Viavant/Venetian Isles/Lake Catherine Neighborhood Planning District 11 Rebuilding Plan Introduction Table of Contents Approximately 100 days after Hurricane Katrina Planning District 11 is the subject of the Acknowledgements A. Viavant/Venetian Isles/Lake Catherine struck, Motion M-05-592 was unanimously following report. Neighborhood 3 passed by the City Council of New Orleans. This With grateful appreciation the planning team would Location and History 3 motion ensured that community-based, Basic assumptions also formed the basis for like to thank all the residents of District 11 who Recovery Vision and Goals 4 neighborhood-by-neighborhood planning would the Planning District 11 Recovery Plan: participated in this planning process and without Planning Process and be central to decisions associated with the whose participation this plan would not be Neighborhood Participation 5 recovery of the most devastated areas of New 1) That a flood protection system will be possible. Planning Efforts Pre-Hurricane Katrina 6 Orleans. The City Council was adamant that the designed to withstand future catastrophic people most impacted by the storm would play loss from a 1 in 100 year storm and that this B. Pre-Katrina Neighborhood Existing a central role in defining the future of their is a commitment by the Federal Government; Project Directory Conditions 7 communities. Overall, 47 of the 73 Land Use and Zoning 7 neighborhoods delineated by the City’s Planning 2) That stringent building codes will be City of New Orleans Pre-Katrina Demographic Profile 8 Commission have had plans prepared as part of implemented to further limit wind damage; C. Ray Nagin, Mayor Recreation and Open Space 10 this process. Roadway Hierarchy and Jurisdiction 10 3) That the basic urban structure of the city New Orleans City Council Housing, Architecture and The City Council charged a team of consultants is sound and that rebuilding will respect this Historic Preservation 11 overseen by Lambert Advisory & SHEDO with structure; Oliver M. Thomas, President assisting neighborhoods flooded by Hurricane Arnie Fielkow, Vice-President C. Hurricane Katrina Neighborhood Katrina in developing revitalization plans that 4)That there is an organized, coherent and Shelley Midura, District A Impacts 13 are thoughtful and can be implemented, for operable Hurricane Evacuation Program. Stacy S. Head, District B Extent of Flooding 13 incorporation into a citywide recovery and James Carter, District C Damage Assessment improvement plan to be submitted to the State Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, District D Residential Damage Assessment 13 of Louisiana and federal funding agencies. This Cynthia Willard-Lewis, District E Commercial Damage Assessment 13 document is one of forty-two (42) Infrastructure Damage Assessment 13 neighborhood plans that meet that mandate. Project Management Parks and Open Space Damage Assessment 14 Lambert Advisory, LLC Community Facilities 14 Paul Lambert 2 Civic Facilities 14 Schools and Universities 14 SHEDO, LLC Shelia Danzey D. Neighborhood Rebuilding Scenarios 15 Neighborhood Re-population 16 Overall Planning Consultant E. Neighborhood Recovery Plan 17 Bermello-Ajamil & Partners, Inc. Strategic Initiatives 17 Alfredo C. Sanchez, AIA, AICP Plan Elements Key Recovery and Development Projects 19 Hewitt-Washington, Inc. Land Use and Zoning 20 Lonnie Hewitt, AIA Transportation and Public Transit 20 Parks, Open Space and Neighborhood Planner Landscape Architecture 20 St. Martin - Brown & Associates, LLP Housing, Architecture and Joseph St. Martin Historic Preservation 20 Deron Brown Utilities and Municipal Services 20 Human Services and Community Facilities 20 F. Implementation and Funding Strategies 21 Cover Images left to right: A: Fort Pike Aerial B: Snowy Egret C: Point aux Herbes City of New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan Below: Aerial Map of Viavant/Venetian Isles A. Viavant/Venetian Isles/Lake Catherine Neighborhood Location and History The Viavant / Venetian Isles / Lake Catherine Neighborhood is located in Planning District Eleven. Viavant / Venetian Isles / Lake Catherine includes the largest tract of predominantly uninhabited land in the City of New Orleans The boundaries of Viavant / Venetian Isles / and Lake Catherine are the Industrial Canal and US Highway 11 to the west, Chef 3 Menteur Highway (US 90) and Lake Pontchartrain to the north, Orleans / St.Tammany Parish line to the east and the Intercoastal waterway /St. Bernard Parish line to the south. Venetian Isle was originally owned by Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent and later by several prominent New Orleans families including the Lafon and Michoud families. The area east of Paris Road is referred to as Venetian Isles while the area west of Paris road is referred to as Viavant because the major landowners were the Viavant Family. The Lake Catherine neighborhood is located in the far eastern part of Planning District 11 adjacent to Bayou Savage and is surrounded by Lake Borgne and Lake St. Catherine. The Viavant / Venetian Isles / Lake Catherine areas are located outside of the City's levee protection system. This area is unique as it serves as the Viavant/Venetian Isles/Lake Catherine Neighborhood, Planning District Eleven Images from left to right: A: Venetian Isles Welcome Sign B: View Across Chef Menteur Pass 4 home to some of New Orleans most notable Vision the use of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet redevelopment of its original "fishing camp" landmarks and major employers: (MRGO) channel given the desire of area style; The vision of the Neighborhood Recovery residents to see the channel closed. · Fort Pike State Park; Plan is to restore the quality of life in · Recover, expand, and design beautiful · Fort Macomb State Park, Viavant / Venetian Isles / Lake Catherine to open spaces and parks; · Rigolets Lighthouse, the level that existed prior to Hurricane Neighborhood Recovery Goals · Folgers Coffee Plant; and Katrina plus make key improvements to the · Promote restoration of critical coastal · Lockheed Martin's NASA's Michoud quality of life in the neighborhood. The The recovery plan is to be used as a tool for wetlands and habitats that serve as buffers Assembly Facility neighborhood wants to continue to the community to achieve goals that ensure for Orleans Parish communities and maintain its quaint character while that the character Viavant / Venetian Isles / infrastructure; Many of the neighborhood's assets were enhancing the day-to-day quality of life for Lake Catherine is preserved. The plan will greatly devastated due to the flood waters neighborhood residents and encouraging provide a list of projects to be implemented · Restore and enhance the ability of the and catastrophic winds caused by Hurricane growth in property values. in the early, mid, and long term recovery area to attract major businesses in Katrina. However Folgers and NASA's phases. appropriately designated areas. Michoud, two of the major employers in the While not related to the residential areas of City, are currently operating. Planning District 11, local residents and The projects identified shall serve as business owners are also committed to catalyst for the rebuilding of the insuring the long term health and viability community. The goal for the Recovery Plan Recovery Vision and Goals of the major employers in the Planning is to carefully identify projects that can be District and particularly to the continued leveraged to benefit the community as a The Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan provides a buildout and development of the New whole such as: vision and framework for physical improvements, Orleans Regional Business Park (NORBP). economic sustainability and community · Maintain and enhance the character of enhancements for the Viavant / Venetian Isles / The buildout of NORBP however, should Viavant / Venetian Isles / Lake Catherine Lake Catherine Neighborhood. proceed in a fashion which does not require providing opportunities for the City of New Orleans Neighborhoods Rebuilding Plan Planning Process and The initial meetings began with a group of By focusing on the facts generated from Neighborhood Participation 12 individuals and eventually grew into a the data collected, community members planning discussion involving over 2500 were able to refocus their personal opinion The Viavant / Venetian Isles / Lake residents of the district. The community on how the neighborhood as a whole Catherine neighborhood consist of two began a planning process that allowed the would heal. The design teams evaluated neighborhood associations and the New residents, business owners, and other the data and presented recommendations Orleans Business Industrial District. stakeholders to determine how their in a series of open district planning Immediately after Hurricane Katrina and community should return. meetings. before the flood waters receded the records of the Property Owners and Business Design teams were created to help the The larger community meeting or charrette Associations were retrieved. NORBP association leaders understand the basic allowed individual community members to conducted a meeting in Baton Rouge to planning principles in developing recovery identify issues, opportunities, liabilities and 5 organize and create a network of plans for their neighborhoods. Association assets in their neighborhoods. In addition, associations to discuss the rebuilding leads took the information gathered at the the district planning meetings were used to process in Eastern New Orleans. These weekly district meetings into