Friday, February 12, 2010
NOLA Tree House: Treme Civic Association's Side of the Story
Posted by Alejandro de los Rios on Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 2:03 AM
- Permits, permits, permits: More specifically, the tree house's lack there of. Braden says that she met with Paul May in the city permits' office and was told that no permit applications were filed. This isn't good for the tree house. Neither is this quote from Braden: "Mr. May [said] no permits had been issued and he was aware of health violations and problems with fire regulations. He also said that he had information concerning a number of people using that as a residence far in excess of what was allowed"
- Trash and disturbances: According to Braden, there have been many complaints about the tree house parties emitting too much noise on the weekends and the amount of trash in and around 1614 Esplanade Ave. and the neutral ground.
- The tree house itself: Apparently neighborhood residents have been complaining about the structure itself and the state of it (not to mention the actual house the residents live in). "Complaints were also expressed about the structure which they we calling a "slide"
in the side yard that was very visible from the street.
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Comments (38)
Showing 1-25 of 38
Boo Hoo! You live in the ghetto. The trash is from the crackheads at the bar across the street, which no one seems to be concerned with. If anything, the art house increases the safety of the neighborhood, so you should just deal with it!
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I don't know about violations, noise, trash on the neutral ground or all the other complaints listed in this letter, but I do know that it's absolutely despicable for supposedly intelligent individuals to have people evicted from their home and their electricity turned off on a night when the temperature is going into the 30's. Can you people have some compassion for fellow human beings. The people living in this house are not bad people and never intended to hurt anyone. How could you be so inconsiderate? A resident of the art house told me last week when the Saints won the Superbowl how great it was to walk down Esplanade and have total strangers come up to him to shake hands. He said everyone was so happy and it's too bad that life isn't like that all the time. Well I guess this just shows what he meant because today surely proves that the kindness didn't last very long. I hope you people feel good that you accomplished what you set out to do, putting people out of their house when they have no place else to go on a freezing cold night. I hope you all sleep well tonight in your nice warm beds.
You got that right, Bob! Why doesn't anyone bitch about the crack bar and chicken shack, or the murders that happen behind them a few blocks? I really don't think that there is anyone that lives close enough to that house to really be bothered by the noise. Some stupid people just like to bitch. If they don't like the city life, maybe they should trade it for the crickets in Mississippi.
Oh, boo hoo, the underage Tulane proto-hipsters will have to go back to getting fake IDs to get into the boot. Sorry my overprivileged ones, but you can only have illegal parties for 800 people in a house with bad wiring and no building permits for so long. Basically what you brats are saying is "So what, it's only poor black people, why cant we descend on their neighborhood every month and cause chaos?"
As a resident of the treehouse, i would like to address a few points in Ms. Braden's response. Firstly, the downed tree referenced in our "side yard" is actually on a property which does Not belong to us, and is located between our very habitable home and the large, burnt-down mansion that sits opposite the school in which the Neighborhood association regularly holds its meetings. We agree that perhaps the downed tree is not the most pleasant thing to look at, but as it is not on our property, we are unable to remedy the situation. Secondly, concerning the permits: we have sought and been issued safety and mayorality permits for our events. It is confusing to us that there appears to be no record of such at city hall; we have copies of this should anyone require it. It is our conviction that, by creating and sharing the Treehouse, we are contributing to the culture and growth of the neighborhood that the ERTCA is attempting to protect. We are sad that, thus far, we seem to have been unable to communicate and work together with their organization, and we hope that the future holds brighter days for our collaboration.
You have no building permits. You have no safety inspections. The building is in no way up to code. That's why they turned the power off. As for the parties, you have a *street team*. That's not about art, that's about having an illegal club in a private residence. If you wanted to keep your arts commune without playing by any building or zoning codes, you probably shouldn't have called quite so much attention to yourselves. 800 candy-flipping undergrads puking on the neutral ground is not anything that anyone is going to tolerate, even in the "ghetto".
Permits were issued on 10/20/09 and 12/2/09 for parties: 10/20/09: http://aca.accela.com/nola/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=Permits&capID1=09SPC&capID2=00000&capID3=00186&agencyCode=NOLA "CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY FOR A PRIVATE HOUSE PARTY TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 30-31, 2009, AS PER SKETCH AND REVENUE CASE #2526." 12/2/09: http://aca.accela.com/nola/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=Permits&capID1=09SPC&capID2=00000&capID3=00199&agencyCode=NOLA "CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY FOR A PRIVATE HOUSE PARTY TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 4-5, 2009, AS PER SKETCH AND REVENUE CASE #2815." Applicant on permits: LAUREN MIEIR (listed as Lauren Miller on other permit) 1614 ESPLANADE LLC 5500 PRYTANIA ST, STE 300 NEW ORLEANS, LA, 70115 1614 Esplanade, LLC database entry: http://coraweb.sos.louisiana.gov/commercialsearch/CommercialSearchDetails_Print.aspx?CharterID=818819 Only member on corporate database entry is John Orgon at same Prytania address as Ms. Mieir/Miller. Note that 5500 Prytania is a private mailbox firm which many companies use as their address, listing the mailbox number as a "suite." Mr. Orgon is involved with five other LLC's in the city, and is listed personally as the owner on four other properties. All four of those properties have at least one - and sometimes multiple - permits taken out on them for renovations over the past three years under Mr. Orgon's name, including mechanical and electrical work. One even lists Mr. Orgon as the contractor for a company named New Orleans Construction Services. 1614 Esplanade, LLC is the current owner, having purchased the property from Turquoise Ventures in August, 2008: http://qpublic4.qpublic.net/la_neworleans_display.php?KEY=1614-ESPLANADEAV Turqoise is incorrectly listed as the owner on the party permits (Safety & Permits sometimes has incorrect or out of date records). Mr. Orgon, Ms. Mieir/Miller and the others involved appear to be quite acquainted with the procedures necessary for doing work on properties in New Orleans. They could have applied for the correct permits with the city, but did not. Now it appears their tenants are suffering for their inaction.
The original article makes reference to a party held some weeks before Halloween, as well as one held on New Year's Eve (the party attended by the author and a Gambit photographer): "I heard about the Tree House from my friend Casey Derbes while we watched our dogs play at Coliseum Square Park last October. Sipping a beer, she spoke of a "tree house party" she had attended." "It's a few hours after midnight on New Year's Day, and I'm 45 feet in the air, standing on a satellite dish that's been converted into a platform on the fourth story of a 50-foot-tall tree house." http://bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A67443 The city's permit database includes permits for an October 30-31 party and a December 4-5 party.
Anonymous - It's a private residence, as far as I know you don't need a safety permit to build a treehouse in your backyard. It's not a city park after all, guests enter at their own risk. Additionally, I understand that the owners of 1614 were railroaded into buying additional insurance and made to make guests sign liability waivers. These should be regarded as private house parties held at a private residence in the eyes of the law. For sure it is a CIVIL matter, one that should lead to a neighborhood mediator or at worst, civil court. It is definitely not a CRIMINAL matter. No one's electricity should be turned off. I question the legality of that. How can Entergy be ordered to shut their heat when they are a private company? What's going on here? Everyone pays rent and utilities.
Wow, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. All that those permits allow is the erection of temporary structures. Tents, stages and reviewing stands. That's it. If you want to charge hundreds of people money to come to an event, you need about eight other permits from everyone from the fire marshall to the department of revenue. As for the rest, yes, you need permits to erect a treehouse. These are not parties held at a private residence. They are a regular commercial operation far in excess of the fire codes, on a residential property. Finally, yes, it is a civil matter. You can tell that because no one got arrested. Turning off the power because the electrical system is a fire and safety hazard is a civil action.
Mr. Hipster, I am unsure of the provenance of the linked documents provided by commentor "matt," though I appreciate that he was able to refute the claim by Ms. Braden that no permits had been issued. The documents which the art house received from City Hall are mayorality permits which specifically indicate that admission will be charged for the permitted event. When we invited an officer from the City's Safety and Permits office to come out and inspect the treehouse, he indicated that the city code has no explicit rubric that applies to the unique situation in the backyard of the ArtHouse; should you have a citation of any laws underlying your statement that one "need[s] permits to erect a treehouse," we should be very happy to examine them. On top of all which, we are not a commercial operation. we seek (and have heretofore been allowed to pay for) permits from the city to charge admission at semi-regular events; at all other times we are a close-knit community of artists trying to make a living in a city that we are doing our best to keep loving.
As a proud resident of 1614 Esplanade I would like to reply: To Anonymous Hipster.... "They are a regular commercial operation far in excess of the fire codes, on a residential property." - We have held in the past our one night events, with permit....definitely not what is considered a regular commercial operation. Our entertainment permits were paid for in order to charge the covers in the past...as that was what was only necessary. We never hold open club standards, but do allow for tourists and other people traveling through New Orleans to view the treehouse, NO COVER. because we are residential. Since our more recent press coverage we have had overwhelming amounts of people coming to see what else New Orleans had to offer besides booze and bars. They love it! They come and play and climb...bring their kids to go down the slide that the community organization so despises. We buy local from our stores in the treme...we eat sleep and live our neighborhood..and the fact that they have never reached back to us, as we have requested, shows a lack of initiative on their part. We are always available and have been willing to comply to all requests...but what can you do when the other end holds off on communication? We can only do so much to work with those who have problems with us when they will not even speak up to us. They instead go straight to the authorities. We were never given the official report on what we needed to fix, instead we receive several NOPD, fire marshalls, and LSPCA at our doors, threatening us at our homes. the Treehouse is an art sculpture, which no permits are required to erect, and you anonymous hipster are just nodding no at something you cannot even possibly begin to understand. I also dont appreciate you quoting my neighborhood as "ghetto" and hope that in your future debates that you practice comprehension first, and then proceed. Thank you, K D
It's my neighborhood too. In fact, it was my neighborhood first. The ghetto reference was a quotation of the first reply to this blog. That is why it was in quotation marks. As for the rest of your sanctimony, I say again, that you were issued a permit for a special event does not make your operation legal. You need more than one. Hell, just to have a tent you need two. Your "one night" events are now in the double digits. You have a street team. You publicize your events. You charge admission. They have increased in size to absurd proportions each and every month. That, by law, is a regular commercial operation. You can pat yourselves on the back for how community positive you are and how well loved and engaged you are, but the simple fact is, you pay your rent by letting underage kids get drunk and do drugs on your premises. Given that, your claim that others should show "initiative" is laughable.
The treehouse may be art, but once you allow the public to climb on it, you need building and safety permits for it. To make sure people don't, you know, maim or kill themselves on it. Sorry kids, but your multi-story treehouse is subject to the same restrictions as a backyard halfpipe. Also, it's awesomely telling, albeit nauseating and sad, that the bar across the street is, according to the Treehouse's fans, a "crack bar." Actually, it's just a predominantly black bar. And, contrary to what middle-class white kids may think, not all black people smoke crack.
Oh, and Me!, Frat Houses are dormitories operated by not-for-profits as short term residences. They have a separate code section, but they still have to conform to multiple dwelling laws and have things like sprinklers and fire escapes and adequate sanitary facilities.
i think the general idea is that when you exist in a legal gray area, it's best not to charge your guests $25 a pop and have them sign a liability waiver to hang out in your back yard and then charge them for booze at a makeshift bar... even for art's sake
The truly egregious thing about this is turning off the electricity and leaving these people to huddle in the cold tonight -- or kicking them out onto the streets. I'm not sure where they are just now. Was this so bad that you couldn't put it off until morning. I don't care who you are -- you don't come by at sundown and turn people's lights off. At the very least, you lose the moral high ground for it.
@dory: I agree. I like what they do but the last time I was there, I remember looking around the yard area and seeing all the garbage and refuse and thinking how crazy it was that they leave all this in an area anyone can get to it. This wasn't after an event or anything either. This is how it normally looked. The house is also really messy as well. Now, I'm not demonizing them for how they keep their place but when cops and fire marshals show up to do on-sight inspections and see all that crap everywhere.... Well.... What did you expect them to think? Essentially, your greed and naive attitude toward your situation got you in this mess. Did you honestly think that having a festival like that would go unnoticed by the city? Especially after that article? You must have known that the hammer would come down sooner or later. Now, turning the electricity off and issuing illegal evictions is a low blow, I'll give you that. But after you received the cease-and-desist order, what you should have done is let things cool down for a bit and sought out legal counsel. Then, you should have taken time to go through all the channels you needed to, to see who exactly you were pissing off. From there, you should have taken a diplomatic route and tried playing the game for a bit so you could see how that worked. But, instead you decided to poke the hive that was already buzzing with a big stick and publicly announced that you were going to do shows anyway, which, clearly provoked enough people that serious action was taken. So, now, the situation is out of your control. I feel for you, I really do but you brought it on yourselves.
@sophie, since when does having a permit prevent people from maiming or killing themselves on it? anyhoo, the art house got too big too fast and too publicly. When the parties first started they were more underground, and it easily could have been a very successful under the radar venture had it stayed that way.
This is what was planned for this weekend (no permit in city's database): http://risingsunfest.eventbrite.com/ "Mardi Gras in New Orleans is crazy and full of amazing things to do... and this year, we're taking a break from that filthy Bourbon and offering the city a new spin on the season. The three-day music fest is over Mardi Gras weekend from Saturday, February 13th to Monday, February 15th. Take a break from the French Quarter and come after the parades to vibe out in your favorite backyard." "We've got lot of your favorite local musicians, as well as artists from West to East Coast. And we've got genres across the board: Jazz/Blues/Soul/Funk/HipHop/Rock/Reggae/Electronic/Dance... We'll also have food/art vendors, street performers and plenty of other surprises. Saturday, Feb 13th - Monday, Feb 15th Starts at 2pm each day / Two Stages $25 DayPass / $60 Three-DayPass * *Each DayPass is good for in/out access from 2pm - Close for that day only Thank you, New Orleans! See you Mardi Gras weekend :) Sincerely, The NOLA Art House"
Sorry, Anonymous Hipster, I didn't realize that the new politically correct term for crackhead is "poor black people". Awww those poor black people. Let's feel sorry for them because they smoke crack and hate hippies.
wow, so much for that "Who Dat" unity huh? My girl and I visited NOLA for Halloween. We dumped @1500$ into the local economy at that time. We attended the VooDoo/Halloween event at the art house after being told about it by a waiter at Pascal's Manale. We loved the event and were planning another trip to NOLA in spring which we hoped to co-ord with another event at the art house. We thought this tree house/art house was an obvious signal of improving conditions moving up Esplanade--and we walked there in 5 minutes from our 125$/night B&B. How is it possible to claim that the tree house is "blight" when it is located right next to a loud and ugly elevated expressway and near a variety of liquor stores whose owners are all strapped with 9mm pistols and keep shot guns next to their cash registers? We live in Philly, we can tell what kind of neighborhood we are in. That tree house is benefit, not a negative. The facility should get some grant money to get up to code and the petty harassment should stop. I would think that NOLA residents would be ecstatic about any new facility that was bringing in tourist dollars and helping to attract attention to neighborhoods that could use a boost.
