Breakfast links: All but two McPherson Square encampment residents are without permanent housing
Close-up of notice of encampment clearing on fence at McPherson Square by Joe Flood licensed under Creative Commons.
Most McPherson Square residents remain unhoused after Wednesday’s sweep
Only two residents have been placed in permanent housing, a few more went to homeless shelters, and approximately 20 residents accepted offers of bridge housing. The rest either refused offers of bridge housing or were not offered it because they are not eligible for housing vouchers. Those people are now camping at other locations in the DC region, in hotel rooms, or in at least one case, spending the night in a hospital emergency room. (Marissa J. Lang / Washington Post)
Maryland is pausing changes to its vehicle emissions inspection program
Maryland agencies under former Governor Hogan had procured a new contract for vehicle emissions testing that would have limited the testing requirement to older vehicles. The new administration of Governor Moore has decided to cancel that procurement, leaving in place the old rules that require all cars more than 2 years old to get emissions inspections every two years. (Josh Kurtz / Maryland Matters)
Duke Street transitway project considering dedicated bus lanes
The idea was recommended by an advisory group to the transitway project, which covers the section of Alexandria’s Duke Street running from Landmark Mall to the King Street metro. As currently being considered, a lane in each direction would be dedicated for bus travel at both ends of the Duke Street project, but buses would mix with other traffic in the middle section. The project manager plans to present a recommendation to the City Council this summer. (Vernon Miles / ALXNow)
DCHA found to be overpaying landlords for voucher units
A Washington Post investigation confirmed that the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) has been overpaying landlords for units the agency provides vouchers to pay for, and not doing a proper market rent check. The information backs up what was found in the recent US Department of Housing and Urban Development audit of the agency and several developers have taken advantage of the loophole. (Post)
Montgomery Council interviews potential Democrat planning board members
The interviews covered a range of topics, including transparency of board processes, outreach to the community, rebuilding trust after the tumultuous part few months, and how the county might meet its climate goals. (Steve Bohnel / MoCo360)
Market Terminal’s last new building is going to be housing, not offices
Market Terminal, which is is a six-building complex on the New York Avenue end of Union Market in DC, has filed a zoning modification to switch its last building from office to residential space. The developer now proposes including 232 residential units, 11% set aside as inclusionary zoning, over 5,500 square feet of retail space, and 95 parking spaces. (Urban Turf)
Warrenton Town Council narrowly approves 42-acre Amazon data center
Early Wednesday morning, after an eight-hour-long meeting, the council voted 4-3 to approve Amazon’s plans for the site. Some residents are concerned the center will be noisy, have environmental impacts, necessitate upgrades to the area’s utility infrastructure via new transmission lines, and draw other similar large developments to the area. The supporters argued that Amazon purchased the property, which is zoned industrial, and that the development will generate significant tax revenue for the town. (Teo Armus / Washington Post)
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