A stop work order was hung on the fence at 4854 Camp St. after the shotgun home that used to be there was illegally demolished. (Danny Monteverde/PRC)
On Oct. 17, the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission voted unanimously to issue the maximum allowable fine of $25,000 to property owner and developer Michael Moore, who illegally demolished a historic shotgun house at 4854 Camp St. in the Uptown Historic District at the end of September.
In addition, the commission denied Moore’s application to retain the demolition, specifying that any new construction on the site will need to closely replicate what was there previously. The HDLC staff report included comments from the agency’s legal counsel, which stated that the New Orleans Code of Ordinances grants the HDLC’s director the right to pursue other penalties for illegal demolitions in a historic district, including making a case for six months of prison time.
“I want to sincerely apologize for the demolition that took place,” Moore told the commission. “I fully understand that proceeding without the proper HDLC approval was a serious mistake and I take full responsibility for it.”…