12-2-2024: Re: ZD 105/24 -- Request for Conditional Use Permit for a Hotel over 10,000 sq ft

December 2, 2024 

City Planning Commission 
1300 Perdido Street 
New Orleans, LA 

Re: ZD 105/24 -- Request for Conditional Use Permit for a Hotel over 10,000 sq ft 

Dear City Planning Commission, 

Louisiana Landmarks Society wishes to express strong opposition to the proposed hotel development at 621 Elysian Fields Avenue, which requires both a Conditional Use Permit and significant zoning variances. After careful review, it is clear that this project fails to meet the fundamental requirements outlined in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO). The proposed development would drastically alter the historic character of the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, with an 85-foot structure that would tower over surrounding one-story shotgun homes, some of which would be mere inches from this massive vertical wall. 

The applicant's request for variances appears to not meet the Nine Criteria required for zoning variances. The proposed development does not appear to be driven by any special circumstances unique to the property, but solely by the developer's desire to maximize profit and return on investment. The project would fundamentally change the streetscape and destroy the human-scale architectural character that defines this historic district. Additionally, this historic neighborhood is already saturated with substantial transient accommodations, including nearby hotels with 258 rooms and 402 beds, as well as 355 short-term rentals and 34 bed and breakfasts, diminishing its residential integrity. 

The proposed development blatantly disregards the CZO's explicit requirements to preserve neighborhood character and protect the welfare of residential properties. It would severely impact neighboring properties by blocking sunlight, destroying the historic fabric of the area, and introducing an incompatible scale of development. Moreover, it would set a precedent for more out-of-scale buildings to follow suit. 

Louisiana Landmarks Society urges the City Planning Commission to deny both the Conditional Use Permit and the requested zoning variances, thereby protecting the integrity of one of New Orleans' most cherished historic neighborhoods. 

 Sincerely, 

Sandra Stokes 
Chair of Advocacy 
Louisiana Landmarks Society