Sunday, September 30, 2012


SECURITY CAMERAS: Revised 7/17/12

    General: The purpose of the Vieux Carre Commission Security Cameras Policy is to establish standards for design and installation, with work to be performed only after VCC permits have been issued. This policy addresses size, location, mounting, wiring, integrated lighting, camouflage, and New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) involvement with limited systems in the Vieux Carre.
    Security cameras have proliferated in the Vieux Carre as cameras have become affordable and miniaturized, with variances in size related to image resolution and depth of their vision field. Cameras serve a wide variety of security functions, and, if selected and located properly, will intrude minimally upon the historic streetscape and building fabric. 
    This policy is designed to limit the intrusive nature of these fixtures and to outline compatible equipment and methods for their proper installation under VCC Permit. Furthermore, the location of cameras to provide the best vantage point of an applicant’s property may be from an adjacent property, staff encourages neighbors to work together to provide each other with the best security options.


NOPD interface cameras:

 These cameras shall only be installed as a system fully integrated with the system employed by the NOPD, as part of a formal request that is made in conjunction with the applicant. The functioning and monitoring of the system must be integral with NOPD security software and supervision.
 Rotary-mount cameras, with 360 degree vertical and horizontal capability, in communication with centralized New Orleans Police Department monitoring locations.
 Camera enclosed in a sealed transparent hemisphere with an opaque housing for the top half, all approximately 12" to 14" in diameter. Stock mounting devices generally include an arched wall bracket and a pendant-type ceiling-mount device.
 Materials for the application shall include Manufacturer’s specification sheets with size/finish of the cameras, and mounting brackets along with detailed drawings and annotated photographs showing the location of the cameras, brackets, lighting, and all exposed exterior wiring components clearly shown.
 Any integral lighting or alarms, etc. that are housed in or co-joined with the cameras and their functioning requires the same review and approvals as the cameras, and is subject to all VCC Lighting Standards.
 These large cameras are visually and physically intrusive and pose the greatest threat to damaging and/or compromising the historic environment.
 Vieux Carre Commission level approval for all cameras and systems of this type regardless of historic color rating of the associated property.

Private security cameras
 in VCE zoned areas:

 Small cylindrical units, 4" maximum in diameter and under 10" long, strategically mounted under galleries and balconies, or in equally unobtrusive locations with their housings painted to match adjacent building surfaces.
 Small hemispherical dome units, no more than 8" in diameter and not taller than 8", with housings painted to match adjacent building surfaces.
 Dome style cameras may be mounted on exterior walls a minimum of 8’-6”above the sidewalk, provided they are painted to match the adjacent wall color.
 Bullet style cameras may be mounted on the wall a minimum of 9’-0” above the sidewalk or a maximum of 18” below the bottom of the gallery/balcony/soffit material provided the camera and mounting hardware are painted to match an adjacent material. Bullet style cameras are prohibited on buildings without significant overhangs
 Both camera types may be mounted to the underside of balconies, galleries and soffits provided they are painted to match the adjacent materials.

Private security cameras
 in all zoned areas 
other than VCE:

 Small cylindrical units, 3" maximum in diameter and under 8" long, strategically mounted under galleries and balconies, or in equally unobtrusive locations, with their housings painted to match adjacent building surfaces.
 Small hemispherical dome units, no more than 6" in diameter and not taller than 6", with housings painted to match adjacent building surfaces.
 Dome style cameras may be mounted on exterior walls a minimum of 8’-6”above the sidewalk, provided they are painted to match the adjacent wall color.
 Bullet style cameras may be mounted on the wall a minimum of 9’-0” above the sidewalk or a maximum of 18” below the bottom of the gallery/balcony/soffit material provided the camera and mounting hardware are painted to match an adjacent material. Bullet style cameras are prohibited on buildings without significant overhangs
 Both camera types may be mounted to the underside of balconies, galleries and soffits provided they are painted to match the adjacent materials.
D) Conduit/Wiring/Accessories and lighting location (required installation techniques):
 All conduit and wiring shall be placed along the inside corners of building surfaces as much as possible, such as along gallery/balcony purlins at the deck line, and painted to match the adjacent surfaces.
 Any integral lighting or alarms, etc. that are housed in or is co-joined with the cameras and their functioning requires the same review and approvals as the cameras, and is subject to all VCC
 Mounting hardware and camera accessories, such as hoods and IR illuminators, should be sized so that they do not become more apparent than the camera itself.
 At building entry points, a penetration through wood millwork is preferable to a penetration through historic masonry work or other historic fabric.
 Staff level approval allowed on green-rated and lesser-rated buildings, with blue-rated buildings requiring Architectural Committee level approval, and purple-rated buildings requiring Vieux CarrĂ© Commission level approval.
E) Non-Permitted Cameras
 “Webcam” live-internet-feed or entertainment oriented cameras with no proven security applications.
 Large box-style cameras.
 Inoperable cameras - all existing inoperable cameras must be removed upon notice.




APPLICATION PROCESS

Basic material required for VCC application:
 Staff level approval allowed on green-rated and lesser-rated buildings, with blue-rated buildings requiring Architectural Committee level approval, and purple-rated buildings requiring Vieux CarrĂ© Commission level approval.
 Manufacturer’s specification sheets with size/finish of the cameras, and mounting brackets.
 Detailed drawings and/or annotated photographs with location of the cameras, brackets, and all exposed exterior wiring components clearly shown. Elevations of existing architectural elements,
and all adjacent elements and details around the area proposed for the camera(s) installation, should be included. NOPD integrated systems require both drawings and annotated photographs.
 Details of any other associated aspects of the system such as lighting or alarms, etc.
 Please refer to Vieux Carre Commission Guidelines for submittals to determine the number of copies needed and the required size of drawings and other submittals.
 No work may be performed until permits are issued.
 All cameras installed without permits may be retained if they meet the design guidelines by staff and with the issuance of a permit.. Any cameras that do not meet the guidelines must be reviewed by the Architectural Committee for retention and permitting.
 Staff reserves the right to forward any camera proposal to the architectural committee at its digression for final approval.