Press Alert: Save DC Public Land: The 1617 Project
January 29, 2024
DC Residents Ask that the 17th & U Street Luxury Rezoning Be Dismissed
Wards 1 & 2, Washington, D.C. — On Monday, January 29, 2024, parties in opposition to the city’s luxury rezoning of 17th and U Street (2-acre public site where the 3rd District MPD station and Engine 9 fire station are located) asked the rezoning case be dismissed.
The motion to dismiss states: “This case presents, perhaps, the clearest most poignant example of the failure of OP to do Community outreach in the Zoning Commission’s history. … This Commission can never advance racial equity in zoning decisions of this city if the Commission allows such an egregious lack of community engagement and outreach to go forward.”
The Zoning Commission denied the motion at the beginning of the hearing today, saying they wanted to hear from more of the public before making any decisions. Video link >> https://www.youtube.com/@DCOfficeofZoning
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The January 29th hearing followed on from the zoning hearing on January 18, 2024, when the Chair of the Zoning Commission, Anthony Hood, declared he was ready to “postpone [the hearings] … until this engagement is tightened up” because “it’s a showstopper … [and] disturbing [for] folks who look like me.”
See clip here >>
https://www.youtube.com/live/xr-8mUtfKko?si=DA1RIjtz7P0DR30-&t=7267
Hood wants racial equity to mean something, starting with engagement with Black neighbors.
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If the zoning application is approved, Councilmember Nadeau and the Mayor would be able to green light the transfer of 1617 U Street (2-acres of public land) to a yet-to-be-named developer who could then construct and profit from a very dense 10-story + penthouse building “by-right.”
Most of the newly constructed units would likely be unaffordable market-rate studios and one bedroom apartments. The existing life safety services currently housed at the site certainly would be lost at least temporarily, if not permanently. The Office of Planning admitted no impact studies have been done to determine the potential consequences of these zoning changes.
The next zoning hearing concerning the proposed upzoning of 1617 U Street is scheduled for Monday, February 26, 2024, starting at 4pm.
Testify, click here >> www.SaveDCPublicLand.org/testify
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For more alerts, please visit >>
www.SaveDCPublicLand.org/the1617project/alerts
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