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Coalition for Smarter Growth
Ward 3 Vision

Community & Environmental Groups support Redevelopment along Wisconsin Avenue

Project could be City’s first certified green residential building

On March 8th, the DC Zoning Commission will consider what could be the city’s first certified green residential building. The proposal, redevelopment of a used car lot a block from the Friendship Heights Metro into a mixed use building, is receiving support from neighbors and environmental groups.

“There are many of us in the neighborhood who want to see Wisconsin Ave. improved to set a benchmark for quality development in the city, and this project is certainly one of those,” said Ellen Myer, a Tenleytown resident, in a letter to the Zoning Commission.  

If approved, this project will be an important first step toward redeveloping upper Wisconsin Avenue and will set a high bar for future redevelopment projects. 

“The quality of the development proposal, its location, and the community amenities provided make this the right building at the right scale, in the right place,” said Tom Hier, Chair of Ward 3 Vision, an active community group working to ensure new development is positive and forward-thinking, and brings new life and vibrancy to Ward 3 neighborhoods.

Ward 3 Vision and the Coalition for Smarter Growth have worked hard over the past year to improve this project and ensure that the community receives the maximum benefit. 

“Overwhelmingly, what we hear from Ward 3 residents is a desire for redevelopment along Wisconsin Avenue that will provide more local shops and restaurants and a vibrant street life,” said Cheryl Cort, Policy Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “This project is a step towards that vision while also providing affordable housing, a precedent-setting green building, bicycle parking, and onsite carsharing all within steps of the Metro.”

The project has not only been endorsed by the members of Ward 3 Vision, but also by the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club, Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, former three-term Councilmember Kathy Patterson, and the Washington Smart Growth Alliance, which includes members from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Coalition for Smarter Growth and the Urban Land Institute. 

“Too often local governments accept poorly planned development, and the traffic that goes with it, because they believe they have no other choice,” said Chris Carney, a Sierra Club organizer. “By speaking up for a good proposal, we hope D.C. area residents will look at this project and demand better ones in their own neighborhoods.”

After the March 8th public hearing, the Zoning Commission will consider public comments and vote on the proposal, generally within a few months.

For more information about the proposal, visit www.Ward3Vision.org

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