Village de L’est Neighborhood Planning District 10 Rebuilding Plan Village de L’Est Neighborhood, Planning District Ten Introduction Table of Contents Approximately 100 days after Hurricane Katrina Planning District 10 is the subject of the Acknowledgements A. Village de L’Est Neighborhood 3 struck, Motion M-05-592 was unanimously following report. With grateful appreciation the Planning team Location and History 3 passed by the City Council of New Orleans. would like to thank the residents of District 10, Recovery Vision and Goals 4 This motion ensured that community-based, Basic assumptions also formed the basis who participated in this planning process and Planning Process and Neighborhood Participation 5 neighborhood-by-neighborhood planning for the Planning District 10 Recovery Plan: without whom this effort would not have been Planning Efforts Pre-Hurricane Katrina 6 would be central to decisions associated with possible. the recovery of the most devastated areas of 1) That a flood protection system B. Pre-Hurricane Katrina Neighborhood New Orleans. The City Council was adamant will be designed to withstand future Project Directory Existing Conditions 9 that the people most impacted by the storm catastrophic loss from a 1 in 100 year Land Use and Zoning 9 would play a central role in defining the future storm and that this is a commitment by City of New Orleans Pre-Katrina Demographic Profile 9 of their communities. Overall, 47 of the 73 the Federal Government; C. Ray Nagin, Mayor Recreation and Open Space 11 neighborhoods delineated by the City’s 2) That stringent building codes New Orleans City Council: Roadway Hierarchy and Jurisdiction 11 Planning Commission have had plans prepared will be implemented to further limit wind Oliver M. Thomas, President Housing, Architecture and Historic Preservation 12 as part of this process. damage; 3) That the basic urban structure Arnie Fielkow, Vice-President Shelley Midura, District A C. Hurricane Katrina Neighborhood Impacts 15 The City Council charged a team of consultants of the city is sound and that rebuilding Stacy S. Head, District B Extent of Flooding 15 overseen by Lambert Advisory & SHEDO with will respect this structure; James Carter, District C Damage Assessment assisting neighborhoods flooded by Hurricane 4)That there is an organized, Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, District D Residential Properties Damage Assessment 15 Katrina in developing revitalization plans that coherent and operable Hurricane Cynthia Willard-Lewis, District E Commercial Properties Damage Assessment 15 are thoughtful and can be implemented, for Evacuation Program. Infrastructure Damage Assessment 16 incorporation into a citywide recovery and Parks and Open Space Damage Assessment 17 improvement plan to be submitted to the State Project Management: Community Facilities 17 of Louisiana and federal funding agencies. This Lambert Advisory, LLC Schools and Universities 17 document is one of forty-two (42) Paul Lambert neighborhood plans that meet that mandate. SHEDO, LLC D. Neighborhood Rebuilding Scenarios 19 Shelia Danzey Neighborhood Re-population 20 City Planning Commission: 2 Planning District Overall Planning Consultant: E. Neighborhood Recovery Plan 21 Designations Bermello-Ajamil & Partners, Inc. Strategic Initiatives 21 Alfredo C. Sanchez, AIA, AICP Plan Elements Key Recovery and Development Projects 24 Hewitt-Washington, Inc. Land Use and Zoning 25 Lonnie Hewitt, AIA Parks, Open Space and Landscape Architecture 26 Transportation and Public Transit 26 Neighborhood Planner: Housing, Architecture and Historic Preservation 26 St. Martin - Brown & Associates, LLP Utilities and Municipal Services 26 Joseph St. Martin Human Services and Community Facilities 26 Deron Brown F. Neighborhood Planning Initiative 27 G. Implementation and Funding Strategies 33 Cover Images left to right: A: Drawings - Redevelopment of the Versailles Business District B: Canoeing along Bayou Sauvage C: Six Flags New Orleans - Batman Ride City of New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan A. Village de L’Est Neighborhood Location and History recognized chain of amusement parks. Bayou Savage, which adjoins the built areas The Village de l’Est Neighborhood of the neighborhood, is a 20,000-acre wildlife encompasses the entire area of Planning refugee that is home to American bald eagles District 10. Village de l’Est is bordered by and American alligators. Paris Road / I-510 to the west, Chef Menteur Highway to the south, Lake Pontchartrain to Many of the neighborhood’s assets were the north, and US Highway 11 to the east. greatly devastated by the flood waters and The following neighborhoods and catastrophic winds of Hurricane Katrina. subdivisions are included: • Oak Island I 3 • Oak Island II • Willowbrook • Village de l’Est The history of development dates back to 1763 when the King of France gave the area as a land grant to Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent. Over the years the neighborhood passed through many different owners, but it wasn’t until the early 1960’s that major development began. In 1964, a 600-acre tract was developed with single-family and double-residential structures. It began primarily as a largely African-American neighborhood but since then thousands of Vietnamese immigrants settled in the area. Even through a slowing of the economy during the 1980’s there was an increase in population within the neighborhood. The Village de l’Est area features several churches, schools and commercial At right: Neighborhood Boundary Maps - developments. The area is home to Six Flags Village de L’Est Neighborhood New Orleans. Six Flags is a nationally Village de L’Est Neighborhood, Planning District Ten • Oak Island I • Oak Island II • Willowbrook • Village de l’Est Recovery Vision and Goals the character Village de l’Est is preserved. The plan will provide a list of projects to be The Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan provides a implemented in the early, mid-, and long-term 4 vision and framework for physical recovery phases. The projects identified shall improvements, economic sustainability and serve as catalysts for the rebuilding of the community enhancements for the Village de community. The goal for the Recovery Plan is to L’est Neighborhood. carefully identify projects that can be leveraged to benefit the community as a whole, such as: Vision • Improve and enhance the existing streets, sidewalks and infrastructure system serving The vision of the Neighborhood Recovery Plan Village de l’Est; is to restore the quality of life in Village de l’Est to the level that existed prior to Hurricane • Provide attractive residential options; Katrina plus make key improvements to the quality of life in the neighborhood by • Maintain and enhance the predominantly addressing concentrations of high-density single-family character of Village de l’Est providing apartments found along the I-10 and by opportunities for the inclusion of lower density encouraging the development of quality retail multi-family residential in the appropriate that will enhance the day-to-day life for locations; neighborhood residents and encourage growth in property values. • Adequately redevelop commercial areas such as the Versailles Business District; • Develop Urban Design Corridors along Alcee Neighborhood Recovery Goals Fortier Boulevard; The recovery plan is to be used as a tool for the • Create mixed-use districts at I-10 nodes; Aerial Map of the Village de L’Est Neighborhood (Above) community to achieve goals that ensure that City of New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan • Create a new Town Centre attracting quality Gulf Outlet as to limit the risk of another of Eastern New Orleans who had lost the owners, community based organizations, retail and dining; devastating storm surge; majority of their possessions and even city support services, and elected officials. some of their loved ones were now given • Recover, expand and design beautiful open • Prevention of the neighborhood becoming a the task of “proving their viability”. The purpose of the design team was to spaces and parks; dumping ground for Katrina-related debris, analyze data, provide neighborhood particularly as it relates to the Chef Menteur In early January, the leaders of the area’s history, identify neighborhood patterns, • Create new pocket parks to satisfy the needs Landfill which is currently operational but known associations began meeting at the and to define the characteristics of the of Village de l’Est residents; considered a major environmental and Eastover Country Club temporary trailer neighborhoods. development hazard. with planners, architects and statisticians • Promote the development of a senior to discuss the recovery process for the By focusing on the facts generated from housing village inclusive of a new church, community. The initial meetings began the data collected, community members chapel, cultural center and community garden; Planning Process and with a group of 12 individuals and were able to refocus their personal opinion 5 Neighborhood Participation eventually grew into a planning discussion on how the neighborhood as a whole • Replace the street tree canopy destroyed by involving over 2500 residents of the would heal. The design teams evaluated Hurricane Katrina; The Village de L’est neighborhood consists district. The community began a planning the data and presented recommendations of several smaller neighborhood process that allowed the residents, in a series of open district planning • Promote the redevelopment of the Six Flags associations and subdivisions.