Do Something: The week of November 20, 2023

Weekly, Regional Policy Director Dan Reed and DC Policy Director Alex Baca share with you an action you can take in the immediate future that has the potential, sometimes great and sometimes small, to increase the number of homes in our region, decrease the trips people take by car, make all of it safer, and not screw people over in the process. This week: the ongoing saga of 1617 U, celebrating Montgomery County’s new parks director, Arlington gets serious about affordable housing, and why you should log off and spend time with people you care about.

If you have any questions, email dreed@ggwash.org about Maryland and Virginia Do Somethings, and abaca@ggwash.org about Washington, DC, Do Somethings—or, about whatever you want to talk about.

DC

First, a 1617 U update: If you watched the hearing last night, you were probably totally bummed. In under an hour, Chair Anthony Hood decided that the commission would punt, again, on voting on ZC 23-02, the map amendment to rezone 1617 U St., NW, and 1620 V St., NW, from MU-4 to MU-10. After requesting that the five (five!) entities that filed for party status in opposition take time to work out among themselves whether they might combine into a single united front of anti-, Hood acknowledged that the Office of Zoning messed up the notice for last night’s hearing. So, the commission will meet again, to perhaps vote, in January. We’ll keep posting updates.

I think the party-status thing is fine. (Though I, personally, don’t see why anyone opposing this would give up their opportunity to cross-examine witnesses, which is one of the perks of party status. Chair Hood did not make a compelling case for why the multiple groups filing for party status in opposition should unify, other than making it easier for the zoning commission. Even I, a person who calibrates all of my calls to action to be as easy as possible on the body that’s making a decision we’re trying to influence, am not sold on making things easier for the zoning commission, at this point.) And, also? If OZ is going to make gross administrative mistakes, like not including correct instructions for how to file for party status in a hearing notice, better to delay for two-ish months now and do it over, correctly.

As tempting as it may be for some of you to light up the group chat with panic and curses about NIMBYs, who will probably take to the listservs to claim all this as a victory, I would strongly encourage you to apply your energy elsewhere. None of the above was a successful delay tactic; honestly, I think the commissioners are overwhelmed by the amount of stuff on the record and are themselves relieved that they have a couple more months to prepare (they just like me fr). Clerical errors are not connected to support or opposition. OZ messed up; whether you table at the 14th and U farmers’ market is not going to override that. What’s working is the thoughtful, personal comments that so many of you have submitted, and, now, you have until early January to do the same if you haven’t already. Thank you.

Now, what I really wanted to say: I’m listening to Hot Mulligan while I’m writing this, a band I really like because they sound like if the Wonder Years were properly medicated on their earlier albums, [insert generic Midwest emo band that is twinkly like American Football but not as perfect], and, also, Taking Back Sunday. Dan and I saw Hot Mulligan on Sunday at 9:30 Club with Canaan Merchant, who I met for the first time, even though we’ve been corresponding with each other for, probably, close to a decade…via GGWash.

This was touching and important. The show was great, and it’s Thanksgiving week. Thanksgiving is my reclamation sweepstakes: For over a decade, I’ve hosted my own, how I want, over three days. I switch my energy from reading zoning-case records and answering emails and editing blog posts to prepping and cooking and baking and cleaning my house. It’s a maximalist refresh, and it gives my mind space and time to wander. And, then, there are people here—hanging out, talking to each other, dancing and singing and talking, sometimes about housing, transportation, and land use, and sometimes not at all.

So, if you want to Do Something this week for “the movement,” I encourage you to take care of yourself, with intention, and think about how you are in the world. Drink water, go for a walk (even in this horrid, cold rain), and meditate a bit on the good stuff. More housing, upzoning, and banning cars is not the entirety of your or my being; even though I’ve met so many of my friends, and family, through where I work, I am thankful for them on their own merits. Every time we have a happy hour at Grand Duchess, like we did on Sunday (it was a busy weekend!), I drag my feet getting out of my house and over to the bar, because, even after years of doing this, I’m a little nervous to talk to strangers. But, when I get there, I see my friends, and I meet new ones. You’re here, and I’m thankful that you are. —AB

Maryland

I met Miti Figueredo fourteen years ago, when I was a staffer at the Montgomery County Council. Since then, I’ve known her as a colleague, a friend, and a neighbor. Now, I’m thankful to call Miti something else: Director of Montgomery Parks, having been appointed by the Planning Board last week.

Montgomery Parks is the region’s largest local park system, comprising over 37,000 acres. Three-fourths of that land is in conservation–in some cases, untouched even by trails. During the mid-20th century, Montgomery County was one of the nation’s fastest-growing communities, and this approach made sure that historic sites, forests, and ecologically sensitive areas were protected from development.

Today, as the county urbanizes, there’s another challenge: creating high-quality public spaces where people can do lots of different activities. Before taking this role, Miti was deputy parks director, where she championed making more urban parks with more places to skate, more places for dogs, and more places to just hang out. During Covid, Montgomery Parks closed park roads to cars and experimented with allowing alcohol in parks so people could gather safely outside.

These are all things we care about and have covered here, and it should be no surprise that Miti has been a friend of GGWash for many years and previously served on our board. I’ve written before that the way we sustain our movement is by creating that fine mesh of relationships–people who work together, fight together, celebrate and mourn together, who go to pop-punk shows at the 9:30 Club together (Hot Mulligan puts on a fun show but I was really there for the opener, Heart Attack Man!) who have common goals and values but moreover care about each other as people. In other words, a community. Miti’s appointment is great news for Montgomery County, but also a testament to the community she’s a part of.—DR

Virginia

Two weeks ago, we told you about Plan Langston Boulevard, Arlington County’s vision for turning this four-lane highway lined with strip malls into a main street. A big part of the plan was to encourage the development of affordable housing in a historically affluent and segregated part of the county. We support the plan, but we didn’t love its goal to build all that affordable housing–subsidized, and permanently available to lower-income families–by 2075. Our one big ask of the Arlington County Board was to have a much shorter timeframe.

And they agreed! Last week, the County Board passed Plan Langston Boulevard with a target of building 2,500 affordable homes by 2040, which aligns with the county’s Affordable Housing Master Plan. The board made some other changes, namely reducing allowable building heights in a few locations, but otherwise we’re happy with the result. We’re thankful that you helped make that happen, by writing the board and testifying at public hearings earlier this month.—DR

Your support of GGWash enable us, Dan and Alex, to do our jobs, big parts of which are knowing how development and planning works in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, so that if it’s appropriate to take action to advance our goals, which we hope you share, we can let you know what will have the most impact, and how to do it well. You can make a financial contribution to GGWash here.