The New Orleans City Planning Commission (CPC) recently released the Final Draft of the City’s Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO). The CZO is the law that governs land use throughout the city of New Orleans, and if you own property in New Orleans, it’s important for you to understand the zoning laws. The CZO includes lists of permitted land uses for each of the City’s zoning districts, in addition to height limits, setback requirements, urban design standards, operational rules, and other regulations. The release of the Final Draft CZO culminates nearly three years of review by CPC staff and consultants and includes refinements based on concerns raised by residents and neighborhood associations, as well as from interactions with City agencies, citizen advisory groups, various interest groups, and business community leaders. The Final Draft CZO can be viewed on the CPC’s website at   www.nola.gov/cpc The CPC has scheduled hearings on the Final Draft CZO for Tuesday, August 26, 2014 and Tuesday, September 9, 2014. Once CPC approves a recommendation on the Final Draft CZO, it will go to the New Orleans City Council for review.