3636 St. Charles Avenue HDLC appeal (Motion M-26-428)
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.
- What: appeal of a Historic District Landmarks Commission decision on facade and balcony design for a renovation of a contributing building in the St. Charles Avenue local historic district.
- Dispute: the applicant wanted facade option three and balconies 4 feet 7 inches deep; the review committee and commission chose option four with a 4-foot maximum. Staff said option three would make the corner read as a third element, and that the applicant's cited precedent balconies were built deeper than their approved plans.
- Outcome: a substitute motion by Councilmember Harris reversed the commission, approving the extra 7 inches and modifying the approval on window panel options. Captions put the tally at six in favor; the sponsor said he rarely overturns the commission.
- Context: the applicant said part of the reason for option three was a temporary Mardi Gras viewing stand; staff said option four leaves that area open.
Official minutes
- The appellant's consultant appealed the commission's decision to uphold the Architectural Review Committee's Option 4 (instead of Option 3 facade improvements) and a 4-foot balcony depth (instead of 4 feet 7 inches). Received September 17, report received October 1; deferred October 1 to October 15; council deadline November 1, 2026.
- October 15: hearing held. Councilmember Harris withdrew the original Motion M-26-428 (approving the request and reversing the commission) and moved a substitute approving and modifying the request, with the commission's decision reversed. Seconded by McCarron; yeas McCarron, Green, King, Harris, Morrell, Willard; 6-0 with Hughes absent.
Sources
- City Council regular meeting minutes, October 15, 2026: https://cityofno.legistar1.com/cityofno/meetings/2026/10/1042_M_City_Council_26-10-15_MINUTES.pdf
- City Council regular meeting minutes, October 1, 2026: https://cityofno.legistar1.com/cityofno/meetings/2026/10/1016_M_City_Council_26-10-01_MINUTES.pdf
- 2026-10-15 - City Council
- 2026-10-15 - City Council
Discussion time
About 5 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-15 - City Council | 5 |
Log
- 2026-10-01 - City Council - Hearing and Motion M-26-428 deferred to October 15 (report received October 1).
- 2026-10-15 - City Council - Official minutes: the original motion was withdrawn and the substitute passed 6-0 with Hughes absent.
- 2026-10-15 - City Council - The council reversed the HDLC denial on the appeal by substitute Motion M-26-428 (about six in favor per captions), approving the 4 foot 7 inch balconies over staff objections.