/05/03/council-roundup-may-2-2024/ Published and (C) by Verite News New Orleans Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 US. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/veritenews/