Police blotter: Two shootings, home invasion, carjacking

Among the crimes reported in Uptown neighborhoods early this week, including a carjacking, two home invasions and two shootings. A man carjacked a 49-year-old woman around 2 a.m. Monday (July 19) at St. Charles Avenue and Pine Street. When the woman stopped at the intersection, he pushed her out of the car, grabbed the wheel and drove away. Around 11:30 a.m. on Monday (July 19), a woman broke into a home in the 3500 block of Second Street.

Development on former Rite Aid site on St. Charles wins appeal over zoning

By Sharon Lurye

Developers working on the new apartment complex at 3401 St. Charles Ave. won another victory at the Board of Zoning Adjustments meeting on Monday, as board officers unanimously agreed that the project qualifies for a density bonus that allows it to fit more units per square foot. The complex, planned for the site where a Rite Aid store has been left vacant for several years, will consist of an apartment building on St. Charles and Louisiana and townhouse-style apartments on the other side of the lot at Delachaise and Carondelet streets.

Empanola is bringing its innovative empanadas to Magazine Street

 

Empanola, the spot that serves up traditional and New Orleans-inspired empanadas, is opening a new location at 3109 Magazine St. on Aug. 1. The site is the former location of novelty and gift shop Bootsy’s Fun Rock’n, which closed last summer. The Empanola location at 7321 Freret St., a neighborhood favorite since 2019, will remain Empanola’s main store, where all of the empanadas are baked.

Man shot to death during street fight in Central City

A man was shot to death Saturday evening (July 17) on Baronne Street in Central City, the New Orleans Police Department reported. At about 9:15 p.m., NOPD Sixth District officers responded to a call of gunfire in the 2200 block Baronne Street, near Jackson Avenue. Upon arrival, officers found Syrmiller Smith lying in the street with apparent gunshot wounds. Smith, 43, was declared dead at the scene. The police said Smith had been in a physical altercation with another man, who took out a gun and reportedly shot him multiple times.

Police blotter: Two shootings on Toledano, woman attacked after flagging down speeders, shooting and robbery near shopping areas, stabbing in Central City

Three shootings, two robberies and a stabbing were among the crimes reported in Uptown neighborhoods this week. Two shootings on Toledano

Two women and a man were injured this week in separate shootings within blocks of each other on a well-traveled thoroughfare separating the Broadmoor and Hoffman Triangle neighborhoods. The first shooting occurred on Tuesday (June 13) at about 10 p.m., the New Orleans Police Department said. The victims, a 34-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man, were inside a vehicle in the 3400 block of Toledano when an unknown gunman fired shots into their car. Both were injured in the shootings.

University area neighbors taking another look at parking restrictions after Planning Commission vote

The City Planning Commission on Tuesday (July 13) gave a thumbs-down to continuing and expanding an off-street parking mandate in the University area aimed at stemming the tide of “doubles to dorms” conversions. The commissioners backed the city planners, who recommended denying the proposal, calling it “inappropriate, regressive and harmful.”

The concerns voiced by commissioners, the City Planning staff and advocacy groups have sent the proposal’s proponents, District A Councilman Joe Giarrusso and a host of neighborhood associations, back to the drawing board for further tweaks. The measure would establish a zoning district, the University Area Off-Street Parking Overlay District, where developers are required to create an off-street parking space for each increase in the number of bedrooms.

The City Council will next vote on the proposal. In September, the council approved an Interim Zoning District with an off-street parking requirement despite the Planning Commission’s recommendation for denial. That IZD is set to expire in two months.

Viewpoint: Incumbents and their challengers qualify to run in the fall elections

Dozens of candidates and their handlers headed to Criminal District Court early Wednesday (July 14) to beat the long lines of those expected to qualify for the fall municipal elections. While Sheriff Marlin Gusman drew the coveted No. 1 ticket, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Assessor Erroll Williams and many others patiently waited their turn. It’s always fun to watch the maneuvering as candidates jockey for attention. Although Cantrell drew seven opponents, she is still positioned to glide to victory.