Mid-City Neighborhood Organization

Grace Episcopal Church is offering two free “Food for the Soul” family unity dinners held on both Saturday September 13, 2008 and September 20, 2008.

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The following comes from our “neighboring neighborhood” of Parkview. The property in question is right on the border of Mid-City Neighborhood Organization’s boundary. We encourage all concerned residents to take action on this matter.

Neighbors,

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. WE HAVE A REAL CHANCE TO KEEP ANOTHER INAPPROPRIATE BAR FROM OPERATING AT 3841 ORLEANS AVENUE. ON BEHALF OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, I AND OTHER NEIGHBORS HAVE WORKED HARD ON THIS BEHIND THE SCENES. WE NOW NEED YOU TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS AND OUR NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE HAD TO LIVE NEAR THESE BARS BY ATTENDING THE HEARING IN BATON ROUGE NEXT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, AT 10 A.M. PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO ATTEND. IF YOU CAN NOT ATTEND, PLEASE SEND A LETTER, AS STATED BELOW.

On June 20, 2008, a company named “Scotto’s Cafe, LLC” posted signs on the door and window of 3841 Orleans Avenue, the former site of Lyric’s Cafe and Tyler’s, announcing that Scotto’s had applied for a high and low alcohol content permit. The city application states that Scotto’s planned to begin operation by July 18, 2008. We originally went to the city with our objections, which at least seemed to slow the city permitting process down. Councilmember Shelley Midura’s office assisted in setting up a meeting with one of the owners of the property and someone who is supposed to “operate” the business. The owner of Scotto’s did not attend. This meeting confirmed that yet another bar was in the making, despite the fact that the application is for a restaurant, not a bar. However, the city officials at the meeting indicated that they might not be able to stop the new business from getting a city permit.

So, we turned to the state. On behalf of PNA, on July 24, 2008, I filed a Petition with the State Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control stating our opposition to the state granting a liquor permit to Scotto’s Cafe. Among other grounds, I allege that the property has been run by a number of “businesses,” but that the property owner is the true operator, and that the people seeking the permits are not really operating the business. This is against state law. I also stated the history of Lyric’s and Tyler’s with illegal live entertainment, illegal parking and noise, and customers loitering, intimidating neighbors, causing property damage and selling drugs, etc.

The state has subpoenaed the owner of the property, the owner of Scotto’s Cafe, LLC, and the intended “operators” to appear and provide evidence that Scotto’s is a valid company that will operate a restaurant at the location. I must also provide evidence that the facts that I allege in the Petition of Opposition are true.

We need your support. If you experienced any of the problems with Lyric’s and Tyler’s, if you have any knowledge of the number of operators that have been involved, if you attended any of the meetings between the owner, previous operators, neighborhood organizations and/or the city, please reply to this email and take the time to attend this hearing. If you did not experience these events, but want to show your support for your neighbors’ struggle on this serious quality of life issue, please reply to this email and attend to show our solidarity. If you can not attend, please send a letter by fax or mail to Commissioner Murphy J. Painter at the below address. The fax number is 225-925-3975.

The public hearing will be held at the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, 8585 Archives Ave., Ste. 220, Baton Rouge, Wednesday, August 27, 10:00 a.m.

Thanks to all who helped get us to this point and to all who will help us going forward.

Susan Guidry
President
Parkview Neighborhood Association

From Virginia Blanque:

Thanks to everyone who attended the public scoping meeting hosted by the VA on Monday August 11th. The purpose of this meeting was to seek public input on VA’s consideration of the Lindy Boggs site for their new Medical Center. There were more than 300 people in attendance (by my estimate), and approximately 30 people made comments or asked questions. I continue to be impressed by the insight, engagement and passion that Mid-City residents and business owners bring to the table regarding issues of recovery.

Presentations were made by VA, Victory Real Estate Investors, Dr. Ed Blakely, Councilmember Midura and Councilmember Head. This was followed by more than 90 minutes of comments and questions from the audience.

Some of the facts that were established:

* The Lindy Boggs site as offered by Victory is 39.8 acres, spanning from Jeff Davis to Carrollton, and from Bienville Avenue to Toulouse Street which is a light industrial and medical use zone.

*The Lindy Boggs site was offered as a response to the Section 106 meetings, in which any viable alternative sites can be proposed.

*The Victory offering excludes the city block that Mid-City Center sits on. It excludes the properties that Victory owns south of Bienville and West of Carrollton Avenue.

*The VA’s premise for the project is a 1.1 million square foot medical complex including a hospital and outpatient clinics spread over the ~17 block area. The tallest building would be the hospital at 6-7 stories. The VA refers to the design of the medical center as “campus-style”.

*The existing Lindy Boggs Hospital and office building is approximately 500,000 square feet on 2 city blocks.

*The total square footage of existing buildings (hospital, offices, warehouses, retail) on the proposed site is 980,000 square feet.

* Dr. Ed Blakely stated that the City will not assist VA in any way if they choose the Lindy Boggs site. The package of CDBG funds and other incentives offered by the City would not be offered for this site.

*Residents of Mid-City/Lower Mid-City who spoke at the meeting were overwhelmingly in favor of the Lindy Boggs site.

*Veterans who spoke at the meeting are in favor of whatever decision will get them quality healthcare in New Orleans faster. They are suffering from the lack of available quality care at this time.

Some additional information that was not presented in the Scoping Meeting but has been discussed either directly with Victory/VA or in the Section 106 meetings:

*VA is aware of the plans for the Lafitte Corridor Greenway. They have invited Friends of Lafitte Corridor to join the Section 106 process as a Consulting Party. There initial response was that they liked the idea of this planned greenspace and could work with it in their design.

*Victory has stated that if the project goes through at the Lindy Boggs site, they have arranged for Rouse’s to move across the street to the Bohn Ford site with new construction. We have not yet independently confirmed this with Rouse’s.

*VA confirmed that they are able to move forward with the project without funding from the City.

*LSU confirmed that they will move forward with their plans for a downtown location even if VA chooses the Lindy Boggs site.

*National Trust stated the Lindy Boggs site would NOT require the more extensive EIS (environmental impact study) that the RPC site.

*Lindy Boggs site would not require the demolition of a single home because there none in the footprint.

*Aside from the Downtown site and the Lindy Boggs site, there are two other options that VA is considering: Ochsner site in Jefferson Parish and No Action (meaning they would not build a large Medical Center in the area).

Latest articles:
TP: Letter to the editor in today’s paper
TP: Hearing tackles VA med center location
Advocate: N.O. crowd protests VA hospital site
for maps and additional information: www.valsumedcenters.com

Again, thank you for participating in the Federal process of a public hearing on the topic. It aligns with our Mid-City Plan which is why we support it for healthcare and economics.

Virginia Blanque
VP, Mid-City Neighborhood Organization

There is a change to tonight’s agenda!

The Veterans Administration has announced its consideration of the Lindy Boggs hospital site as an alternative site for the proposed VA Medical Center. The VA is hosting a public meeting next Monday August 11th at 7pm for this purpose.

MCNO will therefore postpone our main agenda item, Energy Costs, to allow sufficient time to educate our members and neighbors about the VA proposal and how it fits into the Mid-City Plan.

The agenda is now:

Agenda

1. Welcome

2. VA Consideration of Lindy Boggs Hospital as Alternative Site

3. Crime Update

4. Neighborhood Information Sharing

Update from MCNO Board Members on Progress of projects
Announcements of Night Out Against Crime events to be held Tuesday August 5th throughout Mid-City
Guy Fournier - Update on the New Orleans Faith Health Alliance Project
Linda Stone & Raymond Breaux of Global Green - Brief on Green Schools & the Build it Back Green program