Vieux Carré Commission

Vieux Carré Commission
Name	Vieux Carré Commission
Founded	1936
Founder	New Orleans City Council
Type	Preservation commission
Headquarters	French Quarter, New Orleans
Location	New Orleans
Region served	Louisiana
Leader title	Chair

Vieux Carré Commission is a municipal historic preservation board established to oversee the architectural and cultural integrity of the French Quarter, New Orleans's Vieux Carré district. Created amid 20th-century preservation movements linked to figures such as Mardi Gras organizers and civic activists, the commission interacts with municipal authorities like the New Orleans City Council, state bodies such as the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office, and federal programs including the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmark system. Its work has intersected with landmark cases, urban redevelopment debates, and influential practitioners associated with Historic American Buildings Survey, Peyton Wilder, and preservationists connected to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

History

The commission was established in 1936 following pressures from Prohibition-era civic reformers, social clubs tied to Krewe of Rex, and heritage advocates inspired by the restoration of sites like Monticello and Mount Vernon. Early actions responded to threats posed by Great Depression-era real estate speculation, wartime conversion trends of the World War II period, and mid-century urban renewal policies associated with figures in Robert Moses-style planning. Its jurisdiction evolved alongside federal programs such as the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and later interaction with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Over decades the commission has negotiated tensions involving the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center expansion, the Louisiana State Museum footprints, and post-Hurricane Katrina reconstruction overseen by entities like FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Mission and Authority

The commission's stated mission parallels charters used by bodies such as the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Boston Landmarks Commission, emphasizing conservation of architectural fabric represented by examples of French Colonial architecture, Spanish Colonial architecture, and Creole townhouse types found in the Quarter. Statutory authority derives from municipal ordinances enacted by the New Orleans City Council and implemented in tandem with statewide rules from the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation. Its regulatory powers include issuance of certificates akin to Certificate of Appropriateness (planning), review processes modeled on precedents from the Secretary of the Interior standards, and coordination with agencies like the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development.

Preservation and Regulatory Activities

The commission reviews alterations, demolitions, signage, and streetscape changes affecting resources comparable to properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places and documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey. It administers design guidelines that reference conservation practice articulated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and draws upon scholarship from archivists at institutions such as the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Tulane University School of Architecture. The commission has processed cases involving adaptive reuse projects similar to conversions seen in SoHo, Manhattan and rehabilitation projects aligned with Standards of the Secretary of the Interior for Rehabilitation. Enforcement actions have at times been coordinated with the New Orleans Police Department's code enforcement units and the Office of the Mayor of New Orleans.

Notable Projects and Decisions

Notable interventions include decisions affecting landmark properties near Jackson Square, restorations connected to the Cabildo and St. Louis Cathedral environs, and approvals or denials impacting hospitality projects linked to operators like those behind properties on Bourbon Street. The commission played central roles in disputes over rooftop additions similar to controversies in Charleston, South Carolina and sanctioned treatments for courtyard houses of the type cataloged by the Historic American Engineering Record. It has weighed proposals tied to major events such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and infrastructure proposals analogous to streetcar expansions championed by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) of New Orleans. Post-Hurricane Katrina recovery saw the commission adjudicate rebuilding plans with involvement from agencies like Historic New Orleans Collection and non-profits resembling the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans.

Organizational Structure and Membership

The commission is comprised of appointed members drawn from constituencies similar to appointments to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (New York City), with commissioners nominated by the Mayor of New Orleans and confirmed by the New Orleans City Council. Membership criteria have historically favored professionals in fields akin to those represented by the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association, preservationists affiliated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and historians from institutions like Loyola University New Orleans and University of New Orleans. Staff support parallels municipal historic preservation offices associated with the Philadelphia Historical Commission and includes planners, architectural historians, and legal counsel coordinating with bodies such as the Louisiana Municipal Association.

Controversies and Criticism

The commission has faced criticism echoing disputes seen in locales such as the French Quarter (Charleston) and debates that embroiled the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission: allegations of inconsistent enforcement, perceived preference for tourism-related development championed by hospitality businesses, and conflicts of interest involving commissioners with ties to preservation contractors or hospitality operators. High-profile appeals have proceeded through the Louisiana Court of Appeal and occasionally reached higher state tribunals influenced by precedents from cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Critics including activists from grassroots groups akin to the Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Association and scholars from Tulane University have questioned balancing historic fabric protection with residents' housing concerns and commercial pressures linked to events such as Mardi Gras and Super Bowl hosting.

Category:Historic preservation in Louisiana Category:Organizations based in New Orleans