AC condensers and mini-splits in the Algiers Point historic district

Algiers Point is the only local historic district on the West Bank, and it’s full HDLC control. A condenser, mini-split, or line set that can be seen from the street needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, the same as in the Marigny or the Irish Channel. The houses are a little different. HDLC’s district sheet describes them as mostly single-story and “raised above grade,” set back behind shallow front yards, with some two-story double-gallery houses (Historic Districts, page 02-1).

Rules checked October 20, 2026, against the HDLC Design Guidelines. Algiers Point was designated in 1993.

Placing the condenser

The HDLC requires ground units in a rear yard, “or when this is not possible, at a side yard,” with screening for any unit visible from the street (Site Elements, page 10-9). With a shallow front yard, the side yard is visible for its whole length, so a side-yard unit almost always needs a fence, gate, or lattice in front of it. The City’s zoning rules also keep ground units out of front and corner side yards and two feet off the side lot line. See where a condenser can go.

Raised houses, line sets, and the space underneath

A raised cottage gives the line set somewhere to go. The HDLC says exposed “conduit, piping … and devices should be minimized” on walls the street can see (page 10-9). Running the refrigerant lines and wiring through the floor and under the house, out to a rear-yard condenser, keeps them off the side wall entirely.

The same space tempts people to tuck the condenser under the house. Check the manufacturer’s clearance and airflow requirements first. A unit that pulls its own hot discharge air back in under a floor runs hot. The raised houses guide covers what else lives in that crawlspace.

If you’re raising equipment for flood protection, the HDLC treats that as storm work. Elevating systems “in a manner that is visually unobtrusive from the public way” is a staff approval for every building rating. Visually obtrusive elevation goes to the Commission on Significant and Contributing buildings (Storm Preparedness, page 13-8). A raised platform makes the unit more visible, so plan the screening with it.

Mini-splits and double galleries

Ductless mini-split condensers are named in the guidelines. They “should be installed in a visually unobtrusive, and rationally organized manner,” including units on porches and galleries (page 10-9). Staff can approve an unobtrusive wall unit at least 10 feet back from the street-facing wall. On a double-gallery house, the front gallery is the street face. A condenser on the upper front gallery is not a staff-level approval. A rear gallery or a back corner of the side wall is the better spot.

What the permit records show

Area	What the commission reviews	Parcels	HVAC permits	Mini-split share	Median days to issue
Algiers Point	Full control	1,576	240	9.6%	7 days
All HDLC full-control areas		12,075	1,523	8.5%	7 days
Outside every local historic district			9,961	2.3%	3 days

Areas on this page compared with the rest of the city. HVAC permits on one- and two-family houses. Permits and mini-split share: applied for 2018 through October 17, 2026. Days to issue: median, applied for 2024 on. “Too few” means fewer than 100 permits (share) or 20 (days).

Mini-splits were 9.6% of house HVAC permits in the district since 2018, several times the 2.3% outside every historic district. The median house permit applied for since 2024 was issued in 7 days, against 3 days outside the districts. A quarter took 14 days or longer. HVAC work that meets the guidelines qualifies for the HDLC’s Express Lane, which issues approvals in 1 to 3 business days when the application is complete.

Check the boundary

The district reaches past the neighborhood the City calls Algiers Point. A good share of its permits are on parcels the City’s neighborhood map puts in McDonogh. The HDLC boundary is what counts. Check the lot on the City’s historic district map or call HDLC staff at (504) 658-7040.