4.5.B Applicability

Development plan and design review is required as follows and summarized in Table 4-2: Development Plan and Design Review Thresholds:

1.   New construction of multi-family dwellings, townhouse developments, non-residential, or mixed-use development that is forty-thousand (40,000) square feet or more in gross floor area.  In local historic districts, the design guidelines of the applicable Commission, the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission, Central Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission, or Vieux Carre Commission, shall prevail over building design standards of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Unless otherwise required by this section or this Ordinance, these applications are reviewed by the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission and the Design Advisory Committee.

2.   Unless otherwise required by this section or this Ordinance, applications for additions or enlargements as follows are reviewed by the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission and the Design Advisory Committee. Developments or portions of a development that are located in an industrial or institutional zoning district and that are not visible from the public right-of-way shall be exempt.

a.   Additions or enlargements to multi-family dwellings or townhouse developments that bring the total gross floor area to forty-thousand (40,000) square feet or more.

b.   Enlargement to a non-residential or mixed-use structure that brings the total gross floor area to forty-thousand (40,000) square feet or more.

c.   Additions of new structures to a non-residential or mixed-use development on a lot that bring the total gross floor area of all structures on the lot to forty-thousand (40,000) square feet or more.

d.   Substantial improvements to any non-residential or mixed-use structure, or group of structures on the same lot, where the total gross floor area is forty-thousand (40,000) square feet or more. Substantial improvements are defined as demolition and reconstruction of existing buildings valued at fifty percent (50%) or more of the initial value of the existing building.

3.   Unless otherwise required by this section or this Ordinance, applications for any size development within the areas described as follows are reviewed by the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission and the Design Advisory Committee. Except in the UAD Overlay District, single and two-family dwellings and any development or portion of a development that is located in an industrial or institutional zoning district that is not visible from the public right-of-way are exempt.

a.    CPC Character Preservation Corridor Design Overlay District

b.    Developments on lots within the entirety of each block located at the major intersections along a design overlay district identified in Article 18.

c.     Development on a through lot in an identified design overlay districts of Article 18

d.    Development with one-hundred (100) feet or more of lot frontage in an identified design overlay districts of Article 18

e.     UAD University Area Design Overlay District

4.   Unless otherwise required by this section or this Ordinance, applications for any development, new building construction, substantial improvement, and exterior redesign which implicates the design requirements of the base zoning or design overlay district and site plan modifications that implicate the standards of the overlay district that does not meet the thresholds of Paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 above, and sign applications, as applicable, within the following overlay districts (Article 18), are reviewed solely by the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission. Except in the UAD Overlay District, single-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, and any development or portions of a development that are located in an industrial or institutional district and that are not visible from a public right-of-way are exempt.

a.  RIV Riverfront Design Overlay District

b.  EC Enhancement Corridor Design Overlay District

c.  CT Corridor Transformation Design Overlay District

d. GC Greenway Corridor Design Overlay District

e. UAD University Area Design Overlay District

5.   Electric Utility Substations, Transmission Lines, and District Energy Systems (except District Energy Systems located in HI Heavy Industrial, LI Light Industrial and MI Maritime Industrial Districts)

6.   All applications for a conditional use and planned developments. Unless otherwise required by this section or this Ordinance, these applications are reviewed by the City Planning Commission and the City Council.

7.   Where the City Planning Commission or the City Council is authorized to impose conditions, the Commission or Council may require submission of a development plan as a requirement of such application.

8.   When the public benefit floor area ratio bonus provisions of Section 17.5 within the Central Business Districts are used, the Commission or Council may require submission of a development plan as a requirement of such application. Unless otherwise required by this section or this Ordinance, these applications are reviewed by the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission and the Design Advisory Committee.

9.   Where this Ordinance specifically requires site plan and design review as a condition of approval, including when required by the use standards of Article 20 or the site development standards of Article 21. The specific standards will indicate whether site plan and design review is required by the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission and the Design Advisory Committee or solely by the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission.

10. All essential services described in Section 6.4. Unless otherwise required by this section or this Ordinance, such applications are reviewed solely by the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission. However, the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission may waive this requirement.

11. When a property is located within the Vieux Carré Historic District or within the Historic Districts Landmark Commission’s full control Historic Districts, those developments are exempt from site plan and design review, but are subject to the review procedures of the Vieux Carré Commission or Historic Districts Landmark Commission, as applicable.  Properties within full control local historic districts are not exempt from design review of site design by the City Planning Commission Executive Director or Design Advisory Committee. Properties within partial control local historic districts are not exempt from design review. Properties with the RIV Riverfront Design Overlay District are not exempt.

 

¹ Excluding single- and two-family dwellings and any development or portion of a development that is located in an industrial or institutional zoning district and that is not visible from the public right of way.

² The specific standards will indicate whether site plan and design review is required by the Design Advisory Committee or the Executive Director of the CPC.  

³Except District Energy Systems located in HI Heavy Industrial, LI Light Industrial and MI Maritime Industrial Districts.

Ord. 27,674 MCS, §1, March 6, 2018, Zoning Docket 085-17, Ord. 28,322 MCS, §1, February 28, 2020, Zoning Docket 117-19; Ord 28800 MCS, 10-21-21, ZD 56/21; Ord. No. 29,126, §4, Aug. 12, 2022, Zoning Docket 16/22; Ord. 29882, April 5, 2024, Zoning Docket 089/23;