Posts tagged Zoning Commission
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Should DC councilmembers be more intimately involved with zoning and development?
DC has few neighborhood plans, and most developments are decided case by case. The DC Office of Planning proposed new rules to rekindle neighborhood planning, but the council instead might take a different approach which would mean it’s far more involved than it has been. Keep reading…
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Some in this gated community are trying absolutely everything to stop a new DC apartment building
Recently a group of neighbors along 16th Street NW, many from a gated community called Beekman Place, applied to downzone an area near Meridian Hill (Malcolm X) Park in order to stop a nine-story building from being built… despite the fact that the buildings across the street are almost the same height. Keep reading…
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In Takoma Park, Penn Branch, and Adams Morgan, YIMBY wins out
Our growing region needs new homes and retail space. Three proposed projects, in DC's Adams Morgan and Penn Branch areas, as well as Takoma Park, Maryland, won key approvals this week that will help bring new homes and retail. Keep reading…
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Anti-development groups are asking DC to downzone swaths of the city on Monday
A proposed new zone is 20% less dense than the one it's replacing, and though it is being proposed for this particular circumstance, it would be available citywide. What is more, these groups are pushing to immediately implement the less-dense zone in many locations. Keep reading…
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How many homes are currently stuck in DC courts?
Right now in DC there are thousands of homes and hundreds of affordable homes stuck in the courts. Numerous recent lawsuits challenging approved Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) are winding their way through the DC Court of Appeals. Keep reading…
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Why the Office of Planning likes PUDs (and why you should too)
Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) are a particular development process in DC where an applicant can receive zoning flexibility and relief in exchange for a set of community benefits negotiated with the city and the neighborhood. PUDs have helped create affordable homes in the city. Keep reading…
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“Who is steering the ship?” The DC Council debates planning and zoning for six hours
Last week’s hearing was dominated by the Office of Planning’s recently-released amendments to the Framework Element of the Comprehensive Plan, which lays out the direction for development in the city for years to come. Keep reading…
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Should this long-vacant lot atop Waterfront Metro keep waiting for offices?
Ten years ago, the 30-acre superblock between 3rd, 6th, I, and M streets in Southwest Waterfront was largely filled with the Waterside Mall, one of DC's least memorable planning failures. Now the parcels could be developed with hundreds of apartments atop retail and small offices, or they could remain empty in hopes of a future large office complex. Keep reading…
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DC wants to change how we measure cellars and basements. Here’s why that matters.
The DC Office of Planning wants to change three main things: how “cellar” and “basement” spaces are measured, what kind of ground counts for measuring height, and the definition of a “habitable room.” Here's why those few tweaks really matter. Keep reading…
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2017’s greatest hits: Brookland Manor offers a crash course in why housing in DC is so complicated
East of the the Rhode Island Avenue Metro, there’s a gigantic housing complex called Brookland Manor. The owners plan to redevelop it and say they’re building far more affordable housing than DC law requires. The people who live there now say the owners aren’t coming close to meeting the area’s need for affordable housing. They’re both right. This was one of our top posts from 2017. Keep reading…