Excellent op-ed by Jaffe.

And the event last night was a lot of fun! Good speeches by Mayor Gray, CM Wells, CM Evans and DA. Really enjoyed meeting some fellow readers also.

by H Street LL on Mar 6, 2013 9:02 am • link • report

With so much development in "NoMa" and the improvements along H Street, this would be a great time for someone to restore the Uline Arena. It could be the new home of the DC Rollergirls and host so much more for the community. Its a real shame that a building with so much history has been reduced to an indoor parking lot.

by Ryan on Mar 6, 2013 9:18 am • link • report

@Ryan

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/uline_arena_redevelopment_new_rowhouses_on_capitol_hill/6624

@David

Is there a link to an archived video from yesterday's height act discussion (both the NCPC and the National Archives)?

Re: Issa

If we're going to have an overlord, I do prefer the benevolent kind.

by Adam L on Mar 6, 2013 9:24 am • link • report

As another WCP Housing Complex post (correctly, IMHO) points out, Gray's proposal for Poplar Point for the FBI is rather half-hearted, and more likely about "checking the box" for some folks on the Hill than it is about actively seeking the FBI to stay in the District.

by Circle Thomas on Mar 6, 2013 9:29 am • link • report

Adam L:

Check out video at this link:

http://www.ncpc.gov/videos/229

by Alex B. on Mar 6, 2013 9:30 am • link • report

Thanks, Alex B! I found that one as soon as I typed the message, but I can't seem to find the discussion that DA was part of... the video on the UStream doesn't connect.

by Adam L on Mar 6, 2013 9:40 am • link • report

NCPC said they were planning to put the lunch chat archived video up. I'm inquiring about the timetable; don't know if the federal government being closed today will interfere.

by David Alpert on Mar 6, 2013 9:45 am • link • report

Yes, I also could not get the lunch chat video to work.

by Alex B. on Mar 6, 2013 9:46 am • link • report

"Virginia Department of Transportation officials said that, ideally, they would like the full road to extend in future years to I-95 and Dulles Airport. Such a road, they said, would drive economic development and establish the airport as a cargo hub for trucks traveling from the south up I-95.

Gary Garczynski, a member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board which oversees VDOT, said that Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) was clear about his priorities with state transportation officials: connecting Dulles airport with I-95 would be an economic boon for the area and is one of his administration’s top priorities.

“Not everybody is always going to be happy, and not everybody wants a road,” Garczysnki said. “I have to try to make a decision … as to what’s best for the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Credit due to CSG and GGW for constanly making noise on this. And it is clear from that statement that truck traffic, not moving people, is the driver.

Not sure that making Dulles a cargo hub is really going to help NoVA much either. Logistics is important but not high paying. I see some of it out in Manassas and PW county but DC is certainly not a hub area.

by charlie on Mar 6, 2013 9:48 am • link • report

Governor McDonnell is obsessed with helping trucking companies shave a few minutes off their delivery time. Literally no project is unworthy as long it achieves that goal.

Meanwhile improving transit would also help trucking companies but good luck explaining it to the "business friendly governor".

by Drumz on Mar 6, 2013 9:55 am • link • report

I also saw a comment on one of the "war on car" stories that DC statistic that car ownership has declined is misleading because the number of SUVs has increased and they are counted as trucks. I've never heard that before. Anybody else?

by Adam L on Mar 6, 2013 9:57 am • link • report

The discussion about truck traffic is a ruse for the landowners and developers who want to make their property more valuable by virtue of state investment in a new road.

The fact is, most truck traffic already uses the I-81 corridor, which is well served by I-64 from the Tides areas. Adding more trucks to I-95 between Richmond and Quantico is a losing idea.

by William on Mar 6, 2013 10:01 am • link • report

@Drumz

I wonder if McAuffilie (sp) would find it a hugely winning issue to come out and say that wasting a billion on this project is insanely stupid, and that the billion should instead be spent on improving 66, 95 etc.

That has to poll well... right? My guesstimate would be that 85% of Northern Virginia would agree with that statement. He should hang this around Cuccinelli's neck like the rest of the social garbage he will be sticking him with.

by Kyle-W on Mar 6, 2013 10:05 am • link • report

@Drumz, while I agree with you about the trucking focus, I think you're wrong about transit helping trucks move quicker.

But yes, that is the real war on cars -- that we pay for a road system, and we get a road system built for trucks. At least in DC we have some highways that are truck-limited (66 inside, the federal parkways) and I've always wondred why we don't ban trucks during certain hours.

by charlie on Mar 6, 2013 10:07 am • link • report

If VDOT is forced to construct the Bi-County Parkway by the Virginia CTB, it should include no access points between I-66 and Route 50 to keep the rural character of the area and constrain sprawl growth. This would be similar to I-87 in New York between Harriman, NY and Hillburn, NY, which is 35 miles from NYC.

by jcp on Mar 6, 2013 10:18 am • link • report

I'd certainly like to see an ad saying that our small business and small government governor is willing to spend billions on roads that most trucking companies don't think is necessary meanwhile people who are just trying to get to work are being told to suck it up because the state apparently can't afford infrastructure to help all those fancy nova liberals on their toy trains.

by Drumz on Mar 6, 2013 10:20 am • link • report

I certainly agree with preserving some of the better mid-century modern buildings, but I don't think they choose a very inspiring selection for that photo gallery. Well, the dry cleaner's is pretty cool. Definitely turns my head when I drive by.

by Chris S on Mar 6, 2013 10:50 am • link • report

Surprised me how much parking DC is putting in at Popular Point.

by Tom Coumaris on Mar 6, 2013 10:58 am • link • report

"GWU's Richard Longstreth also wants to preserve all tract houses and prevent denser mixed-use neighborhoods"

What's up with that? He's written some great books, surprising to see him go all in on the mid-century bandwagon. By all means save important buildings of history, but unless I'm mistaken, aren't there acres of post war modernist dross littered over the suburban landscape?

by Thayer-D on Mar 6, 2013 10:59 am • link • report

@Chris S: I really like the dry cleaner building, too, though I can't help but notice that they spray painted over the "one hour" on their sign, and they haven't exactly taken care of the building.

by Gray on Mar 6, 2013 11:05 am • link • report

I was pleasantly surprised by the Poplar Point proposal. I agree it almost certainly isn't going to happen, but if you are going to make a proposal, I think this is a good one. You give them the square footage they need while keeping room for related, taxable private development next door in an underdeveloped, but still desirable area.

I doubt they'll take it, since it doesn't seem to give them as much buffer space as they want and they seem very committed to the suburban campus idea. But it's an excellent way of telling the people who want the FBI to stay that you made a good-faith offer, while still putting the interest of the city first.

by JW on Mar 6, 2013 11:08 am • link • report

@Gray - Yeah, the dry cleaner's has certainly seen better days, but the building is still fairly intact overall. I wonder what it used to be - kinda looks like an auto parts store to me.

by Chris S on Mar 6, 2013 11:19 am • link • report

Adam L and Alex B: The video is now up. http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/17930/live-chat-about-dcs-height-limit/

by David Alpert on Mar 6, 2013 11:46 am • link • report

@DA

Thanks!

@Thayer-D

I don't think Prof. Longstreth's views were adequately summarized. The article says that he wants the county "to make provisions for preserving the more open housing built earlier". I don't see "making provisions" for preservation as being the same as opposing mixed-use developments.

by Adam L on Mar 6, 2013 11:59 am • link • report

David,

The WAMU article is misleading in several ways. GGW shouldn't link to it or perpetuate the confusion with the misleading description of it.

The GGW description of the action is inaccurate: The Alexandria Planning Commission was not voting on the Waterfront Plan last night. The plan was previously approved. The Commission was voting on an amendment to the Waterfont Zone that was recommended by the previously approved plan.

The amendment was reintroduced (for re-vote) because Old Town residents had been suing the City to force a supermajority vote on the amendment. Rather than fight that suit, the City Manager (based on recommnedation from Council) decided to grant the Old Town property owners the relief they sought: a re-vote on the amendment that would require supermajority passage. (Subsequently, the City is also clarifying when supermajority votes can be required, but that's a separate issue).

The WAMU article is misleading:

1) Planning Commission doesn't actually have the power to "approve". They recommend approval. City Council has the final vote.

2) Allowable density was not tripled. While the amendment allows for more density than existing zoning under certain circumstances, the new wording does not allow for 3 times more than would be allowed otherwise. The triple density number is about what's exist versus what's possible. But existing zoning always allowed for the possibility of more density that what's on the ground. Whether that additional density could be used throughout the entire zone or only at specific parcels remains to be seen, since no proposal has been formally submitted let alone put up for consideration by Planning Commission of City Council. "Triple Density" also implies that the whole zone could be tripled, whereas some portions may already be fully built out.

3) The Planning Commission did not consider any specific development proposal. Therefore this is inaccurate: "Now commissioners have approved more than 800,000 square feet of development." Most specific development proposals would still have to come before City Council or Planning Commission as there is very little allowed by right, and certainly nothing more is allowed by right under the amendment than before.

4) Lastly, it's important to note what the amendment to the zoning consists of: it removes tourist houses and guest houses from the list of conditional allowable uses. And, under the conditions set out by the already approved master plan, it adds hotels to the list of conditional allowable uses. Other commercial uses, such as office buildings, were already allowed there and there's no change contemplated.

by Kevin Beekman on Mar 6, 2013 11:59 am • link • report

I don't see the "Mad Men glass boxes" as the biggest problem from that era.

Worse eyesores are the "Brutalist" buildings from just a few years later. I'd love to see the entire Montgomery County government complex imploded.

by Frank IBC on Mar 6, 2013 12:51 pm • link • report

You mean the concrete-heavy 70s stuff?

by Chris S on Mar 6, 2013 12:55 pm • link • report

The J. Edgar Hoover Bldg cannot come down soon enough. I dread the inevitable fool who tries to file a historic preservation injunction to its demolition. My impression is that the building is exempt b/c it is on federal land, but any delay will be costly to the city (tax revenue delayed).

While we're at it, can they also demolish the Herbert Hoover Bldg (HHS HQ) on Madison Avenue? It's equally pedestrian unfriendly and hideous.

by Adam on Mar 6, 2013 1:40 pm • link • report

"If you see Hoover on the nameplate, you know it sucks"

by Kolohe on Mar 6, 2013 1:46 pm • link • report

AND the hideous HUD HQ at L'Enfant, or at least ditch those bizarre seemingly-purposeless UFO things out front. It'll be like a pub crawl with a wrecking ball :-)

by Adam on Mar 6, 2013 1:51 pm • link • report

@Adam

Do you mean the Hubert Humphrey Building on Independence?

by Christine on Mar 6, 2013 1:56 pm • link • report

Adam L,
Some of the comments made by Mr. Longstreth were:

"We can't afford to build the tract houses that were built in the 1950's, construction costs are too high" saying that 'Replicating it today would be too expensive.'

Is he joking? Maybe replacing some 1920's limestone bank building might be too expensive, but brick and block shit boxes? I love that googie stuff like the laundromat, but the truth is you could re-build it with out skipping a beat. In fact, modernism never went out of style as the mid-century revival attests to, it just isn't the only style around now. Not saying they shouldn't preserve some of the original stuff, but don't they have something better to do with their time?

by Thayer-D on Mar 6, 2013 1:58 pm • link • report

The HUD building's kinda cool. Certainly distinctive.

by Chris S on Mar 6, 2013 2:04 pm • link • report

The HUD building is in an area that isn't particularly appealing, due to it being surrounded by other similar buildings. Not sure many people would want to live right there, so it has MUCH less redevelopment potential than the FBI building.

In addition, HUD is pretty much Persona-Non-Grata amongst Republicans, so the chances of them getting funding to do something like move headquarters is somewhere around zero.

by Kyle-W on Mar 6, 2013 2:16 pm • link • report

David, this is a much better article to link to re: Alexandria Planning Commission action on the Waterfront:
http://delray.patch.com/articles/planning-commission-oks-waterfront-rezoning

by Kevin Beekman on Mar 6, 2013 2:18 pm • link • report

Longstreth is parsed in a distorted way here. He sees a place for preserving tract house neighborhoods as communities and relatively affordable housing.

The domestic mid-mod stuff in MoCo is more interesting than the commercial stuff which is pretty generic. The 40s-70s were not kind to commercial architecture in the entire DC area--overblown celebrity stuff like the Kennedy Center and generic curtain wall stuff all over the place. The early post WWII shopping strips often were semi-interesting but mostly have been altered significantly. MoCo doesn't have mid-mod neighborhoods in the same class as Hollin Hills in Fairfax, but it has a nice collections of small brick colonials, splits, and ramblers that were characteristic of DC. The small colonials (all over Kensington and SS) are somewhat unique to the area. There are neighborhoods like Potomac Woods that were nicely laid out, although people underuse the amenities. It'd be nice if one of the now nearly gone Marina Safeways could be saved.

by Rich on Mar 6, 2013 2:41 pm • link • report

Well, aren't the Marina Safeways an example of 40-70s commercial architecture? I think there's a lot of cool stuff from that era. Not too much left standing today of course.

by Chris S on Mar 6, 2013 3:02 pm • link • report

Those safeways where kinda cool, but I guess one of the problems with that post war stuff was so much of it was built for an automobile culture, ie. low and sprawling. In the infill and redevelopment ethos of our times, they'll be the first to go as we continue to densify. I'd save the more sculptural and expressionist examples, but the grids are hard to justify saving.

by Thayer-D on Mar 6, 2013 3:07 pm • link • report

Well, there's still a few around (McLean for one place). Hopefully they've got a few decades to go. Shame developers want to tear down the early 60s Chevy Chase Supermarket.

by Chris S on Mar 6, 2013 3:21 pm • link • report

Re: IAD trucks. Why would air freight carriers drive 20 miles from I-95 to IAD when they already have much better I-95, port, and rail access, better access to the northeast corridor and the region's existing warehouse stock, plus an airfield just as capable of landing international flights, at BWI?

Re: Modern historic. Longstreth spoke last week at a DC Preservation League event about how Southwest Washington is "one of the fullest, richest manifestations of modernist architecture and urban design as it was seen in the postwar era" and could become a historic district on those grounds. As a resident, I certainly agree that many buildings here are architecturally worthy, and the continuity of the mid-century aesthetic is certainly striking, but I can't help but feel that continued infill of various under-used sites -- parking lots, low-rise churches, townhouses -- would vastly improve the area's livability and appeal.

@Adam: Too late, the HUD building is already a DC landmark. It might help that it's the sister to the UNESCO building in Paris.

by Payton on Mar 6, 2013 11:15 pm • link • report

Is he joking? Maybe replacing some 1920's limestone bank building might be too expensive, but brick and block shit boxes? I love that googie stuff like the laundromat, but the truth is you could re-build it with out skipping a beat.

Building it is easy, but it's too expensive to send a crew to build something that small, so you will end up with a much larger and more expensive place.

by Mike on Mar 7, 2013 2:58 pm • link • report

@Rich

MoCo doesn't have mid-mod neighborhoods in the same class as Hollin Hills in Fairfax.

There are plenty of examples of midcentury modern tract houses in Montgomery County, most of which are already being preserved in some form. Takoma Avenue in Takoma Park and Hammond Wood and Rock Creek Woods in Wheaton were both designed by Charles Goodman, the same architect as Hollin Hills. They're all on the Historic Register, as is Carderock Springs in Bethesda, which was designed by Keyes, Lethbridge and Condon, who also did the master plan for Arlington Cemetery. There's also the Polychrome Historic District in Silver Spring and even a house Frank Lloyd Wright designed for his son.

It's the commercial stuff that is most at risk - like the Glenmont Arcade, which I know doesn't have many fans, but I'd certainly be sad to see it go.

by dan reed! on Mar 7, 2013 10:41 pm • link • report