§ 146-193. Minimum sidewalk treatment within the downtown development district.

(a)

All new sidewalks or banquettes or repaved sidewalks or banquettes immediately adjacent to property located within the downtown development district which is defined as that area bounded by the uptown side of Iberville Street, the river side of South Claiborne Avenue, the downtown side of the Pontchartrain Expressway and the river, shall be paved, repaved or constructed in accordance with all specifications including permitted materials, typical plans and section details, an official sidewalks designation map, and catalogue of streets as set forth herein. The department of public works and the clerk of council shall maintain as a public record, available for public inspection, a map and detailed plans, which delineate the type of treatment for each sidewalk, located within the downtown development district and Vieux Carré. Such details, plans, and map shall be referred to as "on file" for the purposes of this section and section 146-194.

(1)

Category "A" streets shall be paved, repaved or constructed with Boral Red brick pavers and Boral Savannah Brown brick pavers as borders, or approved equivalent pattern and construction as per the latest edition of the department of public works standard drawings and specifications for construction in the downtown development district.

(2)

Category "B" streets shall be paved, repaved or constructed in concrete, pattern and construction as per the latest edition of the department of public works standard drawings and specifications for construction in the downtown development district.

(3)

Canal Street from the Mississippi River to Claiborne Avenue shall be designated as category "C" street. All sidewalks on Canal Street shall be constructed, maintained and restored in accordance with plans and specifications as outlined in the Canal St. Improvement Project (City Project # 01-DD-26840), dated November, 2004, or any subsequent plans and specifications. The department of public works and the clerk of council shall maintain as a public record, available for public inspection, detailed plans and specifications for the type of treatment for Canal Street sidewalks.

(4)

Category "D" streets shall be considered specialty thoroughfares including Poydras St. from the River to S. Claiborne Ave, and Tulane Ave. from S. Rampart to S. Claiborne Ave. The category "D" streets shall be paved, repaved, or constructed in brick, concrete, or other materials that are consistent with the overall site plan for the adjacent building so long as the sidewalk improvements are the same along the entire block face and adjacent building.

All streets identified as category A, B, C, D shall be clearly marked on a street map and accompanying catalog of streets herein referred to as the DDD Street Designation Map. Streets not identified as category A, B, C, or D are exempt from the provisions of this section. Details for the aforementioned sidewalk treatment are to be found in the latest edition of the department of public works standard drawings and specifications.

(b)

Exceptions:

(1)

A category "B" street may be permitted to use materials, plans, and specifications permitted under category "A" under the following conditions:

a.

The project site is currently brick and replacement will be in kind.

b.

The existing sidewalks are predominantly brick and the project site will increase the total area of brick sidewalk along an existing block face.

c.

Sidewalks currently constructed using historic Pennsylvania bluestone may be repaired or replaced in kind so long as the entire block consists of similar materials.

(2)

In cases where a single block face is treated with at least 50 percent of a particular material, the property owner or developer must match the most prevalent material on the block. The calculation will be the percentage of the project site to total block face as measured in linear feet.

(3)

The prevailing determination of permitted materials shall be the effort to establish consistency and uniformity of a single block with regards to material, color, and pattern.

(4)

Changes or modifications with regards to permitted materials, plans, and specifications may be authorized by the director of the department of public works after consultation with the president of the downtown development district and the district councilmember.

(c)

All roadway curbs within the downtown development district will be either stone curbs or vertical concrete curbs as per details found in the latest edition of the department of public works standard drawings and specifications. In the warehouse district where granite and slate roadway curbs exist in sections of two linear feet or more, they shall be reset in place.

(d)

No person shall remove an existing sidewalk or install a new sidewalk, or make any cut for any purpose whatsoever in any sidewalk pavement, in the downtown development district without first having obtained a permit from the department of public works. Application for such a permit shall be made on a printed form, which the director of the department of public works shall furnish for this purpose. Such form shall include the name, address, phone, and email address of the person desiring to install a sidewalk, the project location, the dimensions and site plans of such sidewalk. The application form, site plan, and sample of materials must be submitted to the downtown development district prior to a permit being issued. The permit required by this section shall be granted only to the owner of the real property adjacent to which the proposed sidewalk is to be constructed and maintained upon the application of such owner or his authorized agent. The property owner shall be held liable for construction work performed in the public right-of-way without the appropriate permit from the department of public works. The director of the department of public works is authorized to issue a "stop work" order for sidewalk construction being performed in violation of this section. All existing granite and slate curbs shall be retained by the city for reuse within historic districts.

(e)

Any person desiring to obtain a permit to install or modify a sidewalk shall submit an application to the director of public works for approval in accordance with sections 146-141 thru 146-144.

(f)

Any property owner in the downtown development district shall contact in writing the utility companies (Sewerage and Water Board, Entergy, AT&T, and Cox) prior to the demolition of old sidewalks or installation of new sidewalks and adjustment of any manholes, catch basins, metal frames and covers, etc. The purpose is to obtain any information regarding proposed new utilities or revisions to existing utilities. Such notification must be given by the property owner at least 90 days prior to the planned activities to permit coordination of work efforts.

(g)

When a city agency, utility company or property owner has to make repairs within a sidewalk or banquette paved in any material other than concrete, then the replacement must be made in kind, that is, the replaced materials shall be the same color, size, pattern, and textures as the materials removed and must match the existing pattern.

(h)

When a property owner, city agency or utility company has to make repairs under an existing concrete sidewalk or banquette and 35 percent or more of that concrete area measured by total area square feet within a property owner's portion of sidewalk or banquette has to be removed to perform the utility construction or repair, the property owner, city agency or utility company performing the work is responsible for replacing the entire sidewalk or banquette within the property owner's portion according to the minimum standards set forth in this section. When repairs to an existing concrete sidewalk are less than 35 percent of a property owner's portion of a sidewalk or banquette area, then the replacement shall be made in kind to match the existing pattern. When the agency, utility company, or property owner must make repairs to a concrete sidewalk then the replacement area must extend to the nearest expansion joint on all fours sides of the location of repair.

(i)

Streets with sidewalks in excess of nine feet wide may be planted with street trees, pattern and construction as per the latest edition of the department of public works standard drawings and specifications for construction in the downtown development district. No person shall remove or plant sidewalk street trees within the boundaries of the downtown development district without first obtaining a permit from the department of parks and parkways. Such form shall include the name, address, phone, and email address of the person desiring to install trees, the project location, the site plan, and proposed trees species. The application form and site plan must be submitted to the downtown development district and the department of parks and parkways, prior to a permit being issued. The permit required by this section shall be granted only to the owner of the real property adjacent to which the proposed project location or to his authorized agent.

(1)

All trees shall be a minimum of two to two and one-half inch caliper in size taken six inches from the top of the root ball with a minimum tree height of 12 feet.

(2)

Street trees shall be planted in a manner suitable for pedestrian traffic including a minimum clear width of four feet of sidewalk. If the walking area is next to a wall, fence or other continuous vertical barrier, there should be five feet clear width, with six feet clear width preferred. The department of public works may direct the department of parks and parkways to require a clear width of six to eight feet or more if, in the determination of department of public works, the street has or is expected to have a high volume of pedestrian traffic.

(3)

The minimum tree well size is four feet by four feet. Regardless of treatment, the tree well may not be included in the required clear width of sidewalk. Ground cover and/or stationary raised planters may be permitted on sidewalks within the downtown development district in lieu of tree grates upon written approval of the department of public works in consultation with the downtown development district. Deviations relative to the size of the minimum tree well may be granted by the director of department of public works in consultation with the downtown development district.

(4)

Street trees will be located and planted as per the latest edition of the department of public works standard drawings and specifications unless the proposed trees conflict with the existing utilities under the sidewalk or banquette where the trees are being proposed. Prior approval of all tree placements must be obtained from the department of parks and parkways, in consultation with the planning advisory committee. See details on street tree planting for location and spacing between trees in the latest edition of the department of public works standard drawings and specifications for construction in the downtown development district.

(j)

The removal, relocation, destruction, or abuse in any manner of a street tree is prohibited on any parcel of land unless a variance, special exception, or approval has been obtained in writing from both the department of parks and parkways and the downtown development district. For any trees affected as a result of pending development, the permit holder must make all efforts to preserve protected trees or provide an appropriate mitigation or replacement plan in advance.

(k)

Property owners, or any person, firm or corporation shall have responsibility for maintaining sidewalks in clean, good and safe condition and not causing any defects or hazards within their portion of sidewalk or banquette abutting said property.

(l)

The sidewalk, all tree grates, manholes, detectable warnings, and all other appurtenances must comply with ADA, AASHTO and Federal Highway Administration requirements. Specifically, a minimum four foot clear pedestrian zone must be maintained. If the walking area is next to a wall, fence or other continuous vertical barrier, there should be five feet clear pedestrian zone, with a six foot clear pedestrian zone preferred. Between the face of the curb and any signpost, utility pole, fire hydrant or other vertical obstruction, there should be an 18 inch clear zone. All other grades, cross slopes, transitions, clearances should comply with the published standards. Save ADA, AASHTO, and Federal Highway Administration requirements, deviations relative to this section may be granted by the director of department of public works in consultation with the downtown development district.

(m)

The director of department of public works is authorized at his discretion, to approve the installation of sidewalks constructed with other paving materials on a case-by-case basis, after consultation with the downtown development district, the city planning commission, and the district council member of the area.

(n)

The director of department of public works is authorized, at his discretion, to waive the installation of sidewalks constructed with other paving materials on a case-by-case basis, after consultation with the downtown development district, the city planning commission, and the district council member for the area.

(M.C.S., Ord. No. 27414, § 1, 6-15-17)