The D.C. Zoning Commission Thursday unanimously agreed to downzone dozens of properties in Columbia Heights, a shift designed to stop the conversion of century-old row houses into condominiums.
The rezoning, which covers an area bounded by 14th and 16th streets, Monroe Street and Spring Road, was sought by Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1A. It now moves to the National Capital Planning Commission for additional comment.
“I drive down my block and others in neighborhood, and I just smile because I know these houses and the families that live in them are going to be protected for a lot more years,” said Anne Theisen, an ANC commissioner who led the effort.
In a rare statement of support on the night of a public hearing, the zoning commission ditched its usual consideration period to back the rezoning from R-5-B to R-4, which would limit most houses to two units and restrict building heights to three stories.
Developers have been tearing up row house roofs to add additional stories, reducing available single family housing, decreasing parking and threatening the structural integrity of row house blocks, petitioners claimed. The proposal, which could be expanded to other city neighborhoods this year, was strongly supported by Ward 1 D.C. Council Member Jim Graham and the D.C. Office of Planning.
