This news brief appeared in the October issue of PRC’s Preservation in Print magazine. Interested in getting more preservation stories like this delivered to your door? Become a member of the PRC for a subscription!
The New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) deliberated extensively on Sept. 7 about the appropriate amount to fine a building owner who removed the structure’s façade and exterior walls without permits, ultimately assessing the owner of 8430 Apple St. $10,000. The meeting was the first time the HDLC had issued a fine under a new penalty structure that more than doubled the previous maximum fine.
The new penalty structure was approved by the Louisiana Legislature earlier this year, with input from the Preservation Resource Center.
At 8430 Apple St. in Carrollton, crews operating under a June 2022 “non-structural building permit” removed and reframed the facade of the two-story building; the maximum fine for this violation could have been $25,000 under the new penalty structure. Fines, like permit decisions, can be appealed to the City Council.
Meanwhile, the owner of 1218-24 Valmont St. received a deferral by the HDLC to establish the timeframe of the building’s complete demolition in excess of an approved partial demolition. The building was demolished to grade despite a compromise earlier this year requiring the original portion be retained; the maximum fine in this case is $123,150.
