St. Roch Neighborhood Planning District 7 Rebuilding Plan Final/District_7_Final_StRoch.pdf · neighborhood was originally called Faubourg Franklin. In 1899, Orleans Parish passed

St. Roch Neighborhood Planning District 7

Rebuilding Plan

Table of Contents

A. St. Roch Neighborhood 3Location and Geographic Boundaries 3Recovery Vision and Goals 4Planning Process andNeighborhood Participation 5Planning Efforts Pre-Hurricane Katrina 6

B. Pre-Katrina Neighborhood ExistingConditions 7

Land Use and Zoning 7Pre-Katrina Demographic Profile 7Recreation and Open Space 9Roadway Hierachy and Jurisdiction 9Housing, Architecture and Historic Preservation 10

C. Hurricane Katrina Neighborhood Impacts 11Extent of Flooding 11Damage Assessment Residential Properties Damage Assessment 11Commercial Properties Damage Assessment 12Infrastructure Damage Assessment 12Parks and Open Space Damage Assessment 14Civic Facilities 14

D. Neighborhood Rebuilding Scenarios 15Neighborhood Re-population 16

E. Neighborhood Recovery Plan 17Strategic Initiatives 17Plan ElementsKey Recovery and Development Projects 19 Land Use and Zoning 19Transportation and Public Transit 19Parks, Open Space and Landscape Architecture 19Housing, Architecture and Historic Preservation 19Utilities and Municipal Services 21 Human Services and Community Facilities 21

F. Implementation and Funding Strategies 23

Introduction

Approximately 100 days after Hurricane Katrinastruck, Motion M-05-592 was unanimouslypassed by the City Council of New Orleans.This motion ensured that community-based,neighborhood-by-neighborhood planningwould be central to decisions associated withthe recovery of the most devastated areas ofNew Orleans. The City Council was adamantthat the people most impacted by the stormwould play a central role in defining the futureof their communities. Overall, 47 of the 73neighborhoods delineated by the City’sPlanning Commission have had plans preparedas part of this process.

The City Council charged a team of consultantsoverseen by Lambert Advisory & SHEDO withassisting neighborhoods flooded by HurricaneKatrina in developing revitalization plans thatare thoughtful and can be implemented, forincorporation into a citywide recovery andimprovement plan to be submitted to the Stateof Louisiana and federal funding agencies. Thisdocument is one of forty-two (42)neighborhood plans that meet that mandate.

Planning District 7, the subject of thefollowing report, includes 4 geographicallyspecific neighborhoods: St. Claude, St. Roch,Florida Area and Desire Area.

Basic assumptions also formed the basis for thePlanning District 7 Recovery Plan:

1) That a flood protection system will bedesigned to withstand future catastrophic lossfrom a 1 in 100 year storm and that this is acommitment by the Federal Government;

2) That stringent building codes will beimplemented to further limit wind damage;

3) That the basic urban structure of the city issound and that rebuilding will respect thisstructure;

4)That there is an organized, coherent andoperable Hurricane Evacuation Program.

Acknowledgements

With grateful appreciation the planning teamwould like to thank all the residents of District 7who participated in this planning process andwithout whose participation this plan would not bepossible.

Project Directory

City of New Orleans

C. Ray Nagin, Mayor

New Orleans City Council

Oliver M. Thomas, PresidentArnie Fielkow, Vice-President Shelley Midura, District A Stacy S. Head, District BJames Carter, District C Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, District D Cynthia Willard-Lewis, District E

Project Management

Lambert Advisory, LLC Paul Lambert

SHEDO, LLC Shelia Danzey

Overall Planning Consultant

Bermello-Ajamil & Partners, Inc.Alfredo C. Sanchez, AIA, AICP

Hewitt-Washington, Inc. Lonnie Hewitt, AIA

Neighborhood Planner

St. Martin - Brown & Associates, LLPJoseph St. MartinDeron Brown

2City Planning Commission:Planning District Designations

City of New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan

Location and GeographicBoundaries

The St. Roch Neighborhood is the invertedL shaped neighborhood in Planning DistrictSeven. St. Roch is bordered by Franklinand Almonaster to its east, St. Claude tothe south, Interstate 610 to the north, andFranklin and Elysian Fields Avenue and astair stepped configuration lining FloridaAvenue and Esplanade to the west.

The history of development in St. Rochdates back to the early 1800's. Theneighborhood was originally calledFaubourg Franklin. In 1899, Orleans Parishpassed legislation to drain various backswamp areas of the city. Between 1900and 1920 various canals along Franklin,and Florida served as a drainage system forthe area. By the late 1920's the St. Rochneighborhood became settled as a raciallymixed residential neighborhood in NewOrleans. This was unique - almost unheardof at the time.

As time progressed and the neighborhoodshowed signs of prosperity, the city builtInterstate 610 which served as a bypass todowntown New Orleans for east-westtravel. Like most Interstate systems builtduring this time, it had a grossly negativeimpact on the urban area it bisected. Theeffects of the interstate are still clearlyvisible. The areas on the southern sidebecame less desirable places to live aspockets of residential activity that weretrapped by industrial uses and rail tracks.

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A. St. Roch NeighborhoodThe St. Roch area consists of severalneighborhood parks, churches, schools andcommercial developments. The mostnotable park is the St. Roch Playground.Currently the St. Roch playground isserving as a group trailer site, providingtemporary housing for neighborhood andcity residents as they rebuild theirdamaged homes.

McCue Playground, Independence Square,Perry Rome and St. Roch Market are alsoprominent sites within the neighborhood.

Many of the neighborhood's assets weredevastated due to the flood waters andcatastrophic winds of Hurricane Katrina.Over time, St. Roch residents realize thatthe winds and waters of Katrina alsocreated an opportunity to uncover some ofthe neighborhood's forgotten assets.

Images left to right:

A: St. Roch MarketB: St. Roch CemetaryC: John A. Shaw Elementary School

Above: District 7 and Neighborhod Boundaries (Source: City of New Orleans - 1999 Land Use Plan)

St. Roch Neighborhood, Planning District Seven

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Recovery Vision and Goals

The Neighborhoods Rebuilding Planprovides a vision and framework forphysical improvements, economicsustainability and communityenhancements for the St. RochNeighborhood.

Vision

The vision of the Neighborhood RecoveryPlan is to restore the quality of life in St.Roch to the level that existed prior toHurricane Katrina and to make keyimprovements to the quality of life in theneighborhood by addressing preservationof historic properties, high crime, largeconcentrations of blighted and adjudicatedproperties, and poor street conditions.

Neighborhood Recovery Goals

The recovery plan shall be used by thecommunity to ensure that the character ofSt. Roch is preserved. The plan will providea list of projects to be implemented in theearly, mid, and long-term recovery phases.The projects identified shall serve ascatalysts for the rebuilding of thecommunity. The goal for the Recovery Planis to carefully identify projects that can beleveraged to benefit the community as awhole, such as:

• Streets, sidewalks, and other infrastructure system improvements

• Attractive residential development• Enhancement of the architectural

character of St. Roch with opportunities for the restoration of historic properties

• Elderly living centers• Commercial redevelopment• Homeownership programs• An Urban Design Corridor alongElysian Fields Avenue• Recover, expand, and design beautifulopen spaces and park• New pocket parks to satisfy the needs

of St. Roch residents• Street tree canopy replacement• Enhancements to all neighborhoodparks and playgrounds in the St. Rocharea• Redevelopment of St. Claude Avenueas a New Orleans Main Street• Recover, expand, and design schools,churches and libraries;• Renovation of St. Roch Market as anopen-air market, with a pedestrian andbike path along oak tree-lined St RochAvenue; and• Rebuild state of the art educationalfacilities with community centers.

Image above: Aerial Map of St. Roch Neighborhood

Images top from left to right:A: St. Roch ParkB; Typical housing in St. Roch


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Images from left to right:

A-C: Community meetings in St. Rochneighborhood and district-wide

Image top:Diagram of the planning process

A: B:

Planning Process andNeighborhood Participation

In early May, several residents met at theOur Lady Star of the Sea Church to voicetheir ideas as to how they wanted to seetheir neighborhood recover. The initialmeeting participation drew approximately50 residents. Subsequent meetingsattracted larger and more excited crowds,leading to an all-day planning discussioninvolving over 450 residents of the district.The community began with a planningprocess that allowed the residents,business owners, and other stakeholders todetermine how their community shouldreturn. Design teams were created to helpthe association leaders understand thebasic planning principles in developingrecovery plans for their neighborhoods.Individuals took the information gatheredat the meetings into individual bi-weekly ormonthly association meetings. Theneighborhood and district meetingsbecame a conduit for information pertinentfor the community's return to be shared.Community members began to worktogether to organize clean up efforts,debris removal, and to have servicesrestored.

The Community Design Team was made upof residents, business owners, propertyowners, community-based organizations,city support services, and elected officials.The purpose of the design team was toanalyze data, provide neighborhood

history, identify neighborhood patterns,and to define characteristics of theneighborhoods.

By focusing on the data collected,community members were able to refocustheir personal opinions on how theneighborhood would heal. The designteams evaluated the data and presentedrecommendations in a series of opendistrict planning meetings.

On July 29, August 17, August 20, andAugust 27, 2006, a larger communitymeeting, or charrette, was held at HolyAngels Church (New Orleans), the HolidayInn Select (Baton Rouge), St. Paul AMEFellowship Hall (Atlanta), and TexasSouthern University (Houston) respectively,allowing individual community members toidentify issues, opportunities, liabilities,and assets in their neighborhoods. Inaddition, district planning meetings wereused to inform residents of the recoveryprocess and to provide information fromlocal, state and federal agencies involvedin the recovery of New Orleans.

Forums were conducted to allow individualcommunity members the opportunity to getanswers to questions pertinent to theirreturn home. Surveys were used as tools togauge the return intentions of residentsand business owners displaced throughoutthe country. The planning process allowedthe community to develop projects andtarget areas. The data collected and

existing plans formed pre-Katrina for thecommunity were used to help set prioritiesfor the projects identified by theneighborhoods.


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Planning Efforts Pre-HurricaneKatrina

In 1994, the City Planning Commissionadopted the Local Renaissance DistrictAdministration Policy enabling residents totake a more active role in the city planningprocess with regard to revitalizing theirneighborhoods. This paved the way forneighborhood groups to work with plannersand the Planning Commission staff to drafta Strategic Neighborhood Renaissance Plan,which would then be considered foradoption by the City Council and the CityPlanning Commission. By involvingresidents as major stakeholders, such planswould be more practical and relevant indealing with neighborhood problems. TheCity Council's role became limited to theadoption of the plan, the enforcement ofany regulatory adjustments to the plan, andin assisting the residents in monitoring theplan.

On July 9, and October 8, 1998 more than

45 residents met at the first of two publicworkshops at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.The workshop was held to identify pivotaldevelopment parcels and land use conflictsin order to help the City PlanningCommission in developing a land use mapfor the district to be incorporated into the1999 New Orleans Land Use Plan.

Throughout this workshop several key andpivotal parcels were identified and draftedinto a schematic plan. Features of planrecommendations included the following.

· Increased Green Space, LandscapedBuffers, and Recreational Opportunities

· Parks and green space bufferingresidential uses in the Desire and Floridahousing areas

· Landscaped transportation corridors -Press Street Corridor, Elysian Fields, St.Roch (above St. Claude), Franklin Avenue,Almonaster, Florida Avenue, and St. Claude

· New recreation areas and public space

· Neighborhood mixed-use along theriverfront

· Neighborhood mixed-use on othercorridors

· Neighborhood and regional commercialcorridors

· Consolidation of industrial development

· Reduction of spot zoning, liveentertainment, Alcoholic Beverage Outlets(ABOs), and commercial encroachment

Image left to right:

Proposed Land Use Map - Source: City ofNew Orleans 1999 Land Use Plan

Land Use and Zoning

A number of different zoningclassifications are identified, but the St.Roch neighborhood is comprised primarilyof single and two-family residentialstructures. There are several pockets ofinstitutional and public uses throughoutthe neighborhood, with a concentrationof industrial along Franklin Avenue Lawbetween Florida Avenue, Interstate 610and the Peoples Avenue canal. This is anunorthodox mix of land uses. There is asmall neighborhood, Edgewood Heights,that is trapped in this triangle. Theprimarily single-family, owner-occupiedsubdivision has suffered from inadequatedrainage, poor street conditions, andvibrating structures as a result of heavytruck traffic and rail traffic along the CSXRailroad.

Pre-Katrina DemographicProfile

Age Distribution

Based on 2000 Census information,individuals between the ages of 18 and34 years represented the largestpercentage of the neighborhood at22.8%. This percentage is slightly lowerthan that of the same category city-wide,but almost equivalent to its adjacentneighbor St. Claude. The percentage ofresidents over the age of 65 is equal tothat of the Parish.


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B. Pre-Hurricane Katrina Neighborhood ExistingConditions

As indicated in the 1999 New Orleans LandUse Plan and validated by the KatrinaRecovery Planning process, there were severalkey issues that were consistent throughout allof the neighborhoods in the District,including:

· Blighted and vacant property· Deterioration along major corridors· Agricultural Street landfill· Conflict between industry and adjacent

residential· Intrusion of alcohol beverage and

tobacco sales in residential areas· Noise, littering, and loitering· Truck traffic and parking· Stolen and abandoned vehicle dumping· Blighted and vacant property· "Shade tree" mechanics· Lack of city facilities and services,

such as streets, drainage, sewer and park space.

New Orleans Neighborhood Rebuilding Plan - Land Use (Above)New Orleans Neighborhood Rebuilding Plan - Zoning (Below)Source: City Of New Orleans 1999 Land Use Plan


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Source: U.S. Census 2000; the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center at http://gnocdc.org/orleans/

Household Income Distribution

The average household income for theneighborhood ($28,200) is 20% lower thanthe City of New Orleans average.

Mobility and Transportation

The street patterns in the St. Rochneighborhood are completely open. Theseries of one-way streets are difficult forresidents to deal with. Most streets in theneighborhood are continuous fornorth/south and east/west travel. A largepercentage of people in the neighborhoodutilize individual vehicles to travel to work.Almost 67% of the total workers 16 yearsand over travel by car, truck, or van;however, this is much lower than the

average for the city, explaining why publictransportation usage is nearly twice that ofthe City as a whole.

St. Roch has a major rail line that bordersthe northern edge of the neighborhood(CSX Railroad.) As stated previously, theSt. Roch neighborhood is bisected byInterstate 10 and bordered by Interstate610. Both Interstate systems serve asmajor transportation corridors for theneighborhood and the city and state as awhole. North Claiborne and St. Claudeserve as heavy truck routes as well asGalvez, but Galvez is slated for removalfrom the approved routes.

Median Age Map - St. Roch Neighborhood 2000

Median Family Income - St. Roch Neighborhood 2000

New Orleans Neighborhood Rebuilding Plan - Population per Acre

New Orleans NeighborhoodRebuilding Plan - Population Change

Recreation and Open Space

There are three parks within theneighborhood. The first, Perry RoehmStadium located at 2700 Abundance Streetis a 2.41-acre site that has a multi-purpose field, baseball stadium, andrestrooms. The second, McCuePlayground, is located at 2600 FranklinAvenue. The 2.01-acre park is equippedwith a baseball diamond, basketball court,paved sports area, and playgroundequipment. The third and most notable isthe St. Roch Playground. The 4.76-acresite is home to a baseball diamond,basketball court, football field, playgroundequipment, pool and is a supervised NORDfacility. After Katrina the park wascommandeered and is now serving as agroup trailer site. In 2001 the Park wasrenamed the St. Roch, Harold Sampson,Jr. Playground in recognition of Harold


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A: St. Roch ParkB:McCue Playground ParkC: Map Showing School and Park

Locations D: Public Facilities Map (below)

Sampson Jr., a long-serving coach with theNew Orleans Recreation Department.

Roadway Hierarchy andJurisdictionThe roadway hierarchy in the St. Rochneighborhood is pretty well defined with aseries of major and minor arterial streets.Florida Avenue, North Miro, North Galvez,North Claiborne and St. Claude are themajor east/west arteries through theneighbor hood, while Franklin, ElysianFields, and St. Roch serve as north/souththruways. Of the major arteries, three areState Highways, North Claiborne (Hwy39), North Robertson (Hwy 39) and St.Roch (Hwy 45). Interstate 10 and 610 arealso within the neighborhood and areunder federal jurisdiction; all other streetsand arteries are under jurisdiction of theCity of New Orleans

Much like St. Claude, a big problem withinthe neighborhood is traffic speeding fromNorth Claiborne. St. Roch, NorthClaiborne, and North Robertson all passthrough St. Roch and St. Claude and havedrawbridges that carry vehicular and railtraffic over the Industrial Canal.

The neighborhood is bounded by Franklinand Almonaster to its east, St. Claude tothe south, Interstate 610 to the north,and Franklin and Elysian Fields Avenue,with a stair-stepped configuration liningFlorida Avenue and Esplanade to the west.


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Housing, Architecture and HistoricPreservationOver 50% of the St. Roch neighborhood isclassified as Historic. The areas betweenSt. Claude and North Tonti and ElysianField to Almonaster are classified under theNational Register while a triangular areafrom North Roman, Painters and ElysianFields and St. Claude Ave are under localdesignations.

The housing architecture mimics much ofthe historical style of Bywater and Marigny.Houses typically are raised with a frontporch and decorative moldings, trim andbrackets. The homes are characterized asFrench Creole style and are elevated 3 to 4feet above the street.

There are a large number of vacant and orblighted houses in the neighborhood. Withsuch a large number of the propertiesbeing rental, many of the homes are poorlymanaged and maintained. Several of theabandoned houses throughout theneighborhood have become the haven fordrug house and crime and have beenclassified as "crack houses."

Images top from left to right:A: Overpass at Galvez and AlmonasterB-D: Typical housing in St. Roch


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C. Hurricane Katrina Neighborhood Impacts

Extent of Flooding

Much of the St. Roch neighborhood fromSt. Claude to Miro received between 1 and4 feet of flood water. The areas north ofNorth Miro and east of Elysian Fieldsreceived the highest amounts: between 6and 8 feet, with many areas receiving morethan 8 feet. Even though the majority ofthe homes are elevated many had morethan 4 feet of water inside the structures.For the select few that were slab on grade,the flood waters reached or exceeded theeaves and rooftops.

Wind Damage

Apart from the flooding of homes,Hurricane Katrina's winds damaged asubstantial number of homes, in particularthe roofing systems. Katrina's winds alsouprooted a substantial number of trees onprivate property, street rights of way andneutral grounds. This resulted in damageto the streets, curbs, and sidewalks.

Damage Assessment

Residential DamageAssessment

Many homeowners and property owners havebeen having their initial damage assessmentsreassessed. As of this report less than 32percent of the residential properties in the St.Roch neighborhood are deemed substantially

Above: St. Roch Neighborhood Elevation Map showing inundated areas of the neighborhoood. Below: St. Roch Neighborhood Flood Depth Map showing inundated areas of the neighborhoood.Source: US Army Corp of Engineers, Saint Louis District


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A-B: Residential Structures Showing Damage Post-Katrina

C-D: Commercial Structures

are currently replacing their copperinfrastructure with fiber optic systems. Theabove ground services were battered by thewinds of Katrina and falling trees.Power:Entergy has been able to restore 100% of thelighting and power services for theneighborhood. They are continuing to bringservice to individual structures on a daily basis.

Water & Sanitary Sewer:The sanitary, sewer and water system in the St.Roch neighborhood received major damage.The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board isidentifying and repairing leaks and breaks in thesystem daily. The lift station and pump stationsserving the neighborhood are at 100% capacity.Many of the areas within St. Roch were alreadylacking proper drainage, which led to higherexerted pressure on the system and higherbreaks in the lines. The Central MaintenanceYard for the Sewerage and Water Board islocated in the neighborhood. While the facilitywas not heavily damaged, many of its fleet ofvehicles were lost.

Streets and Storm Sewer:The streets system was heavily damaged byflood waters and subsidence of compacted fillused to support street surfaces. Recoveryvehicles and debris contractors working onstreets not designed to hold heavy traffic andequipment also took a toll. Over 80,400 linearfeet of streets within the neighborhood havebeen designated as failing or in poor conditionand are in need of major repair. This representsover 52% of the street network for the

damaged according to the Damage AssessmentData received from the City of New Orleans.These properties were located primarilybetween north of Miro and east of ElysianFields. The majority of the properties south ofMiro and west of Elysian Fields were rated witha damage assessment level below 49%.

Homes damaged over 50% will have to meetthe 1984 Base Flood Elevation (BFE) or beelevated to the Advisory Base Flood Elevation(ABFE) as adopted by the City of New Orleans.

Commercial PropertiesDamage Assessments

All commercial properties within the floodedareas sustained a significant amount of flooddamage. The commercial areas along St. Rochwere reported to have received floodinundation and no standing water. They havesince been able to return more quickly than theother properties in the neighborhood. Thecommercial areas further north along Franklinand Elysian Fields were not as fortunate. Manyof these properties were slab on grade and didnot meet the 1984 Base Flood Elevation (BFE).

Infrastructure

The infrastructure for the St. Rochneighborhood was severely damaged.

Telecommunications:The majority of the undergroundtelecommunications lines were damaged due tocorrosion from the saltwater. Bellsouth and Cox


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made minor repairs allowing for the station tobe utilized again.

The neighborhood is also serviced by the 3rdFire District. Engine 27/Ladder 11 are located atElysian Fields and Galvez. The station wasdamaged but is only in need of minor repairs.

neighborhood. Katrina's debris has alsoresulted in clogged street drains and catchbasins. Because the area lacked sufficientdrainage prior to the storm, the clogged drainsexacerbate the street flooding under normalrain conditions.

Signage and Way-Finding:Over 60% of the street signage is still missingwithin the St. Roch neighborhood. These streetsigns are critical for way-finding, reconstructionand recovery.

Most importantly, many of the stop signs andtraffic signals at key intersections and streetsare either missing or damaged creating asubstantial traffic danger and hazard.

Sidewalks / Pedestrian Circulation:Even though the majority of the neighborhoodtravels by vehicular means, the neighborhoodresidents expressed their desire for pedestriantravel. The tree canopies allowed for shadedpassageways and walkable communities.However, Katrina's wind uprooted trees, causingmajor damage to sidewalk systems. Inaddition, debris contractors have substantiallydamaged sidewalks and curb and guttersystems as they remove storm related debrisfrom within the neighborhood.

Police / Fire:St. Roch is serviced by the Fifth District PoliceStation. It is located at 3900 North Claiborne.Residents have expressed extreme concernsabout the crime in the neighborhood. Thestation received flood waters and has since


A: Trailers at McCue Playground ParkB: Example of Poor Street ConditionsC: Railway at Franklin AveD: St. Roch Blvd.


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A: Our Lady Star of the SeaB: St. Roch CemetaryC: C. Oretha Castle Haley ElementarySchoolD: John A. Shaw Elementary School

Parks and Open Space

All of the parks and open space within the St.Roch neighborhood were significantly damaged.In addition the major corridor neutral groundssustained damage to the tree canopy andlandscaping. St Roch/ Harold Sampson, Jr. Parkis currently serving as a group trailer site forresident of the neighborhoods as well as someoutside of the neighborhood.

Civic Facilities(Church and Community Facilities)

All of the civic facilities within the St. Rochneighborhood were damaged. There are nopublic libraries in the neighborhood. The closetlibrary is the Alvar Branch located in the Bywaterneighborhood. There were no designatedcommunity centers with in the neighborhood.

Churches served as a vital part of theneighborhood and have continued to do so postKatrina. Our Lady Star of the Sea opened itsdoor to the community to allow forneighborhood groups to meet and discussrecovery goals and opportunities. The churchserved as the meeting place for the initial,majority and final district wide meetings.

Schools and Universities

There were three schools in St Roch prior to thestorm. Of the three schools (Shaw Elementary,Colton Jr. High School, and the Middle LevelAlternative School at Our Lady Star of the SeaSchool), only one has opened post-Katrina. All

of the schools were damaged. Colton Jr. Highhas is now offering classes from students inkindergarten through eighth grade inadditional to the junior high students. Thereare currently no plans to re-open either of theother two schools.

There are no universities within the limits ofthe St. Roch neighborhood.


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D. NeighborhoodRebuilding Scenarios

The recovery plan will follow the existingneighborhood urban plan and organizationwith special emphasis on restoring andenhancing the residential quality, drainageand street conditions of the St. Rochneighborhood as well as its retailcommercial and civic areas.

A number of assumptions support theoverall neighborhood rebuilding effort.These underlying assumptions are derivedfrom the commitment of local, state andfederal authorities to provide 1) floodprotection that makes a levee-protectedarea livable and 2) the mitigationprotection afforded by stringent buildingcodes and hurricane evacuation system.These assumptions are:

• A flood protection system will bedesigned to withstand future catastrophicloss from a 1 in 100 year storm and thatthis is a commitment by the FederalGovernment;

• Stringent Building codes will beimplemented to further limit wind damage;

• That there is an organized, coherentand operable Hurricane EvacuationProgram; and,

• That the basic urban structure of thecity is sound and that rebuilding willrespect the basic urban structure of theCity.

The rebuilding scenario is based on theassumption and fact that the basic urbanstructure of the District and theneighborhood is sound and that long-termproperty value enhancement is dependentupon the maintenance of the urban patternand layout of their neighborhood andcommunity, although site specificimprovements and strategies are the key tothe reconstruction of the neighborhood. Toaccomplish this goal the following actionsneed to be carried out:

• Formulate policies and actions for theclean-up and maintenance of thecommunity's public realm and privateparcels to create an adequate, healthyenvironment that allows the orderlyrepopulation of the neighborhood and thatprojects an image of cleanliness and orderneeded to further aid community faith andmomentum for the reconstruction process.

• Identification and implementation ofpublic sector financed Early Action projectsto act as catalysts for neighborhoodreconstruction.

These include:• Adequate drainage, public and socialservices be restored to the neighborhood.

• Essential public facilities and programsidentified in the Neighborhoods RebuildingPlan and other planning efforts anddocuments.

• Implementation of key catalyticrecovery projects to spur commercialdevelopment in the St. Roch neighborhoodand Planning District 7 such as the St.Claude Main Street Initiative and theElysian Field and Franklin Avenue UrbanDesign Corridors. It is important to provideprotection of the urban fabric along thesegateways for the neighborhood.

• The restoration and improvement ofneighborhood parks and open space toaddress not only the damage caused byHurricane Katrina, but to also turn theminto the community assets that these parkswere and can become.

• The construction of bike and pedestrianpaths throughout the neighborhood turningthem into the community assets thatneighborhood has so desired.

• The reconstruction of the water andsewer system by the City of New OrleansWater and Sewerage Board, and itscontinuous monitoring by the citizens of St.Roch and District 7.

• Reconstruction and new construction ofthe street and sidewalk infrastructuredamaged by the flooding, the subsequentrepairs to the water and sewer lines toreinstall service to the community postHurricane Katrina, by the overturned treesthat succumbed to the winds of HurricaneKatrina, and the debris removal machineryand heavy vehicles working in theneighborhood.


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Assistance and guidance in undertakingkey district-wide projects such as:

• Renovation of St. Roch Market as anopen air market;

• Development of low-rise elderlyhousing options within St. Rochneighborhood at the old Gayaree schoolsites at the corner of Franklin and NorthRobertson;

• Recovery of pre-Katrina blighted andadjudicated properties;

• Restoration of the St. Roch Cemetery

• Transition of St. Roch / HaroldSampson, Jr. Playground from a grouptrailer site into a neighborhood park; and

• Oak tree-lined avenue along St. RochAvenue behind the St. Roch market.

Neighborhood Repopulation

The neighborhood repopulation process inSt. Roch appears to be underway.According to data received from the City ofNew Orleans Mayor's Office of Technologyover 36% of the structures within theneighborhood have applied for rebuildingpermits. Many of the properties wererental and under control of singleownership. Many of the renters are notable to return due to the properties notbeing renovated.

Through the planning process, smallerneighborhood associations within St. Rochhave been meeting bi-monthly and, insome cases weekly, to discuss recoveryrelated issues and visions. Pre-Katrinademographic information illustrated nearlya 7.5% decrease in population throughoutthe district.

St. Roch has a total housing stock ofapproximately 4,300 residential units. Asof August 26, 2006 almost 2,150 units areeither occupied or under renovation.These numbers show a commitment torepopulation of the neighborhood.


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E. Neighborhood Recovery Plan

Strategic Initiative No. 5:Develop and implement policies,regulations, and processes thatrepresent the vision of eachneighborhood.

There is no better individual or group toensure that the recovery of a communityor neighborhood is fairly represented thanthe neighborhood itself. It isrecommended that an advisory board becreated, with representation from each ofthe neighborhood associations within St.Roch, to ensure that the Recovery Plancontinues to incorporate the needs andrequest of the community.

Neighborhood associations within St. Rochshould continue to meet bi-monthly withtheir residents and monthly with ElectedOfficials, the business community, andneighborhood associations outside of theSt. Roch neighborhood to review,comment and update the recovery plans.

Strategic Initiative No. 6:Implement Housing RecoveryInitiatives.

A number of housing initiatives areproposed as part of the NeighborhoodsRebuilding Plan and are presented in theoverall policy element of the plan andissued under separate cover. Below is asummary of these policies.

LOT NEXT DOOR

The principal thrust of redevelopmentprograms and policies that encourage thespeedy redevelopment of neighborhoodsmust match various government powersand financing tools to the local housingand real estate market conditions.A key question will be how to mosteffectively encourage the redevelopmentof homes and residential lots that fall intopublic ownership.

The "Lot Next Door" program is one of aseries of proposed housing policies thathave been developed as part of theNeighborhoods Rebuilding Plan and takesdirect aim at some particular markethurdles that slow the redevelopment ofmany of these properties.

In its simplest form the Lot Next Doorprogram will offer homeowners who arecommitted to redeveloping their homes,the ability to purchase publicly ownedadjoining properties prior to theseproperties being offered to any otherbuyers. This option would be providedshould the property end up in publicownership either through the adjudicationprocess or through the sale of theproperty to a public entity through theRoad Home or other public acquisitionprogram.

The St. Roch Neighborhood Recovery Planproposes to revitalize based on a series ofstrategic initiatives that have beenidentified by the residents of PlanningDistrict 7 as well as the St. Rochneighborhood.

Strategic Initiative No. 1:Promote efficient, long-term growthwithin St. Roch.

Establish boundaries for areas that areavailable for intense development activitycompared to those areas that requiresensitive development as a result of inadequate drainage and floodplains.

Develop "urban villages" along FranklinAvenue Elysian Fields and St. ClaudeAvenue that will allow for daily needs ofarea residents.

Strategic Initiative No. 2:Maintain a balanced yet diverse anddynamic pattern of land uses thatmaintain a quality of life in St. Roch.

Encourage the development of compatibleland uses, avoiding mixture ofincompatible uses in close proximity toeach other, such as in the EdgewoodHeights neighborhood.

Encourage the creation of districts thatinclude recognizable identity and clustereddevelopment of compatible land uses.

Encourage green space buffers betweenindustrial and residential properties.

Strategic Initiative No. 3:Utilize, revitalize, and maintain theurban areas of St. Roch whilestrengthening the economic capacityand quality of life in St. Roch.

Utilize the area surrounding majoramenities to spur quality, dynamiceconomic development, including theproposed "St. Roch Main Street Initiative",and Franklin Avenue and Elysian FieldsAvenue urban design corridors.

Enhance existing green space andcommercial areas.

Encourage infill development within theexisting urbanized area, includingdemolition and rehabilitation of allsubstandard structures andunderdeveloped property.

Strategic Initiative No. 4:Develop and implement suitablezoning classifications.

The residential areas of Edgewood Heightsshould be rezoned as light industrial ifacceptable buyout options can be offeredto the residents. If not, a more restrictivezoning overlay should be applied to protectthe residential character of thesubdivision.


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Images left to right:

Proposed St. Roch Blvd pedestrian pathand streetscape improvements.

A: BeforeB: After

ELDERLY MODERATE INCOMECONDOMINIUM ROAD HOME TIE-IN

It has become quite apparent through theneighborhood planning process that seniorhouseholds, which have some of thestrongest ties to the community and haveexpressed some of the strongest voices forrebuilding and returning to the City, alsoface some of the most significantchallenges in redeveloping or rebuildingtheir homes.

First, there are many areas of the City thathad a high concentration of elderlyhomeowners (Lower Ninth, PontchartrainPark, and Lakeview) that sustainedsubstantial damage and which will requirethe demolition and reconstruction of manyhomes.

Historically, the challenges of dealing withcontractors, permit inspectors, lenders,etc. have proven particularly difficult forelderly households after they haveexperienced similar trauma.

Additionally, there are a substantialnumber of areas of the City includingLakeview and areas of Gentilly, whererebuilding homes with damage in excessof 50 percent will require the totalreconstruction at three feet above gradeor the Base Flood Elevations, whichever isgreater. Many of these homes will have tobe raised close to one story making thema difficult housing product type for people

with physical frailties.

Elderly homeowners are clearly a specialgroup with specific needs, and currentlythere are no programs targeted to thissubgroup of homeowners.

A targeted elderly homeowner program,which will allow elderly households to tietheir Road Home grant to senior specificelevator multi-story condominium projectsto be developed throughout the City, isneeded.

There has been wide support for dedicatedmulti-family senior housing product inmany parts of the City, but particularly inareas where younger homeowners haveaging parents living nearby. In somecases, there may be a need to increase thegrant amount or provide a low interestloan to the household if there is a gapbetween the value of the buyout (andinsurance proceeds) and the market valueprice of the condominium unit.

USE OF SECOND GENERATION FUNDSAND EXPANSION OF HOMEPURCHASER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

One of the principal issues that has comeup repeatedly in neighborhood meetings ishow properties that end up in publicownership either through the adjudicationor buy back process are going to be resoldin the marketplace.

While the Lot Next Door program providesone method for recycling lots in the market,there are going to be numerous lots thatare not acquired by next door neighborsthat are going to have to be sold to thirdparty purchasers.

Assuming that there are few newregulations associated with developinghousing (i.e., some requirement thatcertain units must be homeownership vs.rental) it is likely that the value placed onmany properties for sale will determine howquickly that property will be rebuilt forhousing.

Additionally, and realistically, there are avariety of neighborhoods throughout theCity where reducing the cost of a lot or unitto essentially zero will not be enough toensure the redevelopment of the property.These are generally those neighborhoodsprior to Hurricane Katrina where landvalues were quite low and homes were notbuilt unless there was significant targetedpublic assistance related to construction.

Given the different market factorsinfluencing the redevelopment of housingin different neighborhoods, there are a

variety of strategies that will have to beemployed with regard to the sale of lotsacquired through the acquisition programon the open market. These strategiesinclude the following:

• Recycle second generation proceedsfrom higher income neighborhood propertysales to properties in neighborhoods wherevalues are lower. This will ensure thatmore housing redevelopment dollars willfollow to low-income areas than couldotherwise have be imagined prior toKatrina.

• Sell adjacent lots and blocks of lots inpublic ownership to experienced for-profitand not-for-profit developers when notpurchased through the Lot Next Doorprogram.

• Re-sell properties at fair market valueand reduce price of lots only when veryspecific policy objectives are being met,such as providing for mixed-income housingin a neighborhood.


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A: Street Improvements (before)B: Street Improvements (after)C: Urban Corridor at Elysian FieldsD: Urban Corridor at Franklin Ave

Strategic Initiative No. 7:Identification and Promotion of EarlyAction Projects.

There are several key early action projectsthat the residents of St. Roch would like tosee. Those projects follow.

• Repair of neighborhood infrastructure,including major arterial streets androadways.• Repair of sheet piles along PeoplesAvenue canal.• Supplemental education programs foryouth and adults.• Address the inadequate drainage onmany of the neighborhood streets.• Restore neighborhood services such asgrocery stores, banks, gas and servicestations, pharmacies, and drug stores.• Designate urban design corridors alongFranklin Avenue, Elysian Fields Avenue andSt Claude Avenue which will controllandscaping, signage, building façadearticulation, setback requirements, right-of-way, parking requirements, pedestrianinteraction, and median enhancements.• Enhance neighborhood street lighting.• Creation of grant programs for allneighborhood churches.• Demolish Shaw Elementary site andconstruction of new state of the artelementary school and community center.• Economic development of sites as listedin Strategic Initiative No. 8 below.

Strategic Initiative No. 8:Promote and Monitor theImplementation of Key Recovery /Redevelopment Parcels and Projects.

Plan ElementsKey Recovery and DevelopmentProjects

• Build an elderly mid-rise condominiumcomplex at the Franklin Avenue and NorthRobertson.• Conduct an economic development andcomprehensive study for the redevelopmentof abandoned industrial structures betweenFranklin and Interstate 10 north of FloridaAvenue into mixed-use facilities with smallbusiness incubators.• Conduct an economic development andcomprehensive study for the futuredevelopment of a pedestrian and bike pathalong St. Roch Avenue to Florida Avenue.

Land Use and Zoning

• Enforce current zoning.· Create Renaissance (urban design)Corridors along Franklin Avenue and ElysianFields Avenue• Rezone underutilized industrial zoninguses between Franklin and Interstate 10north of Florida Avenue into Mixed UseResidential and Commercial.• Rezoning of Edgewood Heightsneighborhood into all light industrial andcommercial if equitable buyouts are madeavailable. If buyouts are not afforded, keep

existing RD-2 zoning north of Abundanceand provide landscape buffers to shieldresidential from adjacent industrial.

Parks, Open Space andLandscape Architecture

• Restoration of all existingneighborhood parks and playgroundfacilities inclusive of Perry Rome Park andStadium, McCue Playground and St. Roch/Harold Sampson, Jr. Playground; • Creation of new neighborhood linearpark and pike bath along Florida Avenue;• Provide tree enhancements along majorthoroughfares such as: Franklin Avenue,St. Roch Avenue, Elysian Fields Avenue,and Treasure Street• Provide neighborhood identificationsigns at entrances to all neighborhoodsand subdivisions, with locations to bedetermined by active neighborhoodassociations.

Transportation and PublicTransit

The recovery transportation strategies andplanning objectives mimic those of the2004 New Orleans New Century Masterplan and the Upper Ninth Ward CommunityPlan. Key major transportation projectsinclude:

• Repair and improve mobility of the keythoroughfares and enhance the existingstreet infrastructure through coordinated

efforts with the Department of PublicWorks, RTA and LADOTD to ensure efficientlasting repairs.• Promote pedestrian and bicyclepathways primarily along St. Roch Avenueand Florida Avenue.• Investigate the opportunities forreestablishing the car line along St. ClaudeAvenue.• Add benches and pedestrian lightingalong designated pedestrian routes.• Establish a "no truck" designationalong neighborhood streets.• Extend Treasure Street betweenFranklin Avenue and Press.

Public Transit improvements are to beproposed by the Regional Transit Authority

Housing Architecture andHistoric Preservation

The St. Roch neighborhood is comprised ofa mixture of single family and multi-familyhomes. It is the desire of theneighborhood to maintain and enhance theexisting and historical character of theprimarily residential neighborhoods andencourage low-rise elderly condominiumsites. Due to the mixture of residentialzoning throughout the St. Rochneighborhood, all of the housing programslisted above are applicable as theneighborhood recovers.

It is recommended that neighborhoodassociations draft covenants that will


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A: Franklin AveB: Intersection at Robertson and FranklinC: St. Roch Blvd.D: Third District Homestead Association

maintain the integrity and the architecturalcharacter of the housing stock.

Preservation, rather than demolition ofdamaged historic properties should beencouraged. The dialogue with local andNational Historic Preservation groupsregarding the inclusion of areas notcurrently within designated historicaldistricts should be continued.

Utilities and Municipal Services

As St. Roch recovers in the rebuildingprocess it is essential that utilities andmunicipal services be addressedimmediately. Traffic signals and streetsignage need to be addressed immediatelyas they are critical to way-finding not onlyfor residents of the St. Roch neighborhoodbut for the recovery contractors working inthe area.

Garbage collection needs to be managed inthe same manner as any otherneighborhood within the City of NewOrleans. Response times from police, fireand other city services needs to be quickerand more consistent.

Drainage within the neighborhood isinadequate, which often leads to extensiveflooding during torrential rainfalls. Allexisting street drains need to be cleanedand flushed and additional drainageinstalled to accommodate the currentinadequate areas.

Additional street lighting and guard arms atrailroad track intersections should beinstalled to increase safety for the area.

All damaged sidewalks and curbs should berepaired and or missing curbs installed.

Human Services and CommunityFacilities

Throughout the neighborhood planningprocess it became evident that healthcarewas a primary concern for the residents ofthe neighborhood. There is a lack ofhealthcare facilities in the area. Affordablehealthcare should be provided and low-income residents welcomed.

The state of the art school proposed at theShaw Elementary site would allow for amuch needed gymnasium and should serveas a community center for theneighborhood as it recovers.

Franklin Avenue Baptist Church was acatalyst to the community. Restoration oftheir sanctuary and community centers isvital to the recovery of the neighborhood.In addition to Franklin Avenue, socialprograms should be implemented andfunded to all neighborhood churches.


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F. Implementation andFunding Strategies

Funding Matrix

The connection between theNeighborhoods Rebuilding Plan andpotential funding sources is graphicallyrepresented by the Implementation PriorityMatrix. The costs estimates are providedon an order-of-magnitude basis. As such,variations as to the scope of the projectcould result in variations in the final costof construction.

In the process of cost analyses,consultations were carried out with theCity of New Orleans Public WorksDepartment to identify general costguidelines typically used for the calculationof street improvements and reconstruction.Other sources of cost identificationincluded the Means Cost Data and ourteam's professional experience inside andoutside New Orleans.

No single source of funding or financialplan will be capable of dealing with thecapital improvement needs for totalredevelopment and reconstruction of allthe neighborhood projects and needs.However, the funding matrix included inthis report shows different funding sourcesthat could be made available for specificprojects and it should be expected thatlayering of multiple sources of funding willbe required in most cases. The ability toobtain these funds will rest with the City ofNew Orleans and neighborhood groups andadvisory committees.

Each matrix matches proposed projectswith potential funding sources identifiedthrough the planning process and while notexhaustive in its scope, it serves as a guideto where funds could originate. Substantialfinancial commitments by federal and stateentities are a vital ingredient in therecovery effort and will provide thenecessary economic infrastructure toattract the private investment required tocreate stable and vibrant communities.

Each funding matrix, based uponconsultation with neighborhood residentsthrough the community meeting process,also ranked projects based upon priority ofneed with regard to recovery: "EarlyAction/Critical"; "Mid-Term/Needed"; and"Long Term/Desired". This rankingprovides a general guide as to whatcommunities believe are the mostimportant priorities with regard torevitalization and redevelopment.

Finally, there are a variety of items orinitiatives listed on the funding matrixwhere a capital cost can not be attached ordetermined without further study, but thecommunity believed needed to be a centralpart of the plan. These include:

• Undertaking specific further studies todetermine the actual cost to governmentalentities for certain public/private initiatives(for which we have noted the cost of thestudy);• Housing initiatives for which there may

be dollars already allocated through theRoad Home, LIHTC, private fundingsources, or other sources but where theadditional gap in funding is impossible todetermine at this point; • Other policies, including land use andzoning regulations, which the communitybelieved to be in the short and long terminterest of the community; and• Recurring operations (i.e., expandedpolice patrols, library operations, parkoperations, etc.) that either tie to certaincapital improvements or are important tothe health of the community through theexpansion of existing services.


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Documents

St. Roch Neighborhood Planning District 7 Rebuilding Plan Final/District_7_Final_StRoch.pdf · neighborhood was originally called Faubourg Franklin. In 1899, Orleans Parish passed