Posts tagged Hprb
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DC preservation officials: You don’t want a historic district? Too bad.
At their confirmation hearing last month, four Historic Preservation Review Board Commissioners confirmed that community opposition to a historic nomination does not play a role in their decision, and that they only evaluate applications based on whether or not a nominated building or district is historic. That stands in stark contrast to other city agencies that are mandated to incorporate community feedback. Keep reading…
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DC’s historic preservation process is too easy to abuse
Recent contentious historic preservation cases have shown DC’s system can be abused by neighbors who simply want another tool to halt change in their neighborhood. Part of the problem is that the very process used to designate a site does not legally incorporate the views of the surrounding community. Keep reading…
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“Green” features are okay with DC preservation, but only if they’re invisible
DC's Historic Preservation Office has a new, proposed guide for homeowners who want to make their buildings more environmentally friendly. Environmentalists may not be so pleased, though, with the way the guidelines still prioritize keeping buildings looking the same over enabling green features. Keep reading…
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Historic preservation in DC needs reform
DC is undoubtedly a historic place, and it is essential that we use the tools we have to protect that history. However, DC is also a growing place, and a number of historic preservation cases and debates have revealed a preservation system in need of reform. Keep reading…
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A small group just pushed through a historic district in my neighborhood. Here’s what happened.
Last week, DC’s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) voted to designate our neighborhood, Kingman Park, as a historic district. This happened even though a review of comments to HPRB found a majority of residents opposed the designation. Keep reading…
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Is anything old not “historic”? Preservation doesn’t have a good answer
The historic preservation office doesn't seem willing to reckon with the fundamental question about whether everything — regardless of merit — ought to be historically designated, or how to balance preservation against other needs. Is every story, about everything, worth preserving? Keep reading…
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DC’s historic preservation board delays its vote on the controversial Kingman Park application
In an unusual move, the Historic Preservation Review Board delayed its decision on the proposed Kingman Park historic district. The case continues to highlight the limitations of DC’s current preservation guidelines on community support. Keep reading…
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DC’s historic preservation board approves a building on 16th Street without saying “take off a floor”
“Just take off a floor” was a far too common refrain from DC's Historic Preservation Review Board in recent years. For a proposed condo building on 16th Street NW near Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park, the board decided a shorter building would actually be less historically compatible. Keep reading…
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Should a “historic gas station” keep new housing units from going up in Dupont?
A new building with housing and ground-level retail was set to go up just west of Dupont Circle, but the project has stalled because some DC officials say it would harm a historic gas station building. There’s often tension between wanting to preserve historic buildings and needing to build more housing for a region that will continue to grow. We asked our contributors what they think… Keep reading…
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Adams Morgan could get more housing and preserve its plaza, too. But it probably won’t.
Some Adams Morgan leaders have said “no” once again to a proposal to replace an ugly 1970s bank building at the corner of 18th and Columbia. Redevelopment would destroy what’s now a plaza, but does it have to? If neighbors got over some “height-itis,” maybe not. Keep reading…