Florida Avenue NW in DC by Olaf Zerbock licensed under Creative Commons.

DC progress on affordable housing goals has advanced, but neighborhood progress is uneven

The District has built approximately 33,200 new housing units since January 2019, about 92% of the Mayor’s 36,000 unit target. 9,776 of these units were built or redesignated as affordable, which is 77% of the 12,000 affordable unit goal set by the Mayor. According to a District dashboard, several of the District’s planning districts, which are slightly different than ward boundaries, have exceeded expectations for affordable units, while several others are under 25% of affordable unit production.  (UrbanTurf)  

DC Downtown Action Plan proposal includes Height of Buildings Act revision

The Height of Buildings Act, which has restricted building heights generally to 90 feet on residential streets and 110 feet on commercial corridors since 1910, is a target of the Downtown Action Plan. The plan, announced Monday by the Downtown Business Improvement District, suggests that the District study areas where increasing height limits could increase affordable housing. It’s unclear whether the Bowser administration will support the plan’s recommendations. (This article is behind a paywall).  (Tristan Navera / Business Journal)  

WMATA public hearing interrupted by stray truck strap, not gunshots

A WMATA public hearing on the upcoming budget at the agency’s L’Enfant Plaza headquarters was interrupted suddenly on Tuesday by a loud bang.  While many, namely one person audibly believed this bang was gunfire, it was a piece of a tow truck outside that struck and shattered a window of the hearing room. One person was injured taking cover during the confusion. The hearing resumed after a security evaluation. (The Washington Post article may be behind a paywall).  (Martin Weil / Post, Makea Luzader / DC News Now)  

Arlington seventh, DC ninth on list of priciest rental markets in the US

According to Zumper’s National Rent Report, Arlington’s median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is now $2,330 per month, the seventh highest in the country. This is an increase of 2.2% from the previous year, breaking a national trend of a 0.9% decrease in rents. It’s also higher than DC’s median one-bedroom rate, but DC still has a higher median rent for two-bedroom units and is ninth on this national list.  (ARLnow)  

DDOT removes bollards, completing Cleveland Park service lane transformation

Cleveland Park community members successfully advocated for the transformation of the Connecticut Avenue NW service lane into a pedestrian promenade. The previous design hosted 14 parking spaces, and the repurposed one provided communal space for public use. A grand opening event will be hosted on April 6.  (Neal Augenstein / WTOP)  

Several Montgomery County Councilmembers back housing on religious, private school land

The Montgomery County Council unanimously supports a zoning amendment that aims to make it easier and more affordable for houses of worship and private schools to develop townhomes and apartments on their land. The amendment allows for multi-unit housing on land owned by these institutions in residential-detached zones, adjacent to public transit to increase affordable housing supply. However, buildings must be no taller than 60 feet and 35% of the land must be left to be open space.  (Suzanne Pollak / Montgomery Community Media)  

Commanders announce $75 million in renovations for FedEx Field

The Washington Commanders will do a $75 million series of renovations at FedEx Field aimed at improving the fan and player experience, following the $40 million spent last summer. The investments come as a bill is under consideration that would give the District more control of RFK stadium and as the Monumental Sports stadium deal in Virginia stalls. Both jurisdictions have signaled they’d like to host the team. (The Business Journal article is behind a paywall).  (Bret McCormick / Business Journal, FOX 5 DC)  

Alexandria streamlines curbside pickup and drop-off permitting process

The Alexandria Traffic and Parking Board voted Monday to allow the Transportation and Environmental Services director to administratively approve pickup and drop-off loading zones for rideshare, takeout, delivery, and other drop-offs in certain areas.  (Emily Leayman / Patch)  

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