Bowser proposes to add over 1,500 new affordable housing units to "Rock Creek West"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mayor Muriel Marion Barry Bowser, big developers’ best friend and fixer.

owse

Again with this.

I don't like Bowser at all but please explain in what manner rent controlled units are being threatened by developers or any Bowser policies?

Maybe you can offer a citation?

Or even a theory? Even a conspiracy theory at this point would be better than the arguments posited in this thread.

Have you ever had a problem with a developer? Just try to get the city to help you. It is impossible.

DCRA has long been terrible at taking enforcement action against any property owners so your complaint doesn't really prove anything.

And unsurprisingly no one chimed in to try to explain this grand pro-developer anti rent controlled conspiracy the Mayor is somehow engineering.

It seems like a ridiculous question. Bowser is profoundly pro-developer. Do you even live in DC?

Yes I do.

And I happen to know quite a bit about how zoning works in DC and how developments that require approval wind their way through the system.

How is Bowser "profoundly pro-developer"

Her proposed changes to the Comp Plan are actually pretty modest given the housing and global warming crises we are facing.

And she doesn't control the Zoning Commision, the BZA or the Courts which is where all relevant decisions are actually made.

I get that her plan to build homeless shelters across the city was terribly conceived and wasteful and clearly benefitted people connected to her and she deserves criticism for that but that plan had nothing whatsoever to do with the boom in housing we are seeing in some neighborhoods.

FWIW I don't like Bowser and wish the city were adding more housing than it is.

I'll check back for a substantive response.

I don't mean to be rude, but you sound like you know nothing about any of this. If you have a problem with a developer, no one on the city council will help you because Bowser has laid down the law, i.e. they support developers. Don't believe me? Try it. Ask your representative for help on something -- anything. They won't lift a finger if helping you would mean hurting a developer.

I'm sorry if this sounds flip but you have no idea whatsoever how projects get approved or the role of various elected officials and agencies/boards.

Almost all of the new construction in DC in the last 5 years has been by right construction which is to say that the projects don't require any review. And the zoning laws those projects have been built under are decades old.

Your council member can't help you because they'd have to change the Comp Plan to do so which would take years and there is currently a process to update it anyway. Besides that most DC Council members are committed to building more housing in DC - both market rate and affordable so even if they had the power to help you (which again they don't) they likely wouldn't.

Projects that require some relief are approved by either the BZA or the ZC (again this is a small number of projects) and 3 of the 5 commissioners are appointed by the mayor and approved by the council but the Mayor cannot fire members of either commission and can only replace someone when their term is up and the current chair has been on there since 1998 and was originally appointed by Anthony Williams.

The mayor has some influence on projects through the office of planning whose advice to applicants that will need relief is pretty critical but OP almost never approves more than slight increases above allowable by right development and I'm not aware of a case where they've supported maxing out what can be built on a lot and again most projects being built in DC don't require relief or other reviews.

But enlighten us please - how have you been "hurt" by a developer or development? I can see two new developments that have gone up in my neighborhood in the last 10 years from my house and neither has caused me any harm and there is another hopefully coming soon.

I am familiar with some of the complaints from people in my neighborhood about some developments in both multi-unit buildings and single family homes that were opposed and where DCRA came out and did surveys to make sure they were compliant with zoning. Turns out they were, the projects were finished, we have new neighbors, everything is fine and property values continue to rise in my neighborhood.

Tell me again what the perceived problem is and why you hate having new neighbors so much? Oh and I assume since you hate developers that you live in a teepee you made yourself on your ancestral lands?

You should read The Power Broker by Robert Caro. You seem to think all these housing rules and procedures were designed and implemented by God. They're not. The system works the way it does because that's how our elected officials want it to work -- and the way they want it to work is to benefit the developers who bankroll their reelection campaigns. That's what the developers are paying for with all their campaign contributions.

Also, why do I want more development? I know upzoning is the trendy new idea but it's not going to make any difference whatsoever to housing prices. The only way it could possibly drive down prices if if supply exceeded demand, which will never happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How is it a crisis if there is tons of affordable housing in VA and Md with easy city access?

I live in Va and I am not sure what the hell you are talking about. We had a similar housing shortage here, even before Amazon and its getting worse. Arlington and Alexandria are facing substantial loss of market rate affordable units, and are both scrambling to create/preserve committed affordable units. There is also activity to create AH in Falls Church and Fairfax, and this was a big issue in the recent Board of Supervisors election in Fairfax County. To address shortages at higher income levels, there is massive new construction across NoVa, some in Alexandria, more in Arlington, some in Falls Church, and in several parts of Fairfax (and now even Loudoun and PWC are doing transit oriented development). Plus easy city access is questionable, and with highways maxed out major new transit investments are needed.

So you probably really mean Maryland. But when you look closer you will see MoCo has the same issues as NoVa. So you really mean PG County. So we are talking about the old solution, send the poors to PG.

But as you will note even parts of PG (like Hyattsville) are getting gentrified. And of course most of PG does not have great access - it has poor access to its metro stops, and congested highways.

So really you mean a relatively small area within walking distance of the PG metro stations.

Most of which are filled with existing SFHs, which are occupied by families.

Are they putting high rises in the middle of single family home neighborhoods in places like Falls Church, or in new developments or along major thoroughfares with apartment buildings?

Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.[/quote

What "new development zones" are you referring to? There is no such thing actually but maybe you could articulate what it is you think you are saying?

Aside from the Fannie Mae project very few new projects have been built or are even planned for Wisconsin Avenue.

But there is definitely room for additional development on Wisconsin Avenue - lots of surface parking lots and 3-4 story 50-60 year old buildings that are near the end of their useful life. And there are some lots on Upper CT as well though not many.

But it is not that hard to get several thousand new units in Rock Creek West though it is an open question how the mayor will get her affordable housing units which the free market alone will not yield.

This is patently untrue, pure Greater Greater Washington propaganda.

There's Fannie Mae, and there's the massive, 716-unit residential/retail development coming directly to the north of it:

https://www.skiarch.com/projects/4000-wisconsin-avenue/

There's a planned six-story apartment building at Wisconsin and Macomb:

https://www.bisnow.com/washington-dc/news/multifamily/six-story-apartment-building-planned-to-replace-single-family-home-on-wisconsin-avenue-corner-98491

146-unit building coming to Wisconsin just above Brandywine:

http://www.urbaninvestmentpartners.com/project/broadcast/

The 100 units at 4000 Brandywine have been leasing for a while:

http://www.urbaninvestmentpartners.com/project/4000brandywine/

41-unit building coming to the Dancing Crab/Tenley Gastropub site:

https://dc.urbanturf.com/pipeline/755/Dancing_Crab_Redevelopment

So basically any parcel with a new building is a "new development zone"?

And a six story building, with a few dozen units, is "massive"?

It's not a few dozen, it's more than 1,000 units when you add the two developments together (again, they're going to be right next door to each other).

So yes, that's massive by any definition. I know this goes against the propaganda pushed by David Alpert and his sycophants, but yes, there is new housing going up in Upper NW. Actually a lot of it. Why some people go to great lengths to deny clear facts is absolutely baffling.

The last three developments are each under 200 units - the last is 41 units. Those are small.

You are basically talking about one large development. Which you call "a zone".

Like one large development over how many years?

[Anonymous]

Meanwhile the schools are bursting at the seams. So irresponsible to push this kind of development without addressing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How is it a crisis if there is tons of affordable housing in VA and Md with easy city access?

I live in Va and I am not sure what the hell you are talking about. We had a similar housing shortage here, even before Amazon and its getting worse. Arlington and Alexandria are facing substantial loss of market rate affordable units, and are both scrambling to create/preserve committed affordable units. There is also activity to create AH in Falls Church and Fairfax, and this was a big issue in the recent Board of Supervisors election in Fairfax County. To address shortages at higher income levels, there is massive new construction across NoVa, some in Alexandria, more in Arlington, some in Falls Church, and in several parts of Fairfax (and now even Loudoun and PWC are doing transit oriented development). Plus easy city access is questionable, and with highways maxed out major new transit investments are needed.

So you probably really mean Maryland. But when you look closer you will see MoCo has the same issues as NoVa. So you really mean PG County. So we are talking about the old solution, send the poors to PG.

But as you will note even parts of PG (like Hyattsville) are getting gentrified. And of course most of PG does not have great access - it has poor access to its metro stops, and congested highways.

So really you mean a relatively small area within walking distance of the PG metro stations.

Most of which are filled with existing SFHs, which are occupied by families.

Are they putting high rises in the middle of single family home neighborhoods in places like Falls Church, or in new developments or along major thoroughfares with apartment buildings?

Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.

One of the planners from the Office of Planning indicated that Cleveland Park is a focus area because of its proximity to Metro and arterial avenues, but it might require amending the historic district designation.

Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.

The ball park? You kidding me? An old industrial area, parking lots, old warehouses, etc, etc. Not a neighborhood of SFHs. So the equivalents in NoVa would include National Gateway in Arlington, Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Tysons in Fairfax.

Wisconsin is a major avenue that has long had apartments. Yes there are some SFHs close to it I guess. Unlike say in Clarendon in Arlington, where the County put THs in as a buffer. Would you like a couple of blocks away from Wisconsin zoned for THs and low rise apts as a buffer?

I think you and I are agreeing. I wouldn't. It makes sense to me to put apartment blocks, well planned, with the new walkable neighborhood model, in areas like the ballpark. I'm assuming those are the same kinds of areas getting this development in MD and VA. Plopping dense apartment units in historic districts or in the middle of single family homes and duplexes DOESNT make sense to me, in DC or the suburbs unless they are in some massive need or re-imagining/revitalization. As far as I know, most in this area are doing fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How is it a crisis if there is tons of affordable housing in VA and Md with easy city access?

I live in Va and I am not sure what the hell you are talking about. We had a similar housing shortage here, even before Amazon and its getting worse. Arlington and Alexandria are facing substantial loss of market rate affordable units, and are both scrambling to create/preserve committed affordable units. There is also activity to create AH in Falls Church and Fairfax, and this was a big issue in the recent Board of Supervisors election in Fairfax County. To address shortages at higher income levels, there is massive new construction across NoVa, some in Alexandria, more in Arlington, some in Falls Church, and in several parts of Fairfax (and now even Loudoun and PWC are doing transit oriented development). Plus easy city access is questionable, and with highways maxed out major new transit investments are needed.

So you probably really mean Maryland. But when you look closer you will see MoCo has the same issues as NoVa. So you really mean PG County. So we are talking about the old solution, send the poors to PG.

But as you will note even parts of PG (like Hyattsville) are getting gentrified. And of course most of PG does not have great access - it has poor access to its metro stops, and congested highways.

So really you mean a relatively small area within walking distance of the PG metro stations.

Most of which are filled with existing SFHs, which are occupied by families.

Are they putting high rises in the middle of single family home neighborhoods in places like Falls Church, or in new developments or along major thoroughfares with apartment buildings?

Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.

One of the planners from the Office of Planning indicated that Cleveland Park is a focus area because of its proximity to Metro and arterial avenues, but it might require amending the historic district designation.

Wow.

You can't amend designation to reduce the size of a historic district or change the contributing factors. These are in the Federal listings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How is it a crisis if there is tons of affordable housing in VA and Md with easy city access?

I live in Va and I am not sure what the hell you are talking about. We had a similar housing shortage here, even before Amazon and its getting worse. Arlington and Alexandria are facing substantial loss of market rate affordable units, and are both scrambling to create/preserve committed affordable units. There is also activity to create AH in Falls Church and Fairfax, and this was a big issue in the recent Board of Supervisors election in Fairfax County. To address shortages at higher income levels, there is massive new construction across NoVa, some in Alexandria, more in Arlington, some in Falls Church, and in several parts of Fairfax (and now even Loudoun and PWC are doing transit oriented development). Plus easy city access is questionable, and with highways maxed out major new transit investments are needed.

So you probably really mean Maryland. But when you look closer you will see MoCo has the same issues as NoVa. So you really mean PG County. So we are talking about the old solution, send the poors to PG.

But as you will note even parts of PG (like Hyattsville) are getting gentrified. And of course most of PG does not have great access - it has poor access to its metro stops, and congested highways.

So really you mean a relatively small area within walking distance of the PG metro stations.

Most of which are filled with existing SFHs, which are occupied by families.

Are they putting high rises in the middle of single family home neighborhoods in places like Falls Church, or in new developments or along major thoroughfares with apartment buildings?

Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.[/quote

What "new development zones" are you referring to? There is no such thing actually but maybe you could articulate what it is you think you are saying?

Aside from the Fannie Mae project very few new projects have been built or are even planned for Wisconsin Avenue.

But there is definitely room for additional development on Wisconsin Avenue - lots of surface parking lots and 3-4 story 50-60 year old buildings that are near the end of their useful life. And there are some lots on Upper CT as well though not many.

But it is not that hard to get several thousand new units in Rock Creek West though it is an open question how the mayor will get her affordable housing units which the free market alone will not yield.

This is patently untrue, pure Greater Greater Washington propaganda.

There's Fannie Mae, and there's the massive, 716-unit residential/retail development coming directly to the north of it:

https://www.skiarch.com/projects/4000-wisconsin-avenue/

There's a planned six-story apartment building at Wisconsin and Macomb:

https://www.bisnow.com/washington-dc/news/multifamily/six-story-apartment-building-planned-to-replace-single-family-home-on-wisconsin-avenue-corner-98491

146-unit building coming to Wisconsin just above Brandywine:

http://www.urbaninvestmentpartners.com/project/broadcast/

The 100 units at 4000 Brandywine have been leasing for a while:

http://www.urbaninvestmentpartners.com/project/4000brandywine/

41-unit building coming to the Dancing Crab/Tenley Gastropub site:

https://dc.urbanturf.com/pipeline/755/Dancing_Crab_Redevelopment

So basically any parcel with a new building is a "new development zone"?

And a six story building, with a few dozen units, is "massive"?

It's not a few dozen, it's more than 1,000 units when you add the two developments together (again, they're going to be right next door to each other).

So yes, that's massive by any definition. I know this goes against the propaganda pushed by David Alpert and his sycophants, but yes, there is new housing going up in Upper NW. Actually a lot of it. Why some people go to great lengths to deny clear facts is absolutely baffling.

The last three developments are each under 200 units - the last is 41 units. Those are small.

You are basically talking about one large development. Which you call "a zone".

Like one large development over how many years?

But you, or someone with your mindset, posted that there is no development at all in the works for Upper Northwest. None. This demonstrably false.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.

The ball park? You kidding me? An old industrial area, parking lots, old warehouses, etc, etc. Not a neighborhood of SFHs. So the equivalents in NoVa would include National Gateway in Arlington, Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Tysons in Fairfax.

Wisconsin is a major avenue that has long had apartments. Yes there are some SFHs close to it I guess. Unlike say in Clarendon in Arlington, where the County put THs in as a buffer. Would you like a couple of blocks away from Wisconsin zoned for THs and low rise apts as a buffer?

I think you and I are agreeing. I wouldn't. It makes sense to me to put apartment blocks, well planned, with the new walkable neighborhood model, in areas like the ballpark. I'm assuming those are the same kinds of areas getting this development in MD and VA. Plopping dense apartment units in historic districts or in the middle of single family homes and duplexes DOESNT make sense to me, in DC or the suburbs unless they are in some massive need or re-imagining/revitalization. As far as I know, most in this area are doing fine.

Again there are places in NoVa with new apts close to SFHs.

Many of the most attractive neighborhoods (including many in DC) have a mix of apts and SFHs.

There is a need for more housing. Putting more of it in W3 would both meet demand, and also help integrate W3. Why should it all be in other wards?

[Anonymous]

In my part of Ward 4, there are a number of moderate sized apartment buildings mixed with SFHs. It is just fine. A good way for economic integration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.

The ball park? You kidding me? An old industrial area, parking lots, old warehouses, etc, etc. Not a neighborhood of SFHs. So the equivalents in NoVa would include National Gateway in Arlington, Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Tysons in Fairfax.

Wisconsin is a major avenue that has long had apartments. Yes there are some SFHs close to it I guess. Unlike say in Clarendon in Arlington, where the County put THs in as a buffer. Would you like a couple of blocks away from Wisconsin zoned for THs and low rise apts as a buffer?

I think you and I are agreeing. I wouldn't. It makes sense to me to put apartment blocks, well planned, with the new walkable neighborhood model, in areas like the ballpark. I'm assuming those are the same kinds of areas getting this development in MD and VA. Plopping dense apartment units in historic districts or in the middle of single family homes and duplexes DOESNT make sense to me, in DC or the suburbs unless they are in some massive need or re-imagining/revitalization. As far as I know, most in this area are doing fine.

Again there are places in NoVa with new apts close to SFHs.

Many of the most attractive neighborhoods (including many in DC) have a mix of apts and SFHs.

There is a need for more housing. Putting more of it in W3 would both meet demand, and also help integrate W3. Why should it all be in other wards?

are you saying it's a bad thing? sure sounds that way

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.

The ball park? You kidding me? An old industrial area, parking lots, old warehouses, etc, etc. Not a neighborhood of SFHs. So the equivalents in NoVa would include National Gateway in Arlington, Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Tysons in Fairfax.

Wisconsin is a major avenue that has long had apartments. Yes there are some SFHs close to it I guess. Unlike say in Clarendon in Arlington, where the County put THs in as a buffer. Would you like a couple of blocks away from Wisconsin zoned for THs and low rise apts as a buffer?

I think you and I are agreeing. I wouldn't. It makes sense to me to put apartment blocks, well planned, with the new walkable neighborhood model, in areas like the ballpark. I'm assuming those are the same kinds of areas getting this development in MD and VA. Plopping dense apartment units in historic districts or in the middle of single family homes and duplexes DOESNT make sense to me, in DC or the suburbs unless they are in some massive need or re-imagining/revitalization. As far as I know, most in this area are doing fine.

Again there are places in NoVa with new apts close to SFHs.

Many of the most attractive neighborhoods (including many in DC) have a mix of apts and SFHs.

There is a need for more housing. Putting more of it in W3 would both meet demand, and also help integrate W3. Why should it all be in other wards?

There are already 5000 new housing units under construction or neary so in Ward 3. At least 500 have to be affordable. And that was before the mayor's "plan." There are more in the proposal stage. And don't forget the thousands of rent controlled units in the ward, which we have to preserve!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my part of Ward 4, there are a number of moderate sized apartment buildings mixed with SFHs. It is just fine. A good way for economic integration.

Bowser's proposed comprehensive plan amendments for Rock Creek East (aka Ward 4) "strengthen neighborhood character," enhance historic protection, respect view sheds and preserve more green space, etc.

In Rock Creek West (w-3) she proposes to do exactly the opposite, by striking similar language from the plan.

In this holiday season, she embodies a big "Ho, ho, ho" for big development interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How is it a crisis if there is tons of affordable housing in VA and Md with easy city access?

I live in Va and I am not sure what the hell you are talking about. We had a similar housing shortage here, even before Amazon and its getting worse. Arlington and Alexandria are facing substantial loss of market rate affordable units, and are both scrambling to create/preserve committed affordable units. There is also activity to create AH in Falls Church and Fairfax, and this was a big issue in the recent Board of Supervisors election in Fairfax County. To address shortages at higher income levels, there is massive new construction across NoVa, some in Alexandria, more in Arlington, some in Falls Church, and in several parts of Fairfax (and now even Loudoun and PWC are doing transit oriented development). Plus easy city access is questionable, and with highways maxed out major new transit investments are needed.

So you probably really mean Maryland. But when you look closer you will see MoCo has the same issues as NoVa. So you really mean PG County. So we are talking about the old solution, send the poors to PG.

But as you will note even parts of PG (like Hyattsville) are getting gentrified. And of course most of PG does not have great access - it has poor access to its metro stops, and congested highways.

So really you mean a relatively small area within walking distance of the PG metro stations.

Most of which are filled with existing SFHs, which are occupied by families.

Are they putting high rises in the middle of single family home neighborhoods in places like Falls Church, or in new developments or along major thoroughfares with apartment buildings?

Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.

One of the planners from the Office of Planning indicated that Cleveland Park is a focus area because of its proximity to Metro and arterial avenues, but it might require amending the historic district designation.

Wow.

You can't amend designation to reduce the size of a historic district or change the contributing factors. These are in the Federal listings.

But you can effectively ignore them by reinterpreting historic protection in light of present-day needs.

[Anonymous]

Bowser’s head of the office of planning, Andrew Trueblood, write his graduate thesis on eliminating the DC height limitation in order to construct tall buildings throughout the city. Now he’s got the ability to translate his callow notions into public policy with lasting impacts. Trueblood is the Stephen Miller of city planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends what you mean by "in the middle of" Falls Church they are mostly on Washington and on Broad - not at all far from detached SFHs (and right across the street from THs)

In Rosslyn - Ballston in North Arlington the County has created a buffer of THs between the denser apts and detached SFHs. No such buffer along Columbia Pike, but the height there is more limited.

Could you give an example from DC of what you mean?

Well in DC we have and continue to have apartment buildings go in as new development zones, including along Wisconsin Ave., obviously the ballpark etc. I'm confused where the Mayor would put 1,500 more units (as a fraction of other units? Or self contained?) in rock creek park west. Once you get off the main roads its all single family and duplex.

The ball park? You kidding me? An old industrial area, parking lots, old warehouses, etc, etc. Not a neighborhood of SFHs. So the equivalents in NoVa would include National Gateway in Arlington, Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Tysons in Fairfax.

Wisconsin is a major avenue that has long had apartments. Yes there are some SFHs close to it I guess. Unlike say in Clarendon in Arlington, where the County put THs in as a buffer. Would you like a couple of blocks away from Wisconsin zoned for THs and low rise apts as a buffer?

I think you and I are agreeing. I wouldn't. It makes sense to me to put apartment blocks, well planned, with the new walkable neighborhood model, in areas like the ballpark. I'm assuming those are the same kinds of areas getting this development in MD and VA. Plopping dense apartment units in historic districts or in the middle of single family homes and duplexes DOESNT make sense to me, in DC or the suburbs unless they are in some massive need or re-imagining/revitalization. As far as I know, most in this area are doing fine.

Again there are places in NoVa with new apts close to SFHs.

Many of the most attractive neighborhoods (including many in DC) have a mix of apts and SFHs.

There is a need for more housing. Putting more of it in W3 would both meet demand, and also help integrate W3. Why should it all be in other wards?

There are already 5000 new housing units under construction or neary so in Ward 3. At least 500 have to be affordable. And that was before the mayor's "plan." There are more in the proposal stage. And don't forget the thousands of rent controlled units in the ward, which we have to preserve!

There is also a massive amount of affordable housing just over the border in PG county.