Lower 9 Community Turns Out to Protect the Mississippi from Port Changes

Earlier this week at the City Planning Commission, 18 Lower 9th Ward residents spoke out against land-use changes along the Mississippi River as proposed by the Port of New Orleans.

After comments from Lower 9 representatives, commissioners changed the Port of New Orleans and Planning Commission Staff proposal to address the concerns of the neighborhood:  

1. The Mississippi River levee from Lizard to Flood Street will continue to be green space/open space all the way down to the Mississippi River water line.
2. The city block where the Global Green homes are located will continue to be residential rather than industrial as proposed by the port.
3. The city block bounded by Charters, Charbonnet, Alabo and Royal Streets  will continue to be residential rather than industrial.

Community members were also able to convince the Planning Commission to deny another proposal by the Port of New Orleans to change a 200-acre area from natural to marine industrial use along Paris Road south of the Gulf Inner Coastal Waterway.