RENEWAL UPDATE
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear friends and neighbors,
When I began serving as the President of LVPOA one year ago, the most pressing issues we faced were Army Corps of Engineers planning and the preservation of the Lake Vista covenants that have protected our neighborhood for seventy years.
Over the last year I’ve met with other neighborhood leaders (Lake Oaks, Lake Terrace, Lakeshore, Lakeview), and with Colonel Bedey and other Army Corps representatives in small group meetings, in the public meetings some of you attend, and in one 2-day workshop that included internationally recognized scientists outside of the Corps. Other Lake Vista representatives involved have been Holly Callia, Clancy DuBos, Mark and Patricia Fulmer, and recently, John Davis. John and I attended the 2- day workshop together. At other points, the LVPOA board was polled to establish an appropriate perspective, so that I was not acting alone. I want to thank all of our volunteers who have given up countless hours away from work and family to track and participate in these discussions. We have made progress identifying issues that are important, but the Army Corps of Engineers planning is at a crucial stage and your participation is needed.
Last year the Corps began by talking about “the three outfall canals,” 17th Street, Orleans, and London Avenue, as if they needed to be handled uniformly. Many residents don’t realize that Lake Vista rests between two areas currently in design discussions: one is the Orleans Canal project and the other is the Bayou St John closure. Real progress was made when we learned that the Corps accepted the neighborhoods’ request to consider each of the three outfall canal solutions as separate design issues.
Some say they want to revisit the decisions and discuss again other possible options for protection, like the Lake Borgne barrier or ring levees. In my opinion, the Corps has moved beyond those discussions and is determined to build new, permanent pumps – the question is - where will they go?
Some say that the pumps don’t have to be as large as popular projections, but in the 2- day workshop with designers and engineers outside of the Corps there was complete agreement. These pumps will be very big. 75 to 90 feet tall, much wider than the current canal, and if placed at the mouth of the Canal at the Lakefront, a concrete breakwater will be built that will be at least 20 feet tall.
Some say that building anywhere else along the canals will compromise safety, both for our neighborhood and for the whole city. The Corps repeatedly states that they would not put any proposals forward that do not equally provide protection. The Corps repeatedly states that all options meet last year’s Congressional directive to build the pumps “at or near” the mouths of the three outfall canals.
Currently, the three options for the Orleans
Canal pumps are:
1) At the mouth of the canal on the Lakefront – Many think this option is actually the most damaging to our City, given, again, that the other options are as safe. The Lakefront as we know it would be destroyed with a massive industrial structure (similar to the one at the I-10/I-610 split) plopped down in the center of the beautiful stretch of Lakeshore Drive shoreline. Actually, the proposed pump is quite a bit taller than the one on the interstate, and surrounded by a 20-foot tall concrete breakwater.
2) On either side of the temporary pump site - Included in that footprint is all of the park land west of Marconi Drive. Because temporary pumps must continue to function during construction, this proposed site is on either one side or the other of the current pump. This site directly impacts the most homes, both in Lake Vista and in Lakeshore, all of which are inhabited or are currently being restored.
3) Just south of Robert E Lee Blvd, in City Park – This site impacts the fewest number of homes sites. There are homes only on the west side of the Orleans Canal; and half of those home sites are currently blighted, boarded or vacant; and about 25% of those remaining are rental duplexes, not single family homeowners. Not surprisingly, Lakeview Civic Improvement Association opposes this site and claims a safety issue because of the canal walls between the Lakefront and Robert E Lee. It must be pointed out that strengthened walls along Orleans are exactly the same as walls being installed today and used along 129 miles of protection all around New Orleans.
All of the boards of the Lakefront homeowners associations oppose the Lakefront sites at Orleans Canal and at London Ave Canal (but not at 17th Street, which is the site preferred by Lakeview and by Jefferson Parish). The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation opposes the lakefront sites. Lakeshore Property Owners Association favors the site south of Robert E Lee on the Orleans Canal as well. Lake Terrace Property Owners Association took a general membership vote favoring the southern-most site on the UNO campus on London Avenue Canal.
Lake Oaks is not directly impacted by any of the sites but opposes the Lakefront sites at Orleans and London because of the impact on the City’s residents to enjoy one of our most valued natural resources, our beautiful Lakefront. At a recent meeting of the four Lakefront associations, it was agreed that each of our neighborhood associations will work to:
1 – Save our Lakefront, and
2 – Support the sites preferred by those most directly impacted, emphasizing the desire to impact the fewest number of homeowners, our most valued stakeholders, without jeopardizing safety. Those sites are near the Lake on the 17th Street Canal, south of Robert E Lee in the Orleans Canal, and on the UNO campus on the London Avenue Canal.
Please stay informed of developments. Additional action by our neighborhood may be appropriate. Residents are encouraged to write the Army Corps of Engineers www.nolaenvironmental.gov. Our projects are IER 4 and 5.
On another topic, our neighborhood is being well maintained and patrolled. Mr. Louis Capo is always available to help find solutions to neighborhood problems. While encouraging compliance among our new neighbors continues to be a challenge, our most important neighborhood covenants are now officially included in the city zoning ordinances covering our area.
There are still problems regarding enforcement responsibilities, but the passage of the Lake Area Zoning District last July, with its chapters covering Lake Vista, validates our 30% building restrictions, fencing limitations, and protects our parks from intrusions of building or development of any sort.
Please remember to pay your security fees if possible, or at least the membership dues before March 16th to be eligible to vote at our general membership meeting on April 16th. If you would like to serve our neighborhood on the new Board of Directors, please contact me.
I’d like to thank the entire board of LVPOA for their support during my year leading this organization, and I am glad to be able to continue to serve the neighborhood, particularly regarding the issues I’ve discussed here today, as Ex Officio board member next year.
Best personal regards to all,
Deborah Langhoff
President, LVPOA |
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Lake Vista Zoning
Permitted land use in Lake Vista, 30% maximum lot coverage, required setbacks, fencing, and other restrictions that are part of the Lake Vista Building Restrictions, were incorporated into the City's Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance under the Lake Vista chapters of the Lake Area Zoning Ordinance on October 18, 2007. Of particular significance to residents are Chapters 9A.2, 9A.4 and 9A.6 but park and commercial uses are included in later Chapters. To be accurate, the pdf of the ordinance at the following link ("Read More") is used in combination with the City Planning Commission map of Lake Vista. Both can be found on the home page of the City Planning Commission website http://www.cityofno.com/Portals/Portal52/portal.aspx
Please be reminded that in general, frontage of lots (front yards) are on the lane side. Rear yards are on the street side. Exceptions are detailed in the restrictions for certain lots with frontage on Robert E. Lee Boulevard, Marconi Drive, and Beauregard Avenue. (See Section VI). (read more)
Garden of the Month
The Garden of the Month award for April, 2008 goes to Liz and Rene De Boisblanc for their beautifully restored and redesigned garden at 6600 Beauregard Avenue. This past winner, formerly designed around majestic old magnolia trees before Katrina, has been transformed into a predominantly bright and colorful sunshine garden, featuring multilevel beds of spring flowers and oleanders, groups of giant bird of paradise plants, palms, and other tropical plants, balancing in design interest the shadier north side of the garden, dominated by the remaining old magnolia tree and large deep green leafy tropicals. (click
here)
3rd District Police "Hot
Sheet"
In an effort to improve the quality of life
in Lake Vista, the LVPOA is pleased to provide the 3rd
District Police "Hot Sheet". Hot sheets are to be used
to identify those areas where illegal activities have occurred or
potential problems exist. Items to be reported using
the Hot Sheet are:
Drug Dealing
Abandoned House
Curfew Violations
Tall Grass
Street Lighting Issues
Truants
You may also include any other issue which effects our quality of life.
Click on the following link to download the form which should be completed
and faxed to the 3rd District Police number listed on the form.
PDF Format: click
here to download
MS Word Format: click
here to download
Repairs
to Lakeshore Dr. and Seawall
We
received an update from Louis Capo, Orleans Levee Board, Director of
Real Estate, Recreational and Non-Flood Assets on
the current status of repairs to Lakeshore Drive roadway, Seawall,
Lighting, and Shelters Houses. Click on
the link to download a pdf copy of the report. Read
more
Do you have a dead tree on
City property?
The following are two choices Lake
Vista homeowners have for the removal of dead tree on City property (street
trees).
The property owner can contact Park
and Parkways and request for the City to remove the tree. This process
is taking one to two months. The City is not grinding any stumps. The number
for the Park
and Parkways is 658-2176. Or you may wish to hire a Licensed Tree Company
to remove the tree at the property owner's expense. The Tree Company
will apply for a permit. Park and Parkways will make a site visit within
two weeks and issue the permit. list
of arborists
Lake Vista Gardener & Landscapers
The LVPOA would like to thank everyone who
has pitched in to maintain our parks and common spaces in the neighborhood.
We have compiled a list of Gardeners and Landscapers working in or community
to assist the LV residents in need of lawn and landscaping services.
To view the list Click
here
Add your name to the email list
To
increase the level of communication between the LVPOA members and the
Board we have set up an e-mail distribution list for the dissemination
of information to the membership. If you would like to be added to
the list and receive e-mails please send your request to Keith
Zibilich and be sure to put (E-mail List) in the subject field
and you will be included.
New Links
Take
a look at the new links added to our site. You will find Lake Vista
pages, local organizations and informational sites. links
Our Trees?
Concerned about the removal of trees by the Corps of Engineers in our
community? Click here to
view the aerial photo identifying the trees to be removed in phase one
of this project.
Lake Vista Newsletter
The
Lake Vista newsletters have been posted. For your convenience each
edition of the newsletter will be posted on our website. You will need
Acrobat Reader to view the file. Read
more
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