[StBernard] Banning doesn't replace planning

[Westley Annis]

Banning doesn't replace planning

by CityBusiness Staff 



Posted: Monday, April 14, 2008 

Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans area is faced with a depleted
stock of multifamily housing. The storm erased nearly 52,000 rental units
from the market. These were the homes for the bulk of the service industry,
and their absence is hindering an influx of the work force that could give
the recovery a much-needed boost. 

In Kenner, city officials have placed a one-year moratorium on developments
with five or more apartments so it can evaluate the impact future
development will have on its infrastructure. 

This means the site of the sprawling Redwood Apartments on West Esplanade
Avenue will remain vacant, although a University of New Orleans study has
already determined a lower density, mixed-used development - including
rental property - to be the most suitable use of the property.

The logic of stepping back and evaluating the impact of development is a
sound one. It's the function of government-backed panels such as zoning
commissions and boards of adjustments. But with its decision to halt all
multifamily development for 12 months, Kenner has given a vote of no
confidence to its existing planning process. 

In Jefferson Parish, there has been much reluctance to OK multifamily
housing in large tracts for fear it will foster the criminal element that
has taken root in similar developments along the West Bank. Police and code
enforcement officials are taking steps to address problem areas, but
additional apartment development is being placed under intense scrutiny. 

In St. Bernard, the parish council has twice tried to control the rental
market in its jurisdiction only to face possible legal repercussions. A
parish ordinance limiting rentals to relatives was dropped in February amid
discrimination claims. Developers have gone to federal court to fight
another measure that prevents them from converting properties into rentals
that weren't leased before Katrina without going through what they call a
burdensome and costly approval process.

St. Bernard officials say the intent of "permissive use permits" is to
stabilize the housing market, and Councilman Ray Lauga notes several
mixed-income developments are being considered.

But in St. Bernard, Kenner and throughout the New Orleans area, the fact is
multifamily housing is not returning at an adequate rate to support the
area's recovery.

Moratoriums and restrictive ordinances aren't the answer to addressing
affordable housing needs, especially when the incentive window for
developers to pull together financing to build such projects is limited.

Governments should bolster their existing planning policies and procedures
to improve the pace of redevelopment, not hinder it..