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Old Metairie Commission (OMC)

Purpose

The purpose of the Old Metairie Commission (OMC) is to review and make recommendations on certain types of land development within the Old Metairie Neighborhood Conservation District (OMNCD). This includes the construction of new houses in the district, demolition of existing houses or structures, or the installation of a swimming pool, to name a few examples.

The OMC operates according to adopted Rules of Procedure.

Commission Structure

The OMC is composed of five voting members:

  • Three are residents of the OMNCD and are nominated by the District 5 Councilperson and ratified by the Parish Council;

  • One is an architect or planner who is nominated by the Parish President and ratified by the Parish Council; and,

  • One is the President of the Metairie Club Gardens Association (MCGA) or a designee.

Current Commission members are:

Mr. Clifford Brown, Chair (MCGA)
Mr. David Webber, Vice-Chair (OMNCD resident)
Mr. Thomas McAlister (OMNCD resident)
Dr. Monica L. Monica (OMNCD resident)
Ms. Cynthia J. Steward, M. Arch., R.A. (architect)

Each appointed member serves a term that runs concurrent with their appointing party. Appointed members serve without compensation.

Meetings

The OMC meets about once a month according to a schedule adopted at the beginning of the year. Additional meetings may be held on call of the Chairman. All scheduled meetings are posted to the Parish’s events calendar.

All regular meetings are held in the Yenni Building, 1221 Elmwood Park Blvd, Suite 604, Elmwood, Louisiana. All regular meetings start at 9:00 a.m.

Regular meetings for 2019 are listed below:

Regular meetings for 2020 are listed below:

  • January 9
  • February 6
  • March 5
  • April 2--Meeting Cancelled (no cases)
  • May 7--Meeting Cancelled (no cases)
  • June 4--Meeting held via teleconference
  • July 2--Meeting Cancelled (no cases)
  • August 6--Meeting moved to Council Chambers, 2nd floor Yenni Building
  • September 3--Meeting moved to Council Chambers, 2nd floor Yenni Building
  • October 1--Meeting Cancelled (no cases)
  • October 29--Meeting moved to Council Chambers, 2nd floor Yenni Building
  • December 3--Meeting moved to Council Chambers, 2nd floor Yenni Building

The agenda for each meeting will be posted on the events calendar about one week prior to the meeting. Minutes of the meeting will be posted above after they are adopted, generally at the next scheduled public hearing.

Process

Any individual wishing to alter any land, building, or structure that is located in the OMNCD should first consult the Jefferson Parish Planning Department. Only certain types of land development activity in the OMNCD require a public hearing before the OMC.

If a request must be heard by the OMC, the general process is as follows:

  • The request is reviewed by several Jefferson Parish departments to determine if it meets requirements and to address any issues.
  • The request is advertised for the next available OMC meeting. Advertisement includes posting a sign on the property, publishing an ad in the Times-Picayune (on Wednesday in the Legal section), and mailing letters to the owners of all property located within 300 feet of the petitioned property.
  • At the OMC meeting, the Planning Department presents its report and recommendation. The OMC then conducts a public hearing where all interested parties and citizens have an opportunity to be heard. The OMC may then choose to make a recommendation on the request, or to defer the request to a future meeting.
  • If the request includes variances, once the OMC has made a recommendation, it must then be heard by the Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA). The BZA will make the final decision on any requested variances.
  • Once the OMC has made a recommendation and the BZA has ruled on any variances (if applicable), then the request will be sent to the Parish Council. The Council will take action on the request via resolution.

Summary of OMC Requests/Cases

For each request on a meeting agenda, a report summarizing the request will be available the Monday before the OMC meeting. Click “OMC Staff Reports and Graphics” and select the case which corresponds to the Docket Number of the request (e.g. OM-5-14).

Contact

For questions about the OMC, please fill out the form here. If you would like to direct a question to a specific Commission member, please include their name in the request. If you have a question or would like to submit a comment about a specific case, please include the docket number.

Copy pulled from https://www.jeffparish.net/departments/planning/old-metairie-neighborhood-conservation-district/old-metairie-commission.