Overflow Parking Options

Red Crosshatching shows where Rock'n'Bowl overflow parking could be located.



The lot behind the AutoZone is owned by AutoZone and used and maintained by Landis. NorthWest Carrollton researched ownership and contacted AutoZone Corporate Headquarters. Headquarters didn't realize that this lot had not been sold when the block was subdivided. As soon as they were made aware they took care of the debris and have worked with our commerical neighbors Landis to maintain it. We very much appreciate their quick and ongoing response. Landis supports NorthWest Carrollton's neighborhood watch by sponsoring our Neighborhood Watch.

The lot in front of Helm Paint & Lighting Inc. is not used at night and already provides overflow parking.

Eggler & the Demo Diva

Take a look at the article in today's Times Picayune by Bruce Eggler reporting on the ugliness that was the Demo Diva's radio show.

The people who serve on the NDCD deserve better than Simone has. But she does make her money tearing things down. I guess that goes for people and processes as well as houses.

Tear down duplexes for green space

WWL Reporting on NorthWest Carrollton. See full article below.
Rock 'n' Bowl owner looks to tear down duplexes for 'parking, green space'
Maya Rodriguez / Eyewitness News

"Within one city block at S. Carrollton Ave. and Earhart Blvd. sits a bowling alley, a restaurant, several other structures-- and two duplexes."

"If you took New Orleans and shook it up in a can, you would have this neighborhood," said Jenel Hazlett, president of the Northwest Carrollton Civic Association.

The civic association has come out against the proposed demolition of the duplexes, which are located in the 8100 block of Fig Street.

"Every house in the historic neighborhood is precious to us," Hazlett said.

Kaboom @ Palmer Park

Palmer Park is going to get a HUGE, kid-friendly face lift on
Sunday, June 5th
with a 2,500 sq ft Kaboom! playground with swings.

We need volunteers to assemble the playground equipment as well as team captains for Build Day to keep a crew of well-intentioned people assigned to a particular part of the playground organized. Aside from the actual build day on June 5th,

there is also a Prep Day on Friday, June 3rd. On Prep Day there will be power tools involved, cutting wooden pieces to size, etc. It is an essential day for making sure everything is there, getting it sorted into packets for about 20 teams to assemble different parts of the playground. Also in the 6 weeks leading up to the build day there is much to be planned. If anyone feels they could be helpful in one of the following areas, we can connect them with that committee's chair:

Food (attaining food, water, utensil donations for breakfast and lunch on build and prep days)
Recruitment/Registration (what this email is all about)
Construction (obtain tools, head up a build day crew, building permits)
Logistics (secure port-a-potties, water source, trash/recycling, tables, tents, parking, electrical, etc.)
Youth Involvement (get kids involved in lead-up time as well as build day activities, obtain necessary materials)
Safety & Maintenance (first aid, safety training & equipment, develop maintenance plan)
PR/Web Outreach (Recruit music, photographer, PA system, VIPs; Develop PR release, opening/closing ceremonies, Kaboom! website)
Green (recycling, compost of food, leftovers donations)

AND of course anything else you can think of is a welcome addition to this major group effort.

Please let us know the extent to which you would like to get involved. No effort is too small.
The email kaboompalmerpark@yahoo.com is the best way to reach the project captains.

This Kaboom! build is being sponsored by Disney, the Points of Light Institute, the Friends of Palmer Park, and the City of New Orleans Department of Parks and Parkways.

Fair... it's what everyone wants: Fair and Consistent

Stupid parking rules only enforced in select locations or at select times of year are a problem all over the city, not just around the Fairgrounds. Fair consistent parking enforcement for all, that's what we deserve. If you live around the Fairgrounds and you know that there will be parking craziness and you know one of the ways the city tries to help *you* is with a residential permit. Just get one and work to make sure that the process to allow you to apply and renew is efficient. At least you have parking enforcement. Our curbs and sidewalks are being slowly demolished by illegal parking and parking enforcement is more like a Christmas present than normal city services.

Selective enforcement of parking restrictions isn't fair: A letter to the editor
Published: Friday, April 15, 2011, 5:06 AM

Jazz Fest is right around the corner. Parking is going to be hectic for residents. Why is residential street parking in the area surrounding the Jazz Fest only enforced during the festival weekends?

No one in City Hall follows up on whether residents are purchasing the required permits to allow for street parking. I know this for a fact. Yet the ticket writers are out in force for the two weekends of Jazz Fest writing tickets.

This is unfair ticketing, and if residents are not supporting the program by purchasing the required yearly permits, then the signs should be removed, and the two-hour parking limits should be eliminated.

Garmanne Mack
New Orleans

Heal the Wounds avoid Permanent Scars

Quotes from a comment from an article on The Lens

"Blighted property are open wounds, but a razed lot is a permanent scar."

"Each razed house is a lost opportunity."

Jose Fernandes says:
April 20, 2011 at 12:06 pm
"I moved back to New Orleans in December 2010 after 5 years living in Europe. I stayed for the storm and left 4 days later. I’m buying a house in bad shape to renovate, but Im buying it cheap. I want to buy more houses for rentals. Katrina was the biggest disaster we’ve had in New Orleans and it will take many years to heal. Blighted property are open wounds, but a razed lot is a permanent scar. The city’s blight czar’s first obligation should have been to connect and facilitate the communication between State and Federal programs for rehabilitation, the owners of blighted property, people like me that are returning and the providers of rehab services such as construction, architectural and lending institutions that are geared towards this particular market. It should grab the opportunity of the channelling of millions of dollars of rehab into the city which would promote jobs in the area and spiral up the redevelopment of the area. Many people like me are returning to buy and renovate. The city needs more time to allow people to return. Each razed house is a lost opportunity. We have an unique character and we need to fight to preserve it. It is the basis for our strength.
My heart hurts."

Mr. Fernandez we understand.... come take a look at NorthWest Carrollton.... we'd love to have you in our neighborhood.

Meeting @ Incarnate Word

Neighborhood Meeting
Wednesday @ 7 o'clock in the evening
April 20th, 2011

Incarnate Word School
8326 Apricot

Agenda

• Return of Polling Location to Incarnate Word
• Neighborhood Watch – Abandoned Cars
• Proposed Fig Street Demolitions
• Earhart Construction Debris Pickup
• Tree Planting November 12th
• S & W repairs, complaints
• Help registering for recycling (you’re paying for it)
• Recent Road Home Property Sales

Come meet your neighbors and
share your questions & concerns
Please encourage your neighbors to attend

New Blight Rules ???

Jennifer Farwell, president of the Mid-City Neighborhood Association, urged a more public process. She said community stakeholders should have a chance to weigh in, in case the city is considering forgiving a lien on a property whose owner has a history of shirking responsibility.

She also bemoaned the city's propensity for forgiving liens so blighted houses can be purchased and simply demolished.

"Vacant lots do not revitalize this city," she said.

We agree. Read the full article using this link

Beauty in the built environment

From Keep America Beautiful

America's cities and towns are being transformed by visionary community leaders who recognize the value of beautification to attract residents, draw tourism, sustain economies, and repel the elements of blight and decay.

Incorporating visual beauty into public spaces has proven to be an effective method for raising property values, reducing crime, enhancing the local economy, and improving public health. KAB affiliates incorporate a variety of practices that create and enhance their communities, including:

Graffiti prevention and removal
Creating community gardens
Tree planting and urban forestry initiatives
Building parks and greenspaces
Litter and illegal dump cleanups
Enhancing public spaces

Facts... too many people don't worry about the facts

Read the article from TP on the demolition of houses used in TREME promo

Then read all the trash talking, non fact based, nonsense written on Nola.com. And remember why you stopped reading the comments. It seems that the folks who post comments are the folks with uneducated opinions... nee prejudices.

But David Simon gets it and he gets us when he says:
"they (are) genuinely reflective of the local architecture
that is so threatened by such widespread damage and disrepair"

"For years now, one of the fascinating thing for me is how progress in a city as vibrant and as essential as New Orleans always comes so slowly, or not at all. Why is it that consortiums and consensus-building and cooperation are all so elusive? Well, after being tossed between the mayor, preservations, reporters and the generalized and absurd resentments and suspicions of many ordinary New Orleanians yesterday, I am beginning to see more of the light."

Yes Mr. Simon and it might be a train but those of us who love New Orleans have to stand and fight. We have to use the facts, like you did in you comments, to fight the good fight and hope for processes that support the long term vision of a city that honors its past and builds (or rebuilds) its future. Uneducated, intentionally ignorant idiots aside. Believe it or not some things are better but the good fight is still ahead of us. So many New Orleanians are proud to have you among us.

And remember the truth will set you free.

Click here and scroll down to read Mr. Simon's Comment in full.

Water Leak - 8300 Block of Apricot @ Dante

A huge repair job was completed a few months ago in the 8200 Block of Apricot....
unfortunately as soon as this job finished
up a new leak popped up in the street.

Abandoned Car 8200 Block Fig

This car has been here no less than 4 months.... NOPD please take it away...





THANKS!

8200 Block of Fig Sewerage & Water Board issues

First issue - 8200 Block of Fig @ Dublin
Dangerous Hole - accident waiting to happen

Water Meters Leaking @ 8212 Fig Street


Water Meters Leaking @ 8228 Fig Street


Something serious is definitely going on in the 8200 Block of Fig.

Redistricting City Council Representation

Taken from:
http://uptownmessenger.com/2011/04/36-hours-uptown-redistricting-comes-to-city-council/

With new district lines now drawn for state House and Senate seats, the New Orleans City Council will be the next governing body to participate in the redistricting process, and a town hall meeting has been scheduled for Thursday evening to introduce residents to the process.

Although Uptown’s post-Katrina population shifts were not as dramatic as elsewhere in the city, some of its council representation could still be subject to change. Susan Guidry’s District A, which stretches from Lakeview to Mid-City down to the Audubon neighborhoods, will have to be reduced by greater than 10 percent from its current population of 77,166. Stacy Head’s District B, which runs from Uptown to the Central Business District, has a population of 70,903 — the closest of any of the districts to the new target of 68,768 — but may have to shift to accommodate the more dramatic population changes in neighboring District C and possibly also District D.

The city is also planning a series of meetings to gather input about the process within in each district.

The meetings in District “A” are scheduled for:
Monday May 9th at Rogers Chapel, 1229 Broadway
Thursday May 12th at 1st Baptist Church 5920 Canal Blvd

3 Houses sell in NorthWest Carrollton

2500 JOLIET - HOUSE - WITHDRAWN - NOT SOLD
8237-39 APRICOT - HOUSE - 2010 Damage Est 43.12% - Sale Price $40,000
8505 PRITCHARD PLACE - HOUSE 2010 Damage Est 33.93% - Sale Price $49,000
8518-20 PRITCHARD PLACE - HOUSE - 2010 Damage Est 53.91% - Sale Price $41,000

Read the article from the Times PicayuneBrisk sales of abandoned properties at recent New Orleans Redevelopment Authority auction
Published: Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 11:44 AM
Updated: Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 5:18 PM
By Michelle Krupa, The Times-Picayune

Here are a few quotes:
"...the latest bulk sale aimed to unload the most desirable NORA-held properties -- many of them designated as historic -- across neighborhoods where the real-estate market has been humming..."

"With 537 bidders registered and 94 bids accepted, NORA and city officials and even the auctioneer who ran the sale have trumpeted the single-day effort as a sign that interest in restoring dilapidated properties remains strong in a city where one in four housing units is blighted or vacant.

Total bids exceeded $3.5 million."

"NORA officials and preservationists noted that parcels that included structures drew strong demand, calling into question the wisdom of widespread demands for NORA to raze most storm-damaged buildings. Those calling for demolition theorized that vacant lots would generate more interest from buyers and would not scar the landscape as badly as vacant, boarded-up homes."

View Auction Action in a larger map

Green: Property sold at or above appraised value
Yellow: Property sold below appraised value Red: Property didn't sell
"There was a huge tidal wave of people pushing to demolish" all of the properties NORA acquired through the Road Home, Sathe said. "But these properties are so much more marketable with structures."

"The presence of salvageable structures, especially ones with historic character, on those lots could create a modest windfall for the city, while boosting the chances that the parcels will be returned to commerce over the long haul, Tipper said."

"Brad Vogel, of the local office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, pointed out that several homes that sold at the NORA auction for around $30,000 apiece resemble in condition and location other buildings that have been authorized for demolition.

"If a better effort were made to market some of the properties that are going through to demolition, I think you would see more people looking to snap those up," Vogel said.

In addition to maintaining the architectural fabric of neighborhoods, Vogel said saving historically significant abandoned properties from the wrecking ball also increases the chances that a lot ultimately will house an inhabited building again.

Particularly in the city's oldest neighborhoods, tearing down homes leaves slender parcels. "It's just harder to get people to want to build a new house in a old narrow lot, but the historic charm of the old house often overcomes the narrowness of the old narrow lot," he said."

House Moving ... it's been done before

Lest anyone think that house moving is a strange and new thing to think about....

In February 2007 due the voices coming from NorthWest Carrollton a house on Dublin @ Earhart

was moved less than 10 blocks


to 7213 Pritchard Place @ Broadway

Beautiful!

This is why we think the moving the Fig Street houses across the street is possible and much preferable to demolition.

Palm Air Crime Meeting @ Hollygrove Market & Farm

While we haven't see a rash of crimes in NorthWest Carrollton apparently our neighbors in Palm Air have.

URGENT! URGENT! URGENT! Palm Air Neighborhood Meeting

TOPIC: RASH OF CRIMES IN AREA & THE LONDON LODGE MOTEL

SPEAKER: COMMANDER DEAN 3RD DISTRICT/Councilperson Guidry Rep. Sterling

When: Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2011

Where: Hollygrove Market & Farm
8301 Olive Street
New Orleans, La. 70118
(@ Carrollton Post Office and turn right on Olive)

Time: 7:00 pm

Come and voice your concerns about the wave of crime in the area!!!!!

Redistricting Meetings

Councilmember Guidry requests that you notify your neighbors and members about
this Thursday’s important meeting on City Council redistricting
that will be held in the City Council Chamber from 6pm until 7:30pm.
This meeting begins the process of informing and advising the public on the required redistricting process. It will be an informational meeting, to address the population of the City as a whole, and provide information about the necessary shifts to equalize population among the five districts for the next ten years.

Each District Councilmember identified two locations to host public meetings within current boundaries. For your convenience, all district meetings are listed at the bottom of this email, and all meetings will be held from 6pm until 7:30pm.

The meetings in District “A” are scheduled for:
Monday May 9th at Rogers Chapel, 1229 Broadway
Thursday May 12th at 1st Baptist Church 5920 Canal Blvd

Preservation reaps benefits: A letter to the editor

From the Times Picayune
Published: Monday, April 11, 2011, 1:59 AM
If you believe in "teachable moments," then one is certainly going on right here, right now. It has to do with economic development.

The Times-Picayune recently reported on the woes of District E Councilmember Jon Johnson, who can't get a decent grocery store to move into his modern suburban-style district.

Meanwhile across town on old timey Magazine Street, his District A counterpart Susan Guidry is busy quelling a pitched battle between salivating developers and nearby residents over a big-box Walgreens and an expansion of Whole Foods' hours and deliveries.

The lesson here? Preservation is apparently good for business.
Homework assignment for city leaders: zealously revive and protect your old neighborhoods.

Owen Joyner
New Orleans

Keep America Beautiful - Volunteer Opportunity

The City of New Orleans is proud to announce the formation of Keep New Orleans Beautiful (KNOB), an affiliate organization of Keep American Beautiful (KAB) and Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB).
Keep America Beautiful and its affiliate organizations follow a practical approach that unites citizens, businesses and government to find solutions that
prevent litter,
reduce waste,
and beautify communities.

Keep New Orleans Beautiful as a KAB affiliate organization, renders the City of New Orleans eligible for numerous grant opportunities and gives us a proven arsenal for further reducing blight and a vehicle for engaging citizens to effectively participate in neighborhood improvement efforts.

KNOB is a private-public partnership between many different City, State and Federal agencies, corporations, small businesses, community groups and individuals of our area.

One of the tools we will be using for Keep New Orleans Beautiful (KNOB) is the Litter Index, a statistically reliable tool for evaluating the amount of litter in selected areas. Conducting the Litter Index involves sending teams of volunteers to visually assess preselected sub-areas of the City. We are looking for 50 volunteers (over age 18) to assist us in this undertaking. We plan to have a brief 30 minute training on the day of assessment and then send volunteers out in groups of 3-5 to conduct the assessments. At least one volunteer in each assessment group must provide their own vehicle to conduct the assessments.

We plan to hold the first round of assessments on Saturday April 16th from 1-5pm. Please contact Dani Levine at dzlevine@nola.gov or 504-658-4071 if you are interested in participating. Please indicate in your email whether you have your own vehicle and how many passengers you can hold.

Illegal Containers

NorthWest Carrollton continues to struggle with illegally placed containers. We'd like assistance having these containers removed.

There is one on the corner of Leonidas at Fig that is particularly problematic.
It is very close to a fire hydrant and it blocks the view at the intersection of Fig at Leonidas & Earhart.
On Leonidas @ Fig & Earhart


The lot at 2928 Joliet has been problematic for 5 years. Initially there was only one container. Now there are 2.


Please note the photo from the assessor's website which shows the original container on the lot. This lot should be sited for blight, trash, abandoned vehicles, rodent harborage, as well as for the illegal containers.


There are a number of other containers on the streets of NorthWest Carrollton.
One at 8212 Fig Street.

At the February 16th Neighborhood Meeting the neighbors who signed in agreed that we should petition the city for action on these containers. The petition has been sent to our City Council Representative Susan Guidry.

S & W Leak 2643 Dante

This leak on Dante has been reported more times than we can count. There have been partial repairs, as the leak used to be on BOTH sides of Dante. It is now only directly in front of 2643 Dante.

We are reporting this as an issue for both the S&W Leak and for the blight & trash left behind by partial renovations.

We'd appreciate it if this swampy area could be fixed before mosquito season kicks into full gear.

Roadway Construction Debris

Please take a look at the photos below. They were taken taken in the triangular block bounded by Earhart-Joliet-Fig-Leonidas. Our Fig Street neighbors do their best to keep this from becoming more of an eye sore. But the construction debris is too much to deal with. Additionally as long as the trash container sits there it encourages others to use it. We'd appreciate the city's assistance in removing the debris, specifically the boards that were used to form the sidewalks and the container.
We'd also appreciate it if the city would not use the space for dumping, even it it is temporary storage for the break away light poles.

Large Debris Piles Dante, Cambronne & Leonidas

2620 Dante
The pile was create when it was emptied after renters left. According to neighbors, the pile is now collecting additional debris. We'd appreciate it if the pile could be picked up as soon as possible.


2532 Cambronne


Please also see this debris pile of tires on Leonidas & Apple which was reported last December.

NOPD take me away

Jeep has been on Dublin @ Apricot for more than a year and was reported 3 months ago.
At least its facing in the right direction and isn't parked on the grass.


Here's a close up of the license plates - both Louisiana & Illinois.



Van below on Cambronne corner Pritchard Place.... it's been here for years.... it's time for it to go.


Car on 2712 Dublin


Truck on Joliet @ Pritchard Place for at least 3 months. Please note it covers part of the sidewalk.

City Council to Hold Citywide Redistricting Meeting

(Public invited to get the facts and information on redistricting, and why it's necessary)

New Orleans - The New Orleans City Council will hold a citywide meeting to inform the community-at-large about the process to redraw council district boundaries. The public is encouraged to attend. The meeting will take place on Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, 1300 Perdido St. At the meeting, Council members will inform the public about why they are required to redraw district boundaries, according to the City Charter. They will also offer specifics about the redistricting process and how it will move forward.

The City Council Redistricting Plan is not to be confused with the redistricting effort that is ongoing in the Louisiana State Legislature. That separate redistricting effort impacts seats in the State House of Representatives and State Senate, as well as, Louisiana's United States Congressional Districts.

The City Council's redistricting effort affects the five New Orleans Districts; A, B, C, D, and E Residents will receive current population information by district and citywide. Each district is required to have, as nearly as possible, the same number of residents. The council will inform the public how this number is reached and what the new boundaries might mean for each district.

Residents will receive a schedule of upcoming redistricting meetings that will be held in their respective communities. At these meetings residents will have an opportunity to voice opinions and offer feedback on the redistricting plans.

For more information:

CITY COUNCIL CONTACT
Evelyn Pugh, Chief of Staff
504-658-1082/efpugh@nola.gov

Annual Lafitte Corridor hike through New Orleans is April 16

See the Times Picayune article Annual Lafitte Corridor hike through New Orleans is April 16

This the the seventh year that Friends of the Lafitte Corridor has organized the annual hike along the former Norfolk Southern Rail Line, a strip of land that links Tremé, Mid-City, Faubourg St. John, City Park and Lakeview. This year the hike begins April 16 at 10 a.m.

Quotes from Times Picayune article are below:
"In June, the city bought the last 17 acres of the corridor — bordered by North Dorgenois, St. Louis and Lafitte streets and North Claiborne Avenue — from the Trust for Public Land, a national conservation organization, for $3.8 million in Community Development Block Grant money."

“The Greenway will serve as a link between new and existing parks, playgrounds, recreational facilities and community centers, encouraging active living and promoting public health,” said Cedric Grant, deputy mayor of Facilities, Infrastructure and Community Development."

"With all of the land in city hands, it remains only for the design to be finished, said Bart Everson, president of the Friends of the Lafitte Corridor.

“At the heart of this is a trail, a continuous, safe trail that goes from the Quarter to Lakeview,” Everson said. For bikers and pedestrians, cross streets with traffic are a major hazard. On the Lafitte Corridor, “you do have to cross over streets, but not very many,” Everson said."

The street grid was built around the railroad track the is now the Lafitte Corridor. Before the railroad, this historic stretch was a canal dug by the Spanish to connect the French Quarter (at the turning basin which is now Basin Street)to Bayou St. John.

Participation is free and lunch is included. But hikers are asked to register in advance. Go to folc-nola.org to sign up.



Also see:
Hikers along the Lafitte Corridor will trace the path of a soon-to-be greenway
Published: Sunday, April 10, 2011, 12:10 AM
By Sheila Stroup, The Times-Picayune The Times-Picayune

FEMA... Blight & Historic houses

Take a look at a couple of articles in the Times Picayune.

Original Article March 31, 2011
FEMA restarts effort to clear blight
900 buildings set for demolition
Thursday, March 31, 2011 By Michelle KrupaStaff writer


Followup article April 2, 2011
Foul-up found on city's demolition list
Saturday, April 02, 2011 By Michelle Krupa and Bruce Eggler Staff writers

More FEMA money for demolitions is good, but often seems misapplied. I drive past houses everyday with no roofs or wide open to the elements or tipped on their sides but strangely these houses don't seem to be slated for demolition while other houses like the one on Jackson Ave make the list.

The article says the list might need some scrubbing. I'd like to think that there are more than enough problematic houses that the city ought to be able to stay away from houses that already have FEMA grants.

Buildings in older areas also must be reviewed by committees that decide whether to allow a demolition, based on a property's historic character or its contribution to the neighborhood fabric. And thank goodness for that. NorthWest Carrollton lost a house on Apricot Street because this process wasn't in place.

10,000th Hike for KaTREEna Tree

Hike for Katrina founder Monique Pilie plants the 10,000th PostKatrina tree.
100 of those trees were planted in NorthWest Carrollton.
Best of luck and hike safely Monique.

District A Council Member Susan Guidry (in blue) looks on.
Connie Uddo, current head of Hike of KaTREEna (right in grass)

Thanks for the photo Mike.