The Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans held a meeting on January 21 at the Golden Feather to determine what impact the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance will have on local music and cultural traditions.
Many MaCCNO members have joined community members in expressing concern over some of the changes that have been proposed through the Zoning Ordinance.
The meeting aimed to create a community forum to discuss such concerns. It began with a discussion on how Zoning Ordinances have previously functioned in New Orleans.
MaCCNO coordinator Ethan Ellestad explained that “the new ordinance makes a couple of significant changes. It allows live unamplified entertainment in restaurants throughout New Orleans. However, it does not allow it in the French Quarter. In the new draft, musicians outside the Quarter can play as long as they’re unamplified, obey the noise ordinance, and don’t charge admission.”
The meeting continued with discussions on topics ranging from the proposal to restrict all new music venues from opening on Rampart Street, what can be done to protect neighborhood music clubs, and what changes have been made in the latest draft of the Zoning Ordinance.
Live music is specifically targeted in the proposed ordinance.
Supporters of the ordinance argue that live music brings in more people, and therefore creates more noise within the neighborhood.
What’s problematic about their argument is that in reality, the more spaces that allow live entertainment, the more opportunity there would be for the music to spread out. Subsequently, the noise would be less concentrated and intense.
“One big change,” Ellestad said. “is that for the first time, the Zoning Ordinance will allow you to play an instrument in your own house. Beforehand, there was nothing in there that allowed that. So, technically, if you were playing a guitar in your own house, you could be in violation.”
While both MaCCNO representatives Ethan Ellestad and Hannah Krieger-Benson believe that the new ordinance is a step in the right direction, they recognize it’s not quite there yet.
“We think it’s a really good thing that the zoning ordinance is being updated for the first time in 45 years,” Ellestad said. “It’s not where we need to be but it’s an improvement over the zoning ordinance from 1970, which was very badly done.”
The proposed Zoning Ordinance will not allow live entertainment on Rampart St. in any capacity.
“It targets live music specifically,” Krieger-Benson said. “but you still have recorded music on all the bars on Rampart. It’s only the live music that can’t be performed. Even if it’s a jukebox playing the same song at a higher volume, they still wouldn’t be allowed to have live music, and that is what is so concerning.”
Though a public timeline has yet to be released, MaCCNO expects the new ordinance to go before the City Council in May.
What the January 21 meeting clarified is where the ordinance fails in representing the majority of New Orleanians. Specifically, MaCCNO is concerned with the references to sound in the proposed ordinance. They argue that issues such as amplification and the number of members per group aren’t zoning issues, they’re sound issues.
To accomplish the kind of reform that MaCCNO is pushing for, it will require the community rallying and getting themselves heard.
MaCCNo is encouraging supporters to write to the New Orleans City Council to petition for amendments to the proposed ordinance.
If you’d like to get involved and voice your opinion on the zoning ordinance, please write to one of the New Orleans City Council members listed below.
If you’d like to become a member of MaCCNO, sign up for updates through their mailing list, or get more information on upcoming meetings, visit http://maccno.com
New Orleans City Council
Stacy Head, Council Member at Large/ Council President
City Hall, Room 2W40, 1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1060 Fax: (504) 658-1068
Jason Rogers Williams, Council Member at Large/ Council Vice President
City Hall, Room 2W50, 1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1070 Fax: (504) 658-1077
Susan G. Guidry, District A
City Hall, Room 2W80, 1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1010 Fax: (504) 658-1016
LaToya Cantrell, District B
City Hall, Room 2W10, 1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1020 Fax: (504) 658-1025
Nadine M. Ramsey, District C
City Hall, Room 2W70, 1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1030 Fax: (504) 658-1037
Jared C. Brossett, District D
City Hall, Room 2W20, 1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1040 Fax: (504) 658-1048
James Austin Gray II, District E
City Hall, Room 2W60, 1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: (504) 658-1050 Fax: (504) 658-1058
