Boathouses

boat harbor

New Orleans West End is one of the most unique residential neighborhoods in a city defined by unique neighborhoods. 135 boathouses ring the Municipal Yacht Harbor and all have incredible park and lakefront vistas.

133 of these boathouses are in private hands and subject to long term leases from MYHMC, while two are held by MYHMC, including the one housing the fireboat. FEMA and the City are negotiating as to the restoration of those two MYHMC boathouses and they are likely to be restored in 2011-2012. All boathouses are subject to regulation as to their design and construction by virtue of MYHMC’s Design Criteria and provisions specifically related to them in the City Code. Rules insuring good neighbors and a good neighborhood are embodied in the Boathouse Rules & Regulations and in the Harbor Rules & Regulations.

Boathouse Transfers: A typical transfer involves a sale of the improvements and an assignment of the lease. The lease cannot be assigned without MYHMC’s consent. That consent can be achieved via a series of completed documents, inspections and payment of a 3% transfer fee. All of that process is set forth in the Boathouse Transfer Checklist.

Boathouse Alterations: Alterations and work on boathouses require MYHMC consent. In order to make that process manageable – both for MYHMC and the tenants – the MYHMC Board has established a Rules & Standards Committee to review and approve such proposals. That Committee has retained an architect to review the plans and specifications. The process and paperwork associated with it are described in the Boathouse Alterations Instruction Sheet .

The rules with regard to what a boathouse must look like in terms of structure, dimensions and appearance, are all in writing, having been developed in a collaborative process between landlord and tenants. Those rules are generally in three categories, namely Compliance Procedures (outline of the process), Design Criteria (generally appearance related items) and the City Code (generally structural and dimensional issues).

The boathouse tenant who wishes to work on a boathouse first submits plans and specifications to the MYHMC Rules & Standards Committee. Then, once that consent is obtained in a Certificate of Compliance, he or she must obtain a building permit from the City’s Department of Safety and Permits. The Department of Safety and Permits will not issue that building permit unless it has the Compliance Certificate issued by MYHMC.

Useful Documents:

On Tuesday, September 3, 2013, 110 Boathouse Lessees attended the long awaited Extended Lease signing event. MYHMC would like to thank Councilmember Susan Guidry for her assistance in sponsoring the City Council Ordinance that approved the Supplemental Lease Agreement which resolved several outstanding issues between the City, MYHMC and the Boathouse Owners Association. MYHMC would also like to thank Kerry Cuccia, the President of the Boathouse Owners Association, for his many years of dedication and hard work. The relationship between the Boathouse Owners, the City, and the MYHMC is a shining example of the effectiveness of a private/public partnership.

Please view photos of the event below: