Reply to Hans Riemer planning board chair?

Forum Index » Metropolitan DC Local Politics

Reply to "Hans Riemer planning board chair?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[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 needs to be redone as high-rise mixed use. 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]

[b]MoCo needs a diversity of housing stock.[/b]  It needs apartment buildings of all sizes, condos at all sizes and price points, townhouse complexes.  And, yes, SFH neighborhoods.  There is too much focus on changing SFH neighborhoods, rather than turning commercial areas into residential areas.  Those commercial areas will never return to the hayday of large office buildings or expansive retail offerings.

[/quote]

Yes, Montgomery County does. Including apartments in "SFH neighborhoods."

Which commercial areas do you want there to be apartments on, specifically? There's a very good chance they're already zoned for mixed use.[/quote]

Nah, the apartments SF neighborhoods do not make sense, especially in areas without transit.  I understand that’s why they are trying to bring the ridiculous BRT all over, so that they can sell the idea of being close to “transit,” but good luck. I guess that we can just fight all of the proposed changes if you insist on charging that windmill.  Maybe someday you’ll get the big victory that they did in Virginia, with 290 units county wide over 5 years.  Hopefully not.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics