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Council adopts Fairgrounds overlay to protect racetrack uses while allowing guided redevelopment
Summary
The council approved a zoning overlay for the Fairgrounds Race Course site to prioritize fairgrounds and racetrack uses but created a path for plan-based residential redevelopment where appropriate; employees and operators told the council the venue supports hundreds of jobs and long local traditions.
The New Orleans City Council voted Dec. 18 to adopt an overlay district intended to preserve the Fairgrounds Race Course’s historic fair and racetrack uses while providing a development pathway consistent with a site master plan.
City planning staff said the overlay balances the fairgrounds operator’s interest in preserving current uses with the planning commission’s suggestion to allow master-plan driven residential redevelopment for appropriate lots. Fairgrounds leaders and employees spoke in favor of the measure, describing the site as a long-standing local employer that supports hundreds of year-round jobs and thousands more during events. "The Fairgrounds is a significant economic driver for the local economy," Kathy Beding, president and general manager, told the council.
Council moved to approve the overlay with modifications to use tables and provisos described in the planning commission report. The motion passed unanimously after several public speakers — including neighborhood and employee representatives — explained the social and economic importance of the Fairgrounds and sought protections for adjacent neighborhoods.
