City of New Orleans v. Board of Directors of Louisiana State Museum

709 So. 2d 1008, 97 La.App. 4 Cir. 1574, 1998 La. App. LEXIS 553, 1998 WL 111031
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 11, 1998
DocketNo. 97-CA-1574
StatusPublished

This text of 709 So. 2d 1008 (City of New Orleans v. Board of Directors of Louisiana State Museum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of New Orleans v. Board of Directors of Louisiana State Museum, 709 So. 2d 1008, 97 La.App. 4 Cir. 1574, 1998 La. App. LEXIS 553, 1998 WL 111031 (La. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

JiPLOTKIN, Judge.

The City of New Orleans and the Vieux Carre Commission bring this appeal to contest the trial court’s granting of the peremptory exception of no cause of action filed by the Louisiana State Museum, a division of the State of Louisiana. The appeal raises the novel questions of whether or not the Vieux Carre Commission has jurisdiction over state-owned buildings within the Vieux Carre section of New Orleans and, if so, whether requiring the State to obtain a permit before altering the exterior of state-owned buildings abridges the State’s police power. We hold that the Vieux Carre Commission has jurisdiction over state-owned buildings within the Vieux Carre and that requiring the State to comply with its permit procedures does not abridge the State’s police power.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY:

|2On November 17, 1995, a letter was written by Director, James Sefcik, on behalf of the Louisiana State Museum (LSM), to Marc Cooper, director of the Vieux Carre Commission (VCC). As a “courtesy,” the Board of the LSM was informing the VCC of its intent to construct a fence in the Cabildo’s arcade in order to prevent undesirables from entering the arcade at night. No action was taken to construct the fence until May 5, 1997, when the Tammany Contracting Company contacted the VCC to apply for a permit to construct the fence at the Cabildo. Shortly thereafter, the Architectural Committee, a sub-group of the VCC, voted to deny permission to construct the proposed fence. Regardless, the LSM promptly notified the VCC of its intent to construct the fence without a permit. On May 20,1997, the VCC voted to postpone any reconsideration of the Architectural Committee’s decision denying the permit to allow legal counsel to seek a judicial determination of the matter. The VCC alleges that the LSM agreed verbally not to construct the fence until the legal dispute was resolved by the courts. The LSM denies ever making such an agreement.

On June 1, 1997, Mr. Sefcik telephoned Mr. Cooper and advised him that the LSM would commence construction of the proposed fence that day, and he would have State Police present to prevent “interference.” However, later that day, the LSM’s chairman, Ralph Lupin, telephoned Mr. Cooper and informed him that a letter was being sent to the VCC stating that the LSM would begin construction in two weeks, on or about June 15, 1997. On June 4, 1997, the Tammany Contracting Company notified the VCC of its intentions to immediately begin the first phase of constructing the fence at the Cabil-do. A stop work order was issued by Mr. Cooper on behalf'of the VCC on the same day.

On the next day, June 5, 1997, plaintiff filed a petition for injunctive relief and an application for a temporary restraining order which were granted. On June jalO, 1997, a petition was filed by plaintiff for a preliminary and permanent injunction. On June 12, 1997, defendants filed an exception of no cause of action, claiming that the LSM was not subject to the jurisdiction of the VCC. On June 13, 1997, a hearing was held on both, plaintiffs application for a preliminary and permanent injunction, and defendant’s peremptory exception of no cause of action. The trial court maintained defendants’ exception and denied and dismissed plaintiffs petition.

[1011]*1011Plaintiffs immediately filed for a suspen-sive appeal and a stay order pending resolution on appeal. Judge Dirosa granted the appeal but denied the stay order. Plaintiff sought writs in this Court twice, on June 13, 1997 and on June 23, 1997, seeking a restraining order pending resolution of this issue. We denied both applications, the first for failure to comply with our rules of court, and the second because plaintiff has an adequate remedy on appeal. Also, in our second writ, we warned the State that while they were permitted to erect the fence pending the appeal, it may have to be removed if the trial court’s judgment was reversed. On July 8, 1997, defendants proceeded "with construction of the fence because of the continuous misconduct in the arcade of the Cabildo at night. On the same day, Plaintiffs filed a motion with the Louisiana Supreme Court for a restraining order. The application was denied on July 10,1997.1 On August 1,1997, defendants filed a motion to have this case dismissed which was denied on August 14, 1997. At this time, the fence has been completely erected.

THE HISTORY OF THE VIEUX CARRE COMMISSION:

|4The Vieux Carre Commission was created by the City of New Orleans under the authority of a 1936 constitutional amendment. The amendment was adopted in recognition of the public interest in preserving the historical Vieux Carre. Thus, the result was Art. 14 § 22A of the 1921 Constitution. It states:

Creation; membership: The Commission Counsel of the City of New Orleans is hereby authorized to create and organize a Commission to be known as the Vieux Carre Commission, to be appointed by the Mayor of said City with the advice and consent of its Commission Counsel and to be composed of nine members ...
Purpose: The said Commission shall have for its purpose the preservation of such buildings in the Vieux Carre section of the City of New Orleans as, in the opinion of said Commission, shall be deemed to have architectural and historical value, and which buildings should be preserved for the benefit of the people of the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana, and to that end the Commission shall be ■given such powers and duties as the Commission Council of the City of New Orleans shall deem fit and necessary.
Vieux Carre section defined. The Vieux Carre Section of the City of New Orleans is hereby defined to comprise all that area within the City Limits of New Orleans contained within the following boundaries: The River, Uptown side of Esplanade Avenue, the River side of Rampart Street, and the lower side of Iberville Street.
Buildings; tax exemption; preservation: The Commission Council of the City of New Orleans is authorized to exempt such buildings and other structures, as may be designated by the said Vieux Carre Commission as having historical and architectural value, ...
Buildings; acquisition: The preservation of the buildings in the Vieux Carre section of New Orleans having architectural and historical value is hereby declared to be a public purpose and the City of New Orleans is hereby authorized to acquire by purchase or expropriation or otherwise, such buildings and other structures in that section of the City of New Orleans, as the said Vieux Carre Commission may recommend to the Commission Council.
| sDuties of commission: Hereafter and for the public welfare in order that the quaint and distinctive character of the Vieux Carre section of the City of New Orleans may not be injuriously affected, and in order that the value of the community of those buildings having architectural and historical worth may not be impaired, and in order that a reasonable degree of control may be exercised over the architecture of private and semi-public buildings erected on or abutting the public streets of [1012]

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Bluebook (online)
709 So. 2d 1008, 97 La.App. 4 Cir. 1574, 1998 La. App. LEXIS 553, 1998 WL 111031, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-new-orleans-v-board-of-directors-of-louisiana-state-museum-lactapp-1998.