Posts tagged Arlington
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Non-conforming goats
An Arlington homeowner bought two goats to serve as pets and as cleaner, quieter lawnmowers. Only problem is, goats are not allowed by zoning. BeyondDC asks why goats are necessarily worse than dogs or motorized lawnmowers. Maybe there are other public health reasons, but we also have many zoning laws without a compelling basis. Keep reading…
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Arlington rental proposal brings out immigrant phobia
Arlington is considering a proposal to allow homeowners to make rental units like basement apartments in their homes. It’s already legal in DC, as well as Montgomery and Fairfax. Today’s Post reports that many citizens are fighting the proposal, concerned that it will bring undesirable immigrants into Arlington. Keep reading…
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Tweaked Rosslyn station on Metro 2030 map
Jim Hamre of WMATA pointed out that Metro’s current thinking on the separate Blue Line is that it would have to run one block west of the current Rosslyn station, to a new set of platforms connected by an underground walkway. I had hoped that the new tracks could pass right next to the old ones enabling a cross-platform transfer (after all, Rosslyn already has the two tracks on separate… Keep reading…
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Get involved this week in PG Co., Arlington, DC
It’s the first week of the month and that means lots and lots of great opportunities to speak up in local government! Keep reading…
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Arlington looking to legalize accessory dwellings
Accessory dwellings are rentable units inside another home, like a basement apartment or an upper floor with a separate entrance. These are common in DC, but illegal in Arlington. What’s Up Arlington reports an intiative underway to change this law. Keep reading…
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Greater Greater Pentagon
Ryan Avent speculates about how the Pentagon site could be a lot better: Keep reading…
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“Structure of voids” and chain restaurants in Ballston
Last weekend, we visited a friend who recently bought a condo in Ballston. Zachary Schrag highlights the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor as the region’s biggest success from Metro’s original construction, creating a new transit-oriented Smart Growth development around the subway, and it’s true: there were people and shops and other signs of life everywhere,… Keep reading…
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Three projects to watch
All over the region, consulting organizations are going through the legal requirements for Environmental Impact Statements, necessary for any major project: convening public scoping meetings, collecting input, evaluating alternatives, and so on. They’re doing this in downtown Columbia, along Rockville Pike, and on both sides of the 14th Street Bridges, used by I-395,… Keep reading…
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Architecture criticism: the good and the bad
Washington Post architecture critic Ben Forgey drove and walked around downtown Washington giving his opinions about the best and worst of the city’s buildings for Washingtonian. Unlike too many architects, many of his comments focused on the interaction between buildings and the people around them:The Federal Triangle is a planning mistake of huge dimension because… Keep reading…