Joseph A. Colón’s
City Planning Commission
of New Orleans
Retrospective
July 2017 – August 2022

After meeting his then-future boss, Leslie T. Alley, at
a Public Safety Improvements Community Forum in
the French Quarter in March 2017, Joseph A. Colón
had the privilege to be recruited into the City
Planning Commission (CPC) of New Orleans in July
2017.
Quickly learning the responsibilities of the base
tasks, he was soon nominated to contribute to
studies, special assignments, committees, and handle
significant cases in town.
This retrospective will not only exhibit how Joseph
promoted the health, safety, & welfare of the
of New Orleans, but how his time at the CPC
changed him.

Courses
taken…
… w h i l e o n t h e j o b .
3

CIVIL SERVICE COURSES
C o m p l e t e d & / o r R e g i s t e r e d F o r :
• GVOP580 : Retirement Class
• MGMT 810-2-21: Principles of Management
• SUPV 690-6-19: Introduction to Supervision
• SUPV 690-6-21: Introduction to Supervision
• SUPV 690-6-19: Conflict Management
4
Source: Civil Service Training Catalogues & Scheduling Letters

Experience
Gained…
5
… w h i l e o n t h e j o b .

Base
Work
Tasks`
Totals
= 56
= 46
= 86
= 61
= 04
= 10
= 02
= 05
SUM = 272
Completed Close-Out Pre-Final Decision Ongoing
ALL WORK TASKS
6
33 36 44 49 2 4 2
1
16
8
19
7
1
2
1
7 2
23
6
1 2
2 3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Source: LAMA, Microsoft Outlook Tasks, & One Stop App

BASE WORK TASKS DEFINED
A variance, or waiver, is an exception from a requirement or standard in the
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO) that requires written reports to provide
recommendations for a decision by the Board of Zoning Adjustments.
For proposals in identified corridors and/or that matched specific criteria,
the administrative review of architectural sets for compliance with the requirements of the
CZO and planner’s design experience. Further review is provided by the Design Advisory
Committee when certain additional thresholds were met.
City Charter enabled processed that requires
written reports to provide recommendations on Plan for the 21st Century amendment
applications at least once every five years for final recommendations by the City Planning
Commission and final decisions made by the City Council.
The administrative review of applications that changed lot lines. If
proposals didn’t meet the guidelines or created +5 lots, written reports were drafted to
provide recommendations for a decision by the City Planning Commission.
Applications for zoning map changes, CZO text amendments,
conditional uses, and planned developments that require written reports to provide staff
recommendations for final recommendations by the City Planning Commission and final
decisions made by the City Council.
7
Source: The New Orleans City Planning Commission’s FAQ
Guide

8
8
2015-2017 2018 2019 2020
Source: LAMA, Microsoft Outlook Tasks, & One Stop App

9
2020 (cont.) 2021 2022
9
Source: LAMA, Microsoft Outlook Tasks, & One Stop App

10
0 0.5 1 1.5
BZA Dockets
BZA Dockets
Design Reviews
FLUM Amendments
Studies
Subdivision Dockets
Zoning Dockets
Multiple Case Types (on
one site)
10
Source: LAMA, Microsoft Outlook Tasks, & One Stop App | Produced using: Mapline
East
Bank
New
Orleans
East
Lower
9
th
Ward
&
Algiers

Breakdown
= 05
• CPC Morale & Equity / P.A.C.E. Committee
• Design Advisory Committee
• Language Access Working Group
• Minor Text Amendment Working Group
• Social Media Planning Krewe
= 10
• City Hall / CPC Relocation Space Planning Team
• (2) City Worker Emergency Preparedness Classification
• Lafitte Greenway Bridge Design Guide
• Removing Signage from Design Reviews
• Revised Template Report Team
• Sample Architectural Submissions Project
• Workload Tracking & Study
• Yellow Light Ribbon Stock Email Committee
• Zoning Interpretation Log Team
= 04
• Canal Street Study
• Housing Opportunities Study
• Outdoor Live Entertainment Study
• Transit Oriented Communities Study Completed Close-Out Pre-Final Decision Ongoing
SPECIAL WORK TASKS
11
2 4 2
3
1
3
3
1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Committees & Working
Groups
Special Assignments &
Projects
Studies
Source: LAMA & Microsoft Outlook Tasks

12
Acronym Department Name Acronym Department Name
AC Arts Council NORD New Orleans Recreation Dept.
ADA Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Office OBES Office of Business & External Services
CAO Chief Administrative Office
OCAI
Office of Community Assets & Investment
(Division w/in Mayor’s Office)
CPA Capital Projects Administration
CPC City Planning Commission OCE Office of Cultural Economy (D. w/in MO)
DPW Dept. of Public Works PM Property Management
HD Health Department PPW Parks & Parkways
HDLC Historic District Landmarks Commission RTA Regional Transit Authority
HRC Human Rights Commission S&P Safety & Permits
IGR Intergovernmental Relations (Division w/in Mayor’s Office) S&WB Sewage & Water Board
LAW City Attorney's Office
MO Mayor’s Office
NOMERS New Orleans Municipal Employees’ Retirement System
12

13
Housing Opportunities Study
https://nola.gov/next/city-planning/topics/major-studies-projects/housing-opportunity-study/
Outdoor Live Entertainment Study
https://nola.gov/next/city-planning/topics/major-studies-projects/outdoor-live-entertainment-
study/
Areas of Focus: Design Standards Social Housing Sustainability TODs
Design
Standards
Use
Standards
Precedent
Analysis
Regulatory
Cohesion
Timeframe: August 2019 – June 2022 January 2020 – January 2021
Duration: 2 years, 10 months 1 year
# of Depts: Three 3 Five 5
Depts. CPC OCAI S&P CPC HD LAW OCE S&P
# of Colleagues Fifteen 15 Four 4
Skills Utilized:
13
=

14
Canal Street Study
https://nola.gov/next/city-planning/topics/major-studies-projects/canal-street-study/
Transit-Oriented Communities Study
https://nola.gov/next/city-planning/topics/major-studies-projects/transit-oriented-
communities/
Areas of Focus: History Land Use Survey Precedent Analysis Placemaking Corridor Analysis Design Standards Transit Planning
Timeframe: May 2018 – October 2018 May 2021 – October 2021
Duration: 6 months 6 months
# of Depts: One 1 Five 5
Depts. CPC CPC MO RPC RTA S&P
# of Colleagues Five 5 Eight 8
Skills Utilized:
14
=

15
Lafitte Greenway Bridge
Design Guide
Revised Template
Report Team
Design Advisory
Committee
Role: Coordinator Convener & Project Lead Co-Chair
Timeframe: March 2018 – Dec. 2019 Nov. 2020 – June 2022 Oct. 2020 – Aug. 2021
Duration: 1 year, 9 months 19 months 11 months
# of Depts: Eight 8 One 1 Eight 8
Depts.
CAO CPA PPW S&P
CPC Staff CPC Commissioners
AC CPA CPC DPW
DPW PM NORD S&WB HDLC MO PPW RTA
# of Colleagues Nine 9 Seven 7 Nine 9
Skills Utilized:
=
15

16
=
Minor Text Amendment
Working Group
Workload Tracking &
Study
Language Access Working
Group
Role: Contributor (Culminated in ) Developer Assessment Administrator
Timeframe: April 2018 – April 2022 May 2021 – August 2021 Nov. 2018 – Dec. 2020
Duration: 4 years 4 months 2 years, 1 month
# of Depts: Four 4 One 1 Eight 8
Depts. CPC HDLC LAW S&P CPC
ADA CPC IGR HD
HRC OCE NOMERS
# of Colleagues Fifteen 15 Three 3 Seven 7
Skills Utilized:
16

17
CPC Morale & Equity / Personnel, Administration,
& Continuing Education (PACE) Committee
Zoning Interpretation Log
Team
Role: Member Contributor
Timeframe: October 2021 - June 2022 September 2021 – June 2022
Duration: 9 months 10 months
# of Depts: One Three 3
Depts. CPC CPC LAW S&P
# of Colleagues Nine (Four Commissioners) 9 (4) Five 5
Skills Utilized:
17
=

18
Social Media Planning Krewe Yellow Light Ribbon Stock Email Committee
Role: Collaborator Contributor
Timeframe: January 2022 - June 2022 November 2019 – June 2022
Duration: 6 months 2 years, 7 months
# of Depts: Two 2 One 1
Depts. CPC LAW CPC
# of Colleagues Six 6 Three 3
Skills Utilized:
18
=

19
=
CPC Relocation Space
Planning Team
Removing Signage
from Design Reviews
Sample Architectural
Submissions Project
Role: Designer Contributor (Evolved into ) Designer
Timeframe: March 2020 – June 2022 April – July 2021 April 2018 – June 2021
Duration: 2 years, 3 months 4 months 3 years, 3 months
# of Depts: Three 3 Two 2 One 1
Depts. CPC S&P OBES CPC S&P CPC
# of Colleagues Four 4 Five 5 Three 3
Skills Utilized:
19

20
City Worker Emergency Preparedness Classification
Vaccine Volunteer Corps Hurricane Charging & Cooling Centers
Role: Volunteer Recruit
Timeframe: January 2021 - August 2022 September 2021
Duration: 1 year, 7 months 1 month
Depts: Citywide (Led by NOLA Ready department)
Skills Utilized:
20
=

21
10
31
4
19
6
6
39
19
4
12
48
25
21
1
34
11
9
27
6
21
Source: Microsoft Outlook Tasks and City Planning Commission Website
Canal Street Study
City Hall / CPC Relocation Space Planning Team
CPC Morale & Equity / P.A.C.E. Committee
Design Advisory Committee
Housing Opportunities Study
Hurricane Charging & Cooling Centers
Lafitte Greenway Bridge Design Guide
Language Access Working Group
Minor Text Amendment Working Group
Outdoor Live Entertainment Study
Removing Signage from Design Reviews
Revised Template Report Team
Sample Architectural Submissions Project
Social Media Planning Krewe
Transit Oriented Communities Study
Vaccine Volunteer Corps
Workload Tracking & Study
Yellow Light Ribbon Stock Email Committee
Zoning Interpretation Log Team
July 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
In number of months
Committees & Working Groups Special Assignment & Projects Studies

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Urban Planning & Policies
Regulatory & Legislative
Life Improvement
Knowledge & Information
Design
Composition & Language
Community Engagement
Urban Planning & Policies Regulatory & Legislative Life Improvement
Knowledge & Information Design Composition & Language
Community Engagement
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Architectural Design & Drafting
Composition Formatting
Customer Service
Data Aggregation
Design Review & Strategies
Disaster Aid & Recovery
Education Development
Efficiency Planning
Employee Advocacy
Equity & Inclusion
Health & Wellness Enhancement
Inter-Departmental Coordination
Land Use & Zoning
Material Presentation
Policy-Making
Placemaking & Urban Design
Public Communiqué
Record-Keeping
Regulatory Analysis & Review
Research Investigations
Space Planning
Task Classification
22
Source: LAMA Case Assignments & Microsoft Outlook Emails
Joseph A. Colón has developed over 20 work
skills across 7 macro-categories beyond the
base responsibilities within the City Planner
classifications by electing to do special work
assignments, be on committees, and
contribute to studies, during his time in the
City Planning Commission.
All of these skills Joseph has accrued and
developed indicate how Joseph goes above
and beyond, and has cultivated a variegated
and remarkable skillset that situates him
well for a variety of different roles.
Cultivated Skills
SPECIAL WORK TASKS

Trust Built
… w h i l s t o n t h e j o b .
23

z
24

25
SD 117-17 DR 155-17 ZD 021-18 BZA 062-18 DR 063-18
Case Type: Subdivision Docket Design Review Zoning Docket Board of Zoning Adjustments Design Review
Address:
702 - 710 N. Prieur St.,
1914 - 1920 Orleans Ave.,
1905 - 1913 Lafitte Ave.
1100 Girod St. 3000 - 3032 St. Claude Ave.
731 St. Charles Ave.
2 Canal St.
Public Name
(If applicable)
Faubourg Lafitte The Odeon The Sun Yard
Four Seasons Hotel at the
World Trade Center
Application
Reason:
Request to resubdivide more
than five (5) existing lots (40
total) into forty-five (45) new
lots.
Request within a CBD
FAR Overlay district
with over 40,000 sq. ft.
Request for a conditional use
to permit a hotel over 10,000
sq. ft.
Variance request from the
provisions of Article 17,
Section 17.3.B.1 of the CZO
to permit insufficient
minimum ground floor area
reserved for required uses.
Renovation of existing 33
story building for a hotel
and multi-family dwelling
with gross floor area
greater than 40,000 sq. ft.
Notes
Constituted a massive
resubdivision request. I
scrutinized the data and
created an innovative
rubric to track the
information in an orderly
manner, helping to allow for
mixed-income housing.
Was the first
constructed skyscraper
in the city in a decade
which I ensured,
through regulation,
superior design.
The project had a
beautifully designed site
plan (especially if it was
instead a residential
proposal) that dealt with
displacement &
gentrification, which we as
planners had to reconcile.
Significant through-lot
construction of a surface
parking lot site in the CBD of
a mixed-use structure in a
multi-modal/pedestrian
corridor that I ensured
pedestrian & cycling access.
Managed the adaptive
reuse of a landmark New
Orleans structure by
ensuring superb design
standards, pedestrian, bike,
and infrastructural access,
and landscaping.
25

26
ZD 072-19 ZD 074-19 SD 092-19 ZD 103-19 DR 007-20
Case Type: Zoning Docket Zoning Docket Subdivision Docket Zoning Docket Design Review
Address:
1050 South Dr. Norman
Francis Pkwy.
500 Piety St.,
3220 Chartres St.
3900 - 3956 Jennifer St.,
3900 - 3957 Kathleen St.,
3900 - 3930 Amanda St.
2400 - 2404 Tulane Ave.,
517 - 527 South Tonti St.,
2412 - 2420 Bradish Aly.
5350 - 5336 Magazine St.,
700 Leontine St.
Public Name
(If applicable)
N/A Crescent Hotel N/A
Nick’s Original
Big Train Bar
Poydras Home
Application
Reason:
Planned Development for
dwellings above the
ground floor and adaptive
reuse of the building for
offices, retail and
residential.
Request for a conditional
use to permit a hotel in an
RIV Riverfront Design
Overlay District.
Request to resubdivide more
than five (5) existing lots
(~70 total) into new lots to
correct a 10 foot surveyor
error – for each property.
Request for a conditional use
to a bar and a parking lot
(principal use) in an
Enhancement Corridor
Design Overlay District.
Request for an amendment
to previously approved
conditional use plans to
permit an expansion of a
senior care facility.
Notes
Co-reviewed the adaptive
reuse of a former
industrial building to
ensure multi-modal
access, sustainability, &
livability for an
affordable, mixed-use
development.
River-adjacent proposal
that required counsel from
numerous agencies to
achieve safety and
compatibility with the area;
I also advocated for
community amenities,
including the rooftop pool.
Upon my careful analysis,
we discovered there were
substantial legal quandaries
that needed to be resolved,
necessitating inter-
departmental coordination
with Property Management &
the Law department.
I was the design lead as we
focused on densifying a
medium-density
neighborhood as we
managed neighborhood
engagement and ensured safe
traffic management.
Due to the rarity of design
review reports, I had to
both manage the design
and operations aspect of
the specialized use, but
also update & optimize
the report format.
26

27
BZA 045-21 DR 050-21 ZD 051-21 ZD 068-21 ZD 091-21
Case Type:
Board of Zoning
Adjustments
Design Review Zoning Docket Zoning Docket Zoning Docket
Address: 3401 St Charles Ave. 1 Canal St,
460 - 462 Josephine St., 2120
Rousseau St.
6-8 Canal St. 823-843 Camp St.
Public Name
(If applicable)
N/A
Audubon Aquarium
of the Americas
N/A Caesars New Orleans
Application
Reason:
Variance request from
Article 12, Section
12.3.A.1 (Table 12-2) of
the CZO to permit
insufficient lot area per
dwelling unit and
excessive building height.
Design Advisory
Committee review of a
public structure (aquarium)
in a historic district (le
Vieux Carré)
Renovation of an existing
structure to allow an adaptive
reuse Planned Development
& permit a health club, bar, &
live entertainment with a
combined floor area over
10,000 square feet.
Request to amend and/or
rescind previous ordinances
to update the conditional use
approval for an existing
casino in a CBD-4 Exposition
District.
Conditional use request to
permit a hotel in a Multi-
Modal/Pedestrian Corridor
Notes
Reviewed a major mixed-
use redevelopment on
nearly an entire block on a
major corridor. Ensured
compatibility with the
surroundings while
understanding the site’s
historical precedents.
Provided crucial feedback
on the feasibility and
design development of a
signature New Orleans
landmark.
The proposal represented a
new use typology (Pickleball
court) that was the catalyst
for me to create a whole new
report format for planned
developments for adaptive
reuses.
My diligence in handling
DR075-20 led to the
discovery that the hotel
expansion, the 1st skyscraper
of the 2020s, needed
conditional use & other
regulatory approvals, which I
guided the proposal through.
Represented densifying of
a surface parking lot site
in the CBD w/ a complex,
mixed-use structure.
Ensured responsible design
& affordable housing by
relying on inclusionary
regulations.
27

Dedication on
Display
… d u r i n g t h e j o b .
28

Joseph (J.C.) started his service for the CPC in July
2017 and finished his service August 2022.
This constitutes a duration of 5 years and 1 month.
Joseph worked with 25 similarly situated
coworkers, achieving a longer tenure than 19
coworkers, a percentage of 76% longer than the
average CPC term.
Additionally, the colleagues promoted to senior
positions, 66.7% of whom were white, obtained
said promotions by 1,253 days, indicating that
Joseph had to work demonstrably harder to achieve
similar advancement and opportunities.
How Joseph Shown Dedication:
150
180
250
383
823
655
704
928
1145
1134
302
1748
1790
1663
1383
1533
1037
1,065
782
908
871
1,464
901
1,107
1930
963
253
670
71
71
253
158
211
673
1,223
567
1530
253
495
529
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
STAFF
DURATION
NUMBER OF DAYS
Duration of CPC Staff’s Respective Tenure
(Senior/) C.P. Principal C.P. Higher Positions
29
K.B.
N.J.
B.P.
S.K.
S.L.
T.A.
C.B.
D.A.
Source: LAMA Case Assignments & Microsoft Outlook Emails
E.H.R.
N.K.
R.B.
T.M.
A.N.
J.C.
R.J.
R.G.
H.D.
A.W.
W.M.
S.S.
J.F.
V.G.
V.M.
B.W.
C.M.B.
B.D.

How Joseph allotted his work time:
Work Hours
30
8.9
1.8
7.7
3
1.2
8.3 9
7.2
1.2
35.6
7.1
30.9
11.8
4.9
33.1
36.1
29
4.7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Weekly* Monthly
8.9 hrs. 35.6 hrs.
1.8 hrs. 7.1 hrs.
7.7 hrs. 30.9 hrs.
3 hrs. 11.8 hrs.
1.2 hrs. 4.9 hrs.
8.3 hrs. 33.1 hrs.
9 hrs. 36.1 hrs.
7.2 hrs. 29 hrs.
1.2 hrs. 4.7 hrs.
Average Total =
(The work week was defined as 35 hrs./week)
43 hrs.
8.6
hrs./day
Source: Workload Tracking Sheets
*The discrepancy between the weekly sum totals is the utilization of the weekly tracking sheet vs. task tracking sheet

90%
4%
2%3%1%
Eligible Work Days
Work days Annual Days Civil Leave Sick Leave Furloughs
Of eligible work-days (~1,229 days*), he has
worked 93% of these days.
He left 31% of annual time left unused.
When he realized remote work during the
COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t his most efficient
work situation, he made sure to come back on-
site as soon as safely possible, returning to daily
office presence since May 2020.
He additionally persevered through the COVID-
19 pandemic while the office contracted by a
third, helping guide the CPC and the City of New
Orleans to continue serving the citizenry.
93%
4% 3%
Eligible Work Days
Work days Annual Days Sick Leave
31
69%
31%
Annual Time
Annual Days Taken Annual Days Available
Source: ADP Time & Attendance Portal
Working Days
*This number excludes holidays, civil leave, + furlough days

Relationships
Fostered
… w h i l e o n t h e j o b .
32

4%
9%
6%
23%
9%
27%
6%
5%
8%
3%
CAO City Council
CNO Operations Land Use & Infrastructure
Mayor's Office CPC / OSS
Public Health & Safety Social Services
Employee Support Depts. Other Governmental Agencies
Contacts in CNO
33
Source: Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet
How Has Joseph
Fostered the Relationships?
Joseph has fostered over 250 contacts in the City of New Orleans
during his time at within the City Planning Commission.
Below are snapshots of his comprehensive accounting of said contacts:

An Asset
… f o r a n y j o b .
34

 Produces Quality Work:
o Perform Evaluations:
• “…completes all of the work tasks at a high
level.”
• … “demonstrates high competence”
• “work is virtually always high quality”
• “Joseph is well-placed in regard to
supervision.”
 Is a collaborate communicator:
o Created 108 Template emails.
o Engaged supervisors about raises, promotions,
and the CPC budget based on studies and Civil
Service rules.
o Provided translation & interpretation services
across departments for coworkers to Spanish
speaking applicants.
o Made attempts to change “master plan” to a less
less racist alternative.
o “Not afraid to say what others are thinking” -
Bob D. Rivers, Executive Director
 Brings unique perspectives to the office:
o Latino who is bilingual (Spanish-Speaker)
o Renter who lived in New Orleans for 11 years.
o Queer person of color w/ expansive gender
expression.
o Was the only planner who was car-free & used
bike and transit to work & around New Orleans.
 Is organized:
o Voluntarily maintained record logs & task
timelines of each & every work task he was
assigned.
o Tracked working hours via the workload tracking
sheets he helped craft.
o Kept accurate and up-to-date case notes for
every task that made case processing during and
and after the 2019 Cyberattack on New Orleans
Orleans into (the whiplash) of the remote work
era brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic
lockdowns effective.
35
How Joseph is an asset:

April
-
May
2022
 Co-Lead of New
Orleans Delegation
 APA-LA Scholarship
Award Winner 36
 Host Delegation
 New Orleans
Handbook Contributor
 CPC Tour Guide on
Guided Tour Buses
A PA’ s N P C
C O N F E R E N C E S
April
2018
N . E . A . ’s
O U R T O W N PA N E L
 Nominated and selected to be
a 2021 Panelist
 Reviewed ~ 40 applications
from an urban planning
perspective
Oct. 2020 – Jan. 2021
 Invited to be on the
Request-for-Proposal Jury
for 2022
 Reviewed 20 proposals
from an urban planning
perspective
T H E S M A L L
C E N T E R
R F P 2 0 2 2 J U RY
April 2022
N O C W O C
U N I O N
S T E WA R D
 Advocated for City
Workers for better
benefits, rights, &
protections
 Helped pass a $15
min. wage for City
Workers
 Ensured AFSCME
came into town &
passed a Collective
Bargaining Ordinance
Oct. 2020 – June 2023
VA N G U A R D
C O N F E R E N C E
 Host Vanguard that
Provided local
perspective & context
to 2018 Class of 45
Vanguards + 45
Alumni
Sept. 2018

Thank
you
for
your
Consideration
37