Citizen Comments from Second Workshop
Group Number Four - Housing
Facilitator: Jeffrey Richardson Recorder: Laura Duenes
Question: In Alternative I (the linear alternative), new multi-family housing is located above retail along the 7th and 9th street corridors. Strengths? Downsides?
Strengths:
- Increased availability of housing
- Creates major thoroughfares for retail and housing
- Connects Howard University with Convention Center
- Creates sense of safety
- Clear/defined
- Supportive of businesses and residences
- Note concern about concentrated affordable housing
Downsides:
- Seems to pull retail away from residential (less convenient)
- Ignores existing retail outside of that area
- Only safe along that thoroughfare
- Might create more parking problems
- People might not make jump across streets (like O)
- Might encourage developers to tear down existing housing
- Mixture of uses is decreased outside linear corridor
- Lacks balance in commercial services (too concentrated)
- Divides neighborhood into east/west
Question: In Alternative II (the nodal alternative) new multi-family housing is concentrated in commercial nodes. Strengths? Downsides?
Strengths:
- Seems to better link commercial and residential (better access)
- Takes advantage of existing commercial/residential patterns
- Might offer better variety of choices
- Seems familiar; builds upon existing assets
- Greater opportunity for building diversity (commercial)
Downsides:
- If not connected, risk of fracturing community
- Could have pockets of good/bad areas
- Makes it difficult for small nodes to do well (too isolated)
- Some new housing is not supported by commercial (retail)
- No defined center, especially to market to non-residents
General Comment:
- Police sub-station should be in commercial/residential areas
Question: In Alternative III (the dispersed alternative) new multi-family housing is dispersed throughout the neighborhood. Strengths? Downsides?
Strengths:
- Is what has been done in past
- Easier to connect existing “dots” (assets), make whole area thrive
- Allows for more retail, not just concentrated in one area
- Accommodates existing residents, particularly those that aren’t more mobile
- Reinforces existing commercial/housing
- Disperses resources throughout the area instead of only along certain corridors
- Strongly supports housing throughout
- Builds more opportunities for community relations
Downsides:
- Is what has been done in past
- Seems weaker for commercial/retail (dilutes power of resource)
- Will eventually impact housing
- Lacks concentration to attract new retail/housing
- Least likely to attract new retail
- Tales away from having major thoroughfare
- Will create greater parking problems
- Least likely to attract Convention Center “traffic”; no access to neighborhood
General Comment:
- None of alternatives help move traffic up to Florida Avenue
Question: From the housing perspective, which of the alternatives do you prefer?
- Alternative I - 1
- Alternative II – 9
- Alternative III - 1
General Comment:
- Modify II and III to include emphasis on north end of 9th Street
- Modify II to include some of III (recognition of corner store idea)
Question: In Alternative I (the linear alternative), new multi-family housing is located above retail along the 7th and 9th street corridors. Strengths? Downsides?
Strengths:
- Could create more variety of housing
- More night-time activity due to residential traffic
- Safer/deters crime
- Central retail with equal access to near-by residents
Downsides:
- Concentration of “traffic’ concentrates crime
Question: In Alternative II (the nodal alternative) new multi-family housing is concentrated in commercial nodes. Strengths? Downsides?
Strengths:
- Increases opportunity for diversity
- Good if you live close to the nodes
Downsides:
- Bad if you are not near node
- Doesn’t have dispersed types of retail
- Have to walk much further
- Rhode Island Avenue remains a barrier/dead zone
General Comment:
- Should include node at Rhode Island Avenue and 7th (development opportunity for all three plans)
Question: In Alternative III (the dispersed alternative) new multi-family housing is dispersed throughout the neighborhood. Strengths? Downsides?
Strengths:
- Good for elderly/less mobile people
Downsides:
- Lacks critical mass of affordable housing
- Fits more the prototype of affluent communities; not a good urban experience
- Too dispersed; lack of connectivity, community
- Lack of retail/commercial density might not strengthen smaller businesses/commercial activity
Question: From the housing perspective, which of the alternatives do you prefer?
- Alternative I - 6
- Alternative II – 0
- Alternative III - 0
- Other – 4
General Comments:
- Add some nodes to Alternative I
- More development at north end of 9th Street
- Tension in zoning between commercial and residential
- Parking concerns for all three alternatives – for residents (like Silver Spring)
- Issues of pricing/access for residents
Question: In Alternative I (the linear alternative), new multi-family housing is located above retail along the 7th and 9th street corridors. Strengths? Downsides?
Strengths:
- Incorporates new commercial/residential
- More 24-hour “traffic” same area
- Traditional pattern of development
- Residents would support retail below
Downsides:
- Housing isn’t dispersed enough; doesn’t develop other areas
Question: In Alternative II (the nodal alternative) new multi-family housing is concentrated in commercial nodes. Strengths? Downsides?
Strengths:
Like central focus on O Street Market
Strength if it works with existing transportation nodes
Makes area more integrated to nearby communities/areas
Downsides:
- Additional parking pressure on nodes rather than spreading it out
- Nodal does not spread
- Parking is an increased problem
- Nodes are negative without transportation nodes
- More difficult to create affordable housing with nodal approach
General Comment:
- Combine Alternatives I and II to create maximum housing possible
Question: In Alternative III (the dispersed alternative) new multi-family housing is dispersed throughout the neighborhood. Strengths? Downsides?
Strengths:
- Shares burden of development more equitably across entire area
- Is more accurate reflection of existing patterns
- Emphasizes organic neighborhood/community growth (no separation of commercial/housing functions
- Makes it easier to include market incentives for affordable housing
Downsides:
- Requires more effort to make it work
- Doesn’t do anything around Metro stops
Question: From the housing perspective, which of the alternatives do you prefer?
- Alternative I - 2
- Alternative II – 2
- Alternative III - 4
General Comments:
- Question about zoning; concern about scale, new development fitting into existing
- Not much difference for housing in any of the plans
- None of the plans promote housing at the Rhode Island Avenue/New Jersey area
- Seems that concentration should be across 7th and New Jersey (west-east) for all three plans
- Should re-pave Rhode Island Avenue
