Comments on Epic Ward 3 zoning update meeting Tuesday night - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by William

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:18:15 EDT

Here is a comment on a local Ward 3 Listserv following the OP Meeting:

I'm especially concerned about ADUs, and sympathized with the parent who expressed concern for his young childrens' safety if no controls were instituted on who could occupy such units.

This is a pretty scary and dark inference from our friends in Upper NW DC.

Comment by MLD

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:29:58 EDT

Yes, I saw some comments on twitter last night that people were questioning if WMATA is able to handle more transit riders in its "diminished state."

Rebuilding Metro is a long process but eventually the weekend disruptions will be less frequent. The zoning code rewrite covers a much longer period, 20-30 years and beyond, so the idea that somehow the transit system is unequipped to deal with more people or is "maxed out" is a manufactured untruth.

Comment by Another Andrew

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:21:56 EDT

Good meeting last night. The meeting was fairly well attended, maybe 100-150 people there. The comments and applause were evenly split between proponents and opponents of the OP proposals. As expected, most of the opposition centered around transportation issues such as WMATA's ability to continue to run or where people would be able to park their cars. Director Tregoning did a nice job of centering the discussion back to zoning. She and her staff stayed well past the 8:30 ending time to ensure all comments were heard.

Kudos to all from the GGW community who attended.

Comment by Ward 3 Resident

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 10:13:42 EDT

Present day retail shopping patterns and preferences mean it is highly unlikely that any area of DC will be overrun with new corner stores. A few niche marketers might make it but I don't see lots of 7-11 type places opening up deep in residential areas. There are not enough customers to pay the commercial rent, especially when competing with residential use of the space.

Comment by Another Andrew

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 06:39:25 EDT

Different Andrew here. Problem with Andrew above's theory is that ADUs as proposed already exist, except the people who can live in them currently must be household employees, not renters. Same impact of cars, same impact of "sewage" etc. They aren't rampant now and won't be under the new rules. Wy? Because building or expanding one will still require a variance.

In terms of the corner store, two of the most successful corner stores are in Ward 3: Jetti's in Foxhall and Broadbranch Market in Chevy Chase. These are both very well supported very beloved community members. Why shouldn't other neighborhoods in the Ward have an opportunity for these "third places"?

Finally, transit zones. The practical reality for Ward 3 is virtually no impact. The transit zones on Connecticut Avenue are mostly in historic districts, except for maybe the Szechuan Palace site near Albemarle in Van Ness. On Wisconsin Avenue, except for the Babes site, which was repurposing an existing foundation for new development, any new proposals will likely have parking because the developer will acknowledge the market will demand it.

Comment by Andrew

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 05:36:09 EDT

These all sound like modern ideas that will create a more modern city. The problem here is that opening residential areas to second rental families in every house and accessory structure and corners to commercial use is a drastic change from where we are now and easily could ruin neighborhoods seen as idyllic for generations such as AU Park or Forrest Hills. More transients, convenience stores, sewage, and vehicles will make AU Park and places like it more like Petworth or Mount Vernon. This may mean even more money for the bottomless pit called DC (budget now nearing 12 billion?) but it will make these precious neighborhoods unrecognizable. Is this good? No way.

Comment by David Alpert

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:00:29 EDT

Whoops, I've added the info. It's 6:30 pm at Wilson High School.

Comment by Peter

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:57:49 EDT

What is the time and location information for the meeting?

Comment by Districter

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:49:43 EDT

Let colleges grow in DC - lift the enrollent caps! There are other land use, design review and zoning controls in place. Otherwise, Washington will continue to lose jobs and economic activity from our universities to the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.