GGW post on the pop-up debate in Lanier Heights: property rights vs. neighborhood character

Click on the link to read the entire Greater Greater Washington blog post.

The topic of pop-ups is indeed a current hot topic in Bloomingdale.

Similar sentiments expressed in this GGW post can be heard here in Bloomingdale.

The pop-up debate in Lanier Heights pits "property rights" against "neighborhood character"

by Alex Dodds   •   November 20, 2014

If you've walked through Lanier Heights in recent years, it's clear that new construction has changed the neighborhood. Some residents want to change zoning laws to limit that trend, while others welcome it. Both groups faced off at a meeting on Tuesday.

Over the past five years or so, multi-unit condos known as pop-ups have replaced a number of single-family row houses in Lanier Heights. Several more of these projects are already under way, making it clear that pop-ups are the trend in the quiet, residential neighborhood.

Some long-time residents are mad as hell about it, saying pop-ups block sunlight and crowd yard space. They contend that buildings block views, damage historic row houses, and make it hard to find parking on the street. The result, they argue, is that it's much harder for families with children to live in the neighborhood.

Those who support pop-ups say that people's rights to build onto their property, which can increase its value, shouldn't be limited. They also point out that expanding houses or converting them into multiple units increases the city's dwindling housing supply.

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