No
Expansion for Castellon Pharmacy
There is a fierce zoning battle going on that began six years ago
on an Uptown New Orleans street corner. A neighborhood pharmacy wants
to expand its building footprint to 15,850 square feet and put a parking
lot across two adjacent lots. The problem is that the Zoning Laws
and the pharmacy’s request are not compatible. This is the THIRD
time the owner, Victor Castellon, has attempted to skirt the zoning
laws to achieve his own ends. And it’s the THIRD time the neighborhood
has said NO WAY!!!!!!!!
FACTS:
- Castellon pharmacy and the surrounding lots in question are all
located in the Carrollton National Historic District.
- The present pharmacy is 8,702 square feet and would be expanded
to 15,850 square feet. Parking would increase from 22 spaces to
57 spaces.
- The current site of Castellon pharmacy is zoned C-1A General Commercial.
This classification limits the size of commercial buildings to 10,000
square feet unless a Conditional Use permit is granted by the City.
- The adjacent lots are zoned RD-2, two-Family Residential, NOT
commercial.
- The expanded pharmacy would have three entry/exit points. The
existing entry point on Oak Street will remain and two new entries
would be made, one on Dante Street and the other on Zimple Street.
Both of these streets are solely residential, lined with one and
two story shotguns built in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Click here to see the proposed plan!!!! (scan in plan)
RELEVANT LAWS:
- The Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of 1970 (CZO) classifies the
Oak Street corridor as C-1, General Commercial, and imposes a footprint
size limit of 10,000 square feet. It also designates the surrounding
neighborhoods as RD-2 zones, zones for residential two-family dwellings.
- Section 15.2 of the CZO mandates that retail stores located in
high density districts such as this provide one parking space per
300 square feet of ground floor area and one space per 600 square
feet of upper floor area.
ZONING CONCERNS:
- Making the proposed changes will require a Conditional Use permit
to increase the building size since it is otherwise in violation
of zoning laws.
- Making the changes will also require a Conditional Use permit
to allow a parking lot to cover residentially zoned lots.
- Making the changes will require a waiver since Section 15.2 of
the CZO only allows for 45 parking spaces NOT the requested 57.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS:
- Such an expansion will produce heavy traffic flow that the residential
area is not suited to handle.
- The inhospitable parking lot and oversized store will devalue
surrounding property.
- The whole expansion plan is OUT Of CONTEXT with the surrounding
environment and neighborhood.
SMART GROWTH’S POSITION:
NO EXPANSION OF ANY KIND
- The neighborhood has united and said “NO WAY” to this
proposed expansion.
o We believe that neighborhoods like this one are crucial to maintaining
the distinct character and quality of life in these historic districts.
It should have a very influential say in what becomes of the neighborhood.
Therefore, its opposition should be a determining factor!
- Both the CZO and the New Orleans Land Use Plan of 1999 zoned this
area C-1A and RD-2 FOR A REASON.
o The zoning laws are designed to ensure healthy development and
also to protect neighborhoods and small businesses from this kind
of “creeping commercialism”. It is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY
for such laws to be respected, obeyed and applied consistently and
justly.
o Allowing one Conditional Use simply opens the door to dozens and
dozens of future exceptions. The Zoning laws then become worthless
and the City is then at the whim of innumerable faceless developers.
Don’t let them get away with it!!!!! Help preserve neighborhoods
while there are still neighborhoods to preserve.
To contact the New Orleans City Council
or the City Planning Commission about this issue, click here!
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