Empty seats at Lake Artemesia in Prince George's County. Image by Matt’ Johnson used with permission.

Nine Democrats have filed to run in Prince George’s County Council special election

Nine Democrats and four Republicans have filed to run for the vacant at-large seat on the Prince George’s County Council. The special primary election will be on August 6, with early voting running from July 31-August 5. The seat opened up after former County Councilmember Mel Franklin resigned, shortly before he was charged in a campaign theft scheme.  (William J. Ford / Maryland Matters)  

DC and Maryland in top 10 of new ranking on high housing costs

DC is the sixth and Maryland is the ninth most difficult state for minimum wage earners to find affordable housing, according to a report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. A worker must earn $39.33 per hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment in DC and $36.70 per hour in Maryland.  (Danielle J. Brown / Maryland Matters)  

Alexandria City Council rejects calls to halt residential development due to aesthetic concerns

The Alexandria City Council voted to move approved the development of a four-story apartment building in Old Town after residents complained that the building’s design wasn’t in sync with the area’s historic architecture. The new apartments will replace a 1970s-era office building.  (James Cullum / ALXnow)  

New zoning rule aims to preserve agricultural land in Loudoun County

Loudoun County Board of Supervisors recently approved a zoning change prevents developers from building on prime agricultural soil on properties with more than five noncontiguous acres of it. However, some residents and developers argue that the new zoning rules will undermine an existing land conservation program that has already preserved over 20,000 acres. (This article may be behind a paywall.)  (Antonio Olivo / Post)  

Elementary school in Alexandria to swap some parking spaces for crosswalks

Plans are underway to improve pedestrian safety at William Ramsay Elementary School in Alexandria by extending curbs and adding new crosswalks. To accommodate these changes, three parking spaces will need to be removed.  (Vernon Miles / ALXnow)  

Proposed development would add 312 housing units in Arlington

A proposed redevelopment of a 45-year-old office building on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington could yield 312 new residential units. The project would involve demolishing the office building and replacing it with an eight-story building with street-level retail.  (UrbanTurf)  

Raised crosswalks were helpful in one man’s quest to run on all of DC’s streets

Dion Thompson-Davoli, a 27-year-old urban planner and, until recently, a Takoma Park resident, completed a two-year effort to run on nearly all of the District’s 1,838 streets. While he was pleased to find many examples of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure like raised crosswalks, Thompson-Davoli did almost get hit by a motorist who drove through a red light on Bladensburg Road NE. (This article may be behind a paywall.)  (Meagan Flynn / Post)  

Big changes are coming to the National Mall in time for 250th Independence Day

The semiquincentennial, or America’s 250th birthday, is expected to draw millions more tourists than usual when it arrives on July 4, 2026. Among the changes visitors to the National Mall will encounter are an overhaul of Constitution Gardens, a newly repaired seawall at the Tidal Basin, and new galleries at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. (This article is behind a paywall.)  (Luke Fountain / Business Journal. Tip: Arkamadyz)  

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