CSG Support for No 19-01 PUD 1 Hawaii Ave NE
Note: This Planned Unit Development is one of only 3 submitted in 2019, down from dozens in previous years.
Author: Cheryl Cort
CSG in the News: New D.C. Comp Plan Bill Could ‘Open A Pandora’s Box’ To More Development Appeals
New D.C. Comp Plan Bill Could ‘Open A Pandora’s Box’ To More Development Appeals
by Jon Banister, Bisnow Washington, D.C., September 12, 2019
The D.C. Council is nearing a final vote on the first set of amendments to the city’s comprehensive plan, but planning officials and advocates are raising concerns around changes that they say could allow more of the appeals that have delayed dozens of developments….
Director of Planning Andrew Trueblood sent a letter Wednesday to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, which he shared with Bisnow, detailing issues with specific additions the council made to the plan that he said could lead more housing developments to become stuck in court. “What we think this language does is it adds to the uncertainty,” Trueblood tells Bisnow. “When you have uncertainty, often that can result in more litigation. We are trying to create a Framework Element and a remainder of the Comprehensive Plan that is clearer to avoid uncertainty, ambiguity and unnecessary litigation.”…
Coalition for Smarter Growth Policy Director Cheryl Cort raised concerns around the same section of the bill, which she described as a “crisis.”
“The PUD language in the council version of this bill opens up a Pandora’s box for new litigation,” Cort said. “This whole exercise was supposed to resolve this issue with the court where thousands of new homes were held up in appeals. This bill does the opposite. It throws us into greater uncertainty.”
Cort said she supports the revisions that Trueblood proposed to resolve the issue. She added that the specific language around neighborhood character is reminiscent of past methods of blocking new housing development.
“It really smacks of exclusionary zoning that has been used in the past to perpetuate housing segregation,” Cort said.
A Mendelson spokesperson tells Bisnow the chairman’s office has heard recent concerns from members of the public around language in the bill and is continuing to review the issues ahead of the scheduled vote.
Read full story here.
Read the DC Office of Planning Letter here. Note: DC Council vote is now scheduled for October 8, 2019.
Will the DC Council vote for inclusion or exclusion?
Take Action Today
On October 8 the DC Council votes on the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Amendments must ensure that affordable housing and preventing displacement are top priorities
On October 8 (postponed from Sept. 17), the DC Council will vote on the Framework Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The plan defines DC’s priorities for development and will shape our city for years to come.
You have helped us win numerous positive amendments to the draft plan. However, the current bill includes language that undermines affordable housing and prevention of displacement, and even has text that is exclusionary and helps perpetuate housing segregation.
Tell the DC Council to fix the bill.
To fix the bill, we need the DC Council to adopt two amendments:
- Councilmember Brianne Nadeau’s amendment which addresses racial and social equity in DC by prioritizing affordable housing and prevention of displacement.
- An amendment to remove exclusionary language that makes preserving “physical and visual character” a dominating requirement in development review. This is too similar to the type of planning language that has historically perpetuated housing segregation.
It’s down to the wire, but with your help we can win these two amendments!
The Comprehensive Plan bill should ensure we meet our housing needs – affordable housing and preventing displacement.
Click here for our action page to see both amendments and send a message to the Council.
Before next Tuesday’s vote, send a message to the DC Council and let them know we want a city for all.
Thanks for all that you do,
Cheryl
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Cheryl Cort
Policy Director
action@smartergrowth.net
RELEASE: Coalition Champions Release Bus Transformation Strategy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2019
Contact Stewart Schwartz: 703-599-6437
Washington DC: The Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) applauded today’s release of the Bus Transformation Strategy. Serving on the Executive Committee for the study, CSG worked with business, union, government, community leaders, and the consulting team to arrive at four key recommendations illustrated in this table:
| 1 | Frequent and Convenient Bus Service | Provide frequent and convenient bus service that connects communities and promotes housing affordability, regional equity, and economic growth. |
| 2 | Bus Priority on Roadways | Give buses priority on roadways to move people quickly and reliably. |
| 3 | Customer Experience | Create an excellent customer experience to retain and increase ridership. |
| 4 | Task Force to Implement the Strategy | Empower a publicly appointed Task Force to transform bus and lead the implementation of a truly integrated regional system. |
“We urge elected officials, transit agency directors, and government staff to put the bus first! We strongly support priority bus lanes, more frequent and reliable service, a better customer experience, and more affordable fares for those who need it,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “We also believe that route redesign studies incorporating both WMATA and local buses are essential to developing a network that provides more frequent, reliable service with higher ridership while not sacrificing the coverage for those most in need.”
“Buses are key to an effective and expansive transit network for our region, one that provides better access to jobs and opportunity, an alternative to traffic, and reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change,” said Jane Lyons, Maryland Advocacy Manager for CSG who leads CSG’s long-standing campaign for bus rapid transit in Montgomery County.
“We need to start right away on prioritizing buses,” said Cheryl Cort, Policy Director for CSG. “Our study with MetroHero of DC bus performance confirmed the concerns in the Bus Transformation Study – buses were moving slower and becoming less reliable, scoring a ‘D’ in our analysis. The recommended solutions in our companion report track closely with those in the Bus Transformation Study and the Greater Washington Partnership’s transit report.”
“The public is strongly supportive of better bus service,” said Schwartz, “The Bus Transformation surveys of over 8000 area residents and riders found that people overwhelming want to see dedicated bus lanes, more frequent service, free transfers from bus to rail, and more affordable fares.”
“The Coalition for Smarter Growth will be partnering with other advocacy organizations and business leaders in urging local elected leaders to expeditiously implement the Bus Transformation strategy,” concluded Schwartz.
The Bus Transformation Project website hosts the Executive Summary, Full Report and supporting documents.
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The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization in the Washington DC region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Our mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish.
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CSG in the News: An Amazon warehouse instead of offices. Zoning tool allows changes with little scrutiny
An Amazon warehouse instead of offices. Townhouses in place of an airport. Zoning ‘tool’ allows changes with little scrutiny.
Grassy hills where residents were promised bustling office buildings could now hold a massive warehouse. A small airport could be replaced with more than 500 townhouses. A church property could include housing for the elderly.
Each of the projects is dependent on fast-track changes to existing zoning by the Prince George’s County Council, which relies on bills called “text amendments” to circumvent what lawmakers describe as an outdated and cumbersome zoning process…
“It is important to have consistency and certainty,” said Stewart Schwartz, who heads the D.C.-based Coalition for Smarter Growth, noting that in other jurisdictions, a change as substantial as the proposed warehouse would likely have gone through full zoning review processes.
See full story here.
The DC Comp Plan is back – let’s ensure it allows for a more inclusive city
Together with you, we’ve pressed for over two years for an updated Comprehensive Plan that makes building more affordable housing a priority for the city. But for more than a year, the guiding first chapter or “Framework Element” has been bottled up in the DC Council. Finally, the second and crucial vote on the bill will be September 17.
While the Chairman’s revisions incorporate many of the amendments we supported, it falls short of establishing affordable housing as our top priority, and doesn’t ensure that enough housing can be built across the whole city.
Send a message to the DC Council today and let them know we want a city for all.
Tell the DC Council the Comprehensive Plan must:
- Directly address the city’s need for more housing, especially near transit, so that people across the income spectrum can have more choices about where they can live;
- Make affordable housing the highest priority throughout the document, and in the development review process;
- Commit to preserving existing affordable housing and prevent residents from being displaced;
- Enable new affordable housing to be built across the city, including in Upper Northwest, where for too long some of its residents have blocked significant numbers of new homes from being built;
- Fix the broken development approval process (including Planned Unit Developments), ensuring that affordable housing is given top priority, and that the process is predictable for those who participate in good-faith.
In our meetings with Councilmembers over the past few months we’ve pressed the case and believe there is significant support.
Photo credit: Ted Eytan, https://www.flickr.com/
CSG in the News: D.C. wants more accessory dwelling units
From the Washington Business Journal:
By Alex Koma – Staff Reporter, Washington Business Journal
Aug 6, 2019
The District changed its zoning laws three years ago to allow the construction of more accessory dwelling units in the city than ever before — but can homeowners actually secure the permits and financing they need to take advantage of that change?
In too many cases, housing developers and advocates say the answer is a clear “no.”
Accordingly, they’re turning to the public and private sectors alike for help in breaking down barriers across each one of those twin issue areas: finding financing for homeowners looking to build ADUs and helping them navigate the District’s permit process….
“Anyone trying to do this, they’re becoming an amateur developer going through the permitting process,” said Cheryl Cort, policy director at the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “How can we make it understandable so they know what to expect, and it’s predictable?”
See full Washington Business Journal story here.
RELEASE: CSG joins with United Planning Organization to Announce Launch of ADU DC, an Accessory Dwelling Unit Initiative in Washington, DC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Aug 6, 2019
United Planning Organization Announces Launch of ADU DC, an Accessory Dwelling Unit Initiative in Washington, DC
Initiative will catalyze affordable rental housing and increase financial stability for lower-income homeowners in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON, DC: Today, the United Planning Organization announced the launch of ADU DC, a pilot initiative to make accessory dwelling units (ADUs) more accessible to lower-income homeowners in Washington, DC. The initiative is presented by United Planning Organization in collaboration with Coalition for Smarter Growth and founding corporate supporter Citi Community Development.
An ADU is a secondary dwelling unit on a single family home lot, such as a basement or garage apartment or a free-standing structure. A 2016 change to DC’s zoning regulations allows for ADUs to be built as a matter of right in certain low-density residential neighborhoods. ADUs benefit homeowners by creating an income stream, while adding lower cost and affordable housing in existing neighborhoods.
ADU DC aims to help qualified homeowners build ADUs on their properties; give greater access to affordable and lower-priced housing in the District; and add housing stock by educating homeowners about ADU development, zoning, permitting, design, and financing.
“ADU DC has the potential to empower residents to create affordable housing in their own communities,” said Dana Jones, President and CEO, United Planning Organization. “Through this innovative approach, homeowners will be able to increase property values, age in place, build intergenerational wealth and grow new skill sets in development and property management.”
“In Washington, DC, approximately one in three Black residents is a homeowner. Yet, research shows that on average, Black households have lower home values and lower incomes than their White counterparts. As a result, Black households in DC have a net worth 81 times lesser than White households,” said Robert Burns, Senior Vice President, Citi Community Development. “Accessory dwelling units present a unique opportunity for homeowners to increase their incomes and begin to close the wealth gap. By supporting ADU DC we aim to help enable more homeowners to boost their financial resilience, while adding much-needed affordable housing for renters in the region.”
“In 2016, DC reformed its restrictions on accessory apartments, now we must ensure that homeowners, especially moderate and low income homeowners, can take full advantage of this new opportunity,” said Cheryl Cort, Coalition for Smarter Growth.
As part of the initiative, the Coalition for Smarter growth and UPO will produce “how to” guides, a report of barriers, a Homeowner’s ADU manual, a policy brief on financing for lower-income homeowners, and procedural recommendations for government.
ADU DC was announced at a multisector launch event featuring a panel of experts that highlighted current regulatory barriers, financing, and case studies from ADU initiatives nationwide.
“Mayor Bowser has set an ambitious goal for DC to create 36,000 more homes, 12,000 of which must be affordable,” said Polly Donaldson, Director, DC Department of Housing and Community Development. “In order to achieve this goal we must think differently, be bolder, and create new affordable housing tools; ADUs fit that bill and this initiative brings us one step closer to our goal.”
DC’s rapidly rising housing prices pose dire challenges to low income families. In the last decade, the city has lost half of its low-priced and affordable housing. DC’s lower-income households increasingly pay more than half of their incomes for housing, or are pushed out of the District’s housing market altogether. For older homeowners, rising values have been both a threat and an opportunity. Rising property taxes that follow increased values can be a threat to long-time homeowners on low and fixed incomes. But higher property values also mean greater wealth that can be used for retirement and shared with the next generation. This opportunity is especially important for African American homeowners who experience wide gaps in wealth with their White counterparts.
About United Planning Organization
United Planning Organization is a human and community development organization. As the Community Action Agency for Washington DC, UPO’s federally-mandated purpose is to help people lift themselves out of poverty. UPO surveys DC residents to learn the gaps in community needs and invents ways to bridge those gaps by uniting people with opportunities. A staff of 400 helps over 50,000 DC residents each year, with impacts in education, employment, health, housing counseling, and in strengthening families and communities.
About Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
About Coalition for Smarter Growth
The Coalition for Smarter Growth promotes walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities in the Washington DC region, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish. CSG combines grassroots advocacy with policy expertise, media communications, and relationships with elected officials to advance smart growth. After many years of effort, CSG helped reform ADU zoning restrictions for DC in 2016, and since then has worked to bring down the barriers to building ADUs.
CONTACT:
Lauren Kannry
lkannry@thorpesearl.com
202.491.1001
ADU DC Initiative Presentations
