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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Lets see.  DC is worried about empty office buildings downtown, and is trying to turn some of them into residential buildings, whether condos or apartments.  NYC is doing the same.  Meanwhile, in MoCo, no one is focused on the underutilized commercial space all across MoCo.  Does someone honestly think that George Avenue and Rockville Pike will attract one or more corporate headquarters or even office buildings?  Or mabe expensive new retail offerings?  No real chance.  Let’s turn some of it into residential housing of all sorts.[/quote]

This sounds like a practical solution that should be investigated, but the YIMBYs and pro developers want to instead argue about [b]silly solutions that would force mini apartment buildings into neighborhoods of existing homes.[/b]  So, of course, owners of SFH will fight against the entire agenda because they are forced to consider the practical with the impractical.  Few people hate the idea of bikes lanes, but the 15 minute community crowd will become apoplectic at the mention of increased commute times as an effect of reducing auto travel lanes to fit these luxurious bike lanes.

It’s very strange…as if they are fighting the idea of auto travel and SFH rather than fighting for specific goals.  [/quote]

In other words, solutions that would allow building more homes in areas that already have homes. So impractical!

Georgia Avenue and Rockville Pike are already zoned to allow residential development. Do you have any particular "underutilized" properties on Georgia or Rockville Pike in mind?[/quote]

DP, but are you kidding? Every one- or two-story shopping center/strip mall with a giant parking lot in front [b]needs to be redone as high-rise mixed use.[/b] That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also upzone in other places, but remember that Hans Riemer opposed upzoning the last time it was in front of the council and also supported removing Woodside from the DTSS plan last fall. He’s hardly the housing advocate that people make him out to be. The housing production results that Riemer’s policies produced would make a NIMBY proud. [/quote]

OK. Who is going to do this? It's already allowed: every one of those shopping centers is already zoned as "high rise" mixed use. And it's already being done in places: for example, the west side of Federal Plaza. Also Twinbrook Quarter, but that's City of Rockville.

And multi-unit housing should ALSO be allowed in areas currently zoned R-60 (like Woodside), R-90, etc.

I'm not talking about Hans Riemer; he's out of office, I don't think he's going to be named to or win any other office, and that's fine with me. I'm talking about housing.[/quote]

[b]So why doesn’t MoCo provide some incentives for developers to redevelop some of these spaces?[/b]  Money talks.  There’s a sector plan for GA Ave that is actually fairly thoughtful but there’s no funding.  Why waste all this time in a plan to just shelve it?  One of my issues with the rezoning is that it is likely going to take more moderately priced SFHs out to build these multi family complexes. Developers will be able to outcompete first time homebuyers with all cash offers. And you’d get more housing at once actually building a thoughtful complex rather than piecemeal knocking down houses.[/quote]

Why should Montgomery County subsidize developers to build market-rate housing?

Also, why shouldn't two-unit, three-unit, or four-unit residential buildings be allowed in areas where currently only single-unit residential buildings are allowed? Why should the only choices for apartments be in big complexes on big roads?[/quote]

Ask Hans. He specialized in subsidizing market rate housing and opposed multi-unit buildings as soon as there was a real proposal. [/quote]

Why ask Hans? At this point, he's irrelevant.[/quote]

This is all mostly his fault, and he’s trying to perpetuate his failed policies by seeking to be planning chair, so he’s relevant. [/quote]

His opinions will only be relevant if he is appointed to be Planning chair, and I really, really doubt that will happen.[/quote]

I’m not so sure. I think he’s probably the leading candidate right now. [/quote]

He is only the most well known.    I don't think he has enough allies on the council, and definitely not Elrich.  [/quote]

Even if all 11 councilmembers adored him (which I doubt), they'd be wise to appoint someone else, just to avoid endless Elrich-Riemer drama. Both men have a well-established history of being petty.[/quote]

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