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Gentilly Terrace and Gardens |
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PROVISIONAL: Gentilly
Terrace & Gardens Improvement Association Meeting
convened at 7:00 p.m. Approximately 30 people present. Tiffany Chase, candidate for civil district court judge, introduced herself and her candidacy. Jarrod Brossett, with Councilwoman Morrell's office, noted that Mrs. Morrell had hoped to attend the meeting but had thought the meeting was scheduled to begin at 6pm. He offered to answer questions from the membership. Q: What is happening with
Holy Cross? Q: What about a lawsuit to
halt the project? Q: What about the status
of the Gentilly Terrace Post Office? A number of residents have been
losing mail. Jarrod noted that a library is supposedly opening in the 6000 block of St. Roch. Q: What about Zuppardo's? Jarrod noted that the club that recently sought a permit for the Frenchmen location "will not get an A.B.O. permit." A final vote on the project is scheduled for April 5th. Q: I know the owner of the
club and I'm curious what the big concern is about that project. SGT LeVasseur, New Orleans Police
Department, took questions. Q: Dumping is becoming a problem in my area. Gentilly accounts for the most calls received by our office concerning Neighborhood Watch issues. Regular non pac meetings are a good source of information about crime patterns. If your organization can, it would be good to send a representative to these meetings so you can keep up on current challenges. The meetings are at the church in the 5200 block of Canal. Our biggest problem has been auto thefts, especially after 10pm. Too many people forget to regularly follow simple security measures, such as making sure their doors are locked, not leaving valuables on the car seat, etc....Preventive measures by residents can be very effective. Our biggest problems in the area occur in the evenings. From 8am to 5pm we have very few problems. Juvenile truancy is a serious matter. Businesses should not serve juveniles during school hours or curfew hours. A security district is a very good idea. With such a district, residents can call an office to escort them, check on suspicious activity, etc... In answer to the question about dumping, we are aware of the problem along the People's canal. The city's Sanitation Department and FEMA are the best offices to contact about debris issues. Mr. Mendoza at the Dept. of Streets and Signs is the best person to contact about missing or damaged street signs. But, NOPD is doing a neighborhood walk with residents of Vista Park soon. We can also schedule a walk with Gentilly Terrace residents. During these walks, we help point out potential security problems and promote our Good Neighbor Program. GT&GIA will add SGT LeVasseur to our mailing list and keep him informed of future activities. The Night Out Against Crime will be the first Tuesday in August. Q: What about loud music
from vehicles? Q: The 4600 block of
Demontluzin has become a highway, with cars speeding through. The street
used to be one-way and that seemed to help keep driving speeds down. A
neighbor was held at gunpoint in her yard. Q: What about foot
patrols? Scott Darrah, immediate past president of GCIA, noted that a committee has been working on a proposed Crime Prevention District. In the long term an actual taxing district would be good. But, in the short term, it might be necessary to try to organize a paid detail. The committee's estimates indicate that the community would need 825 subscribers at $25 per month. The size of the districts and boundaries have been proposed.. Gentilly Terrace falls into a proposed "Milneburg District". This would be a good intermediary step toward a full prevention district. CPT Elder is interested in helping residents shape a plan that would work best. Q: How realistic is it to
get 825 subscribers? What would be the next step? Norm noted that this plan would use off-duty NOPD officers, not simply security company personnel. Police officers are bound more strictly by public law and can enforce the law. The cost difference between the two different types of personnel is negligible. Q: Didn't Lakeview have to
vote on their district? Q: Would the entire plan
have to begin at the same time? Q: How would this benefit
me? Q: What if we just
miss the necessary number by a few people? Scott also recommended a person to manage the district. GCIA is totally committed to the project, but does not want to speak prematurely for the new board that was elected to run GCIA. Norm thanked Scott for his efforts and requested a group of members to oversee this proposed project. Norm Whitley noted malfunctioning street lights are becoming a problem. There is a phone # on the lights for people to call to request service. When calling, be sure to indicate the location as precisely as possible. It would also help to mark the poles with blue masking tape, making it easier for repairmen to see during the daytime. There is also a form on the city's website to request service. Norm noted that the District 6 Community Council both currently exist. They are exploring ways to cooperate in the future. Norm requested a group to work with pursuit of "local" historic district designation. This would help the community to better protect ourselves. Patricia Gay at the PRC is willing to help. Wayne Gillette and April Lauterbach will also assist with the project. UPDATES: Norm reported that Lori Lorio(sp?) says that Gentilly Terrace Elementary School meets the standards for national historic status. Interestingly enough, it was originally built by a Germany company. UNO's charter application was corrupted via e-mail. The deadline passed and the reviewers refused to let them resubmit the application. An oral presentation was made, but it did not count. BESE says there is no appeal process. Q: Does Councilwoman
Morrell support UNO's application? Q: Can we impact who gets
to use the school? Norm reported that some residents have not yet received their garbage cans. Dan Falk reported that the neighborhood survey has counted about 500 properties. Dan also proposed that we establish a phone bank to help with meeting announcements. Q: Is it still possible to
report blighted property on the city's website? Norm noted that the comment period for the UNOP has concluded. The City Planning Commission has said they have no obligation to consult UNOP documents in their decisions. This could be a major concern. Denise McConduit is writing a Gentilly column for the Times Picayune on Thursdays. John Lyon noted that Parkway Partners has planted about 250 trees on Elysian Fields. Operation Nehemiah is looking for volunteer projects, big ones, that their people could focus on and make a large impact. Members should suggest ideas for them. The Festival of Neighborhoods will include a table for District 6. Old Business: John Lyon noted that the historic preservation grants have been awarded. There 14 grants awarded to Gentilly Terrace residents. Q: What about the Town
Center project? J.P. Morrell noted that St. Bernard will not be torn down. There was a law passed to prevent its removal. Meeting adjourned at 9pm. Next meeting with be the second Tuesday in
April, more information to follow. |