Del Ray- Increased Building Height

[Anonymous]

Designed by the left to motivate developers to build additional units deemed 'affordable. Basically, they wanted to turn Del Ray into Roslyn but have 35% of the units be resrved for public housing.

After massive outcry, city Council shelved it. For now, at least.

What do you think they realized?

Could they have possibly realized that it would destroy all that is quaint there?

[Anonymous]

Good. Now if only they'd send back the Simpson park plans too, we could keep the neighborhood still livable and enjoyable.

Where the hell are people supposed to park, if buildings are increased in height?! Parking has been awful lately. Between Ting, street paving, Dominion, American Water, and Washington Gas ALL doing random work on random streets, it's been a nightmare moving cars depending on the "no parking" signs put up the day before. Not to mention just getting around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good. Now if only they'd send back the Simpson park plans too, we could keep the neighborhood still livable and enjoyable.

Where the hell are people supposed to park, if buildings are increased in height?! Parking has been awful lately. Between Ting, street paving, Dominion, American Water, and Washington Gas ALL doing random work on random streets, it's been a nightmare moving cars depending on the "no parking" signs put up the day before. Not to mention just getting around.

You're not supposed to park. Cars are the enemy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. Now if only they'd send back the Simpson park plans too, we could keep the neighborhood still livable and enjoyable.

Where the hell are people supposed to park, if buildings are increased in height?! Parking has been awful lately. Between Ting, street paving, Dominion, American Water, and Washington Gas ALL doing random work on random streets, it's been a nightmare moving cars depending on the "no parking" signs put up the day before. Not to mention just getting around.

You're not supposed to park. Cars are the enemy.

+1

Meters are coming to MTV. Installation is this Fall I believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. Now if only they'd send back the Simpson park plans too, we could keep the neighborhood still livable and enjoyable.

Where the hell are people supposed to park, if buildings are increased in height?! Parking has been awful lately. Between Ting, street paving, Dominion, American Water, and Washington Gas ALL doing random work on random streets, it's been a nightmare moving cars depending on the "no parking" signs put up the day before. Not to mention just getting around.

You're not supposed to park. Cars are the enemy.

+1

Meters are coming to MTV. Installation is this Fall I believe.

What is MTV??

Do you mean Mount Vernon Ave? That's fine. Hell, even add permitted parking to the side streets. It would get rid of the people (and businesses) who use the street as their personal storage lot, instead of for cars they actually use regularly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. Now if only they'd send back the Simpson park plans too, we could keep the neighborhood still livable and enjoyable.

Where the hell are people supposed to park, if buildings are increased in height?! Parking has been awful lately. Between Ting, street paving, Dominion, American Water, and Washington Gas ALL doing random work on random streets, it's been a nightmare moving cars depending on the "no parking" signs put up the day before. Not to mention just getting around.

You're not supposed to park. Cars are the enemy.

+1

Meters are coming to MTV. Installation is this Fall I believe.

That’s been in the works for a while, since precovid. I went to a random set of city council and then a parking committee meeting (long story) that happened to be about this so I stayed and listened. Basically there was some subcommittee studying the 1 hr vs 2 hr parking rules in OT and the interest in having similar meter parking in Del Ray. Both residents and some business owners were complaining that 1) 2 hour limits are not enforced, so people don’t move their cars) and 2) there are too many people spending HOURS at mind the mat and then going to lunch or hanging out at st Elmo’s, they said HOURS, so there isn’t enough turnover in spaces meaning customers who are running into the pet store or that random pottery store or ups can’t find anywhere to park for their quick errands. Some retail owners were really upset about it. The city wanted to make some money from meters.

I think this was 2018 or 2019. Anyway surprised it’s taken this long to finally do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. Now if only they'd send back the Simpson park plans too, we could keep the neighborhood still livable and enjoyable.

Where the hell are people supposed to park, if buildings are increased in height?! Parking has been awful lately. Between Ting, street paving, Dominion, American Water, and Washington Gas ALL doing random work on random streets, it's been a nightmare moving cars depending on the "no parking" signs put up the day before. Not to mention just getting around.

You're not supposed to park. Cars are the enemy.

+1

Meters are coming to MTV. Installation is this Fall I believe.

What is MTV??


Do you mean Mount Vernon Ave? That's fine. Hell, even add permitted parking to the side streets. It would get rid of the people (and businesses) who use the street as their personal storage lot, instead of for cars they actually use regularly.

DP, but, yes, MTV is short for Mt. Vernon Avenue in Del Ray. It's the main drag.

And permit parking already exists in the south end of Del Ray, Zone 6. It's been like that for at least 20 years. That was to keep the area from being a de facto commuter lot for Braddock Road Metro. I don't think anyone expected the area to blow up like it did way back then.

[Anonymous]

Rosslyn has a 31-story building. I'm sympathetic to efforts to preserve Del Ray's charm, but this kind of hyperbole grates on me. There's a reasonable middle ground between building skyscrapers and saying no to everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rosslyn has a 31-story building. I'm sympathetic to efforts to preserve Del Ray's charm, but this kind of hyperbole grates on me. There's a reasonable middle ground between building skyscrapers and saying no to everything.

Roslyn started with 7 story buildings and ended up with 31 story buildings.

This is precisely why stopping this now matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Designed by the left to motivate developers to build additional units deemed 'affordable. Basically, they wanted to turn Del Ray into Roslyn but have 35% of the units be resrved for public housing.

After massive outcry, city Council shelved it. For now, at least.

What do you think they realized?

Could they have possibly realized that it would destroy all that is quaint there?

Who is “they?”

And why do you oppose affordable housing?

Del Ray is a lot of things but “quaint” never came to mind. It should be built up given proximity to DC and public transit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rosslyn has a 31-story building. I'm sympathetic to efforts to preserve Del Ray's charm, but this kind of hyperbole grates on me. There's a reasonable middle ground between building skyscrapers and saying no to everything.

Roslyn started with 7 story buildings and ended up with 31 story buildings.

This is precisely why stopping this now matters.

By this logic nothing may ever be built higher, ever, anywhere, it's just a slippery slope to one zillion story buildings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. Now if only they'd send back the Simpson park plans too, we could keep the neighborhood still livable and enjoyable.

Where the hell are people supposed to park, if buildings are increased in height?! Parking has been awful lately. Between Ting, street paving, Dominion, American Water, and Washington Gas ALL doing random work on random streets, it's been a nightmare moving cars depending on the "no parking" signs put up the day before. Not to mention just getting around.

You're not supposed to park. Cars are the enemy.

+1

Meters are coming to MTV. Installation is this Fall I believe.

What is MTV??


Do you mean Mount Vernon Ave? That's fine. Hell, even add permitted parking to the side streets. It would get rid of the people (and businesses) who use the street as their personal storage lot, instead of for cars they actually use regularly.

DP, but, yes, MTV is short for Mt. Vernon Avenue in Del Ray. It's the main drag.

And permit parking already exists in the south end of Del Ray, Zone 6. It's been like that for at least 20 years. That was to keep the area from being a de facto commuter lot for Braddock Road Metro. I don't think anyone expected the area to blow up like it did way back then.

Mount Vernon Avenue must be one of the most overrated real estate “attractions” in history. It’s three blocks of a couple of crappy restaurants, a hardware store and a dilapidated building housing a third-rate coffee shop and some custard place the president once visited. It’s hardly sacred ground.

[Anonymous]

Mount Vernon Avenue must be one of the most overrated real estate “attractions” in history. It’s three blocks of a couple of crappy restaurants, a hardware store and a dilapidated building housing a third-rate coffee shop and some custard place the president once visited. It’s hardly sacred ground.

Don't tell that to the people who live there! I think there's also a cool antique shop or two.

[Anonymous]

The walkability, density, and mixed land use (SFHs, duplexes, garden apartments, retail, restaurants, services) is what makes Del Ray stand out. Most places in VA you're lucky if you can walk to anything other than SFHs. Del Ray already has Del Ray tower and the sky didn't fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Designed by the left to motivate developers to build additional units deemed 'affordable. Basically, they wanted to turn Del Ray into Roslyn but have 35% of the units be resrved for public housing.

After massive outcry, city Council shelved it. For now, at least.

What do you think they realized?

Could they have possibly realized that it would destroy all that is quaint there?

"Keep it quaint" = I got mine and don't want to make it possible for any additional people to live in my neighborhood. Let them drive in from Manassas.