Council directs study of Algiers rezoning, residents call for infrastructure assessments

Council member King moved a motion directing the City Planning Commission to conduct a public hearing and consider zoning map amendments for a group of lots in the 5th Municipal District (bounded by Berman Place, Holiday Drive, General DeGaulle Drive, the Algiers Canal and the former Brechtel Golf Course) to permit commercial and pedestrian-oriented business districts compatible with the council’s neighborhood commercial future land use map.

"We're just trying to make this portion of Algiers more attractive to potential retail and dining businesses," the mover said, framing the action as a step to incentivize investment. The motion directs CPC to consider changing single-family residential (SR-S) lots to districts such as Suburban Business (SB1), Pedestrian-Oriented Corridor Business (SB2) or C-1 General Commercial, among others, and to hold the required public hearing.

An online comment from Kim Broad—read into the record—requested that the CPC hold the rezoning to the same standard used in the Lower Coast Algiers impact study and require agency assessments covering drainage, roads, fire response, police capacity and utilities before any rezoning recommendation. The commenter said those assessments should be publicly available and the study should consider risks to long-term residents, including seniors on fixed incomes.

The clerk recorded the motion and the transcript shows subsequent adoption. The motion establishes the study process; any future zoning change would require CPC recommendation and council action after public hearings and agency assessments.