Reply to Alexandria City Building Height/ Hyundai SUP Approval.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]People need to stop smoking so much weed if they actually believe that any for profit developer will ever take a SHF rezoned lot and make it into several affordable housing units.  Just look at what they've done right around the corner from the dealership on Duncan. Torn down 1 house and put up 4 townhomes that sold around $1.5million EACH.  205 Duncan.  How are any of those "affordable"?

"Darden Towns, brand new luxury construction in the heart of Del Ray,... is a small subdivision (?) only half a block away from Mt. Vernon."

https://www.zillow.com/homes/205-e-duncan-22301_rb/2062400905_zpid/

[/quote]

You're making the point of why bonus height (and things like Accessory dwelling units, or missing middle approaches like they are discussing in Arlington) is needed...

205 Duncan was three lots - redeveloped into the only thing you really can build in Del Ray today... SFHs.  I guess it's a small win that instead of 3 McMansions that would have naturally gone here, we get 4 townhomes instead - and yes, as much as 1.5M sounds like a lot, it actually is "affordable" compared to the SFH alternatives that end up here otherwise.

The true path to affordability requires building more densely than townhomes, which is exactly what the bonus height amendment would allow.  The only way to build more is to build up.  Which...with a metro station on either end of the neighborhood is exactly what Alexandria should be encouraging.

[/quote]

NP here. So if that was three lots, made into 4 huge townhomes, why wasn't the pressure to take that large of a parcel and make affordable housing?It seems like there was a significant opportunity to make several units. If the talk is about taking 1 SFH lot any putting 4+ units on it, here were 3 lots. No uproar over it. Plus there are apartments just a block away from this, seems like it would have fit in. But no, gigantic townhomes were put in its place.

And Braddock Road metro is pretty close to most of Del Ray, closer IMO than where the PY metro will be. That neighborhood is accessible by metro. And parking is about to get worse, there is push to add blocks for pay parking, and to make it for only 1-2 hour increments as residents have complained that it is hard for them to find parking. I found myself in one of those parking board meetings when I thought I was in a meeting for something else in city hall. It's coming.[/quote]

It's absolutely coming and I welcome it.[/quote]

In that meeting, the residents absolutely want it. The business owners do not.  Major complaint was that too many "outsiders" were coming to yoga or another class at Mind the Mat, and then not leaving in their car right away and were instead going to get coffee at St. Elmos or Stomping Ground or going to lunch at Cheestetique or Del Ray Cafe and maybe do some shopping and NEVER LEAVING. The woman who owns the pottery store was really worked up about it vs neighbors who want people to just park, go to yoga, and GTHO.[/quote]

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