| Washington...An independent jury formed by the Washington Smart Growth Alliance has recognized two development proposals in the Washington region for their demonstration of smart growth principles. The Alliance is a partnership among six diverse regional organizations including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, Enterprise Community Partners, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Metropolitan Washington Builders’ Council and ULI Washington. These organizations have traditionally held opposing views on growth issues, but they have agreed to work together to promote sustainable development and quality of life in the greater Washington region. This region is projected to add 2 million more people and 1.6 million new jobs by 2030. The challenge for policy makers and developers is to find ways to accommodate this growth while enhancing our neighborhoods and protecting the environment.
Smart Growth Recognition provides a way for environmental and civic organizations to support development that is good for community and good for the environment. As jury member Lee Epstein of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation noted, “The more smart growth projects get built, accommodating the demand for housing and commercial space in the region, the less that demand will be felt in the rural areas and on the working lands that are most important to preserve.”
St. Paul’s College
Washington D.C.
EYA
This infill project will develop ten acres of under-utilized land on the St. Paul’s College campus on Fourth Street NE, within a half mile of the Brookland-CUA metro station. The development will include 250 single-family townhouses architecturally designed to be compatible with both the college and existing townhouses in the area. By providing additional housing at an increased density in close proximity to the Metro station, the development will help support transit as well as enhance the mix of uses in the area, which is expecting substantial new retail development, for example at the Catholic University South Campus site only three blocks away.
The development will also improve pedestrian connectivity and access to transit for existing residents of the area, by extending the surrounding public streets (Hamlin, Jackson, 5th and 6th Streets) into the development and opening them to public use. The remaining green open space on the site will be enhanced by a new 9,000 square-foot park consisting of open lawn surrounded by shade trees, masonry seat walls, retaining walls and benches. A paved plaza in the southeast corner will serve as a community gathering place, with stadium-style seating. Installation of new storm water management facilities, including innovative use of a bioswale and rain gardens, will improve the level of water quality protection even as the site is developed at a higher density. As proposed the development will provide at least 10 percent affordable units targeting income levels of 50-80 percent of the area median.
Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church/Bozzuto Homes
Bethesda, Maryland
Bozzuto Homes
This redevelopment project is located at the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Glenbrook Road in Bethesda, Maryland, within a half-mile of the Bethesda Metro station. The proposal is to renovate the existing sanctuary structure and replace other existing buildings with a new four-story community center building, a new 8-story residential building and a new underground parking structure that will serve both uses. The church has provided a variety of community services since the 1930s and this unique partnership with Bozzuto Homes will enable it to remain in this in-town location while expanding its services to the Woodmont Triangle neighborhood and the community at large. The community building will provide meeting rooms, classrooms, a gymnasium, daycare facilities, and arts and theater space, which will be available for use by the community at large.
The 8-story residential building will include 17 affordable units targeting families earning 60% of the area median income. The addition of housing accessible to transit will contribute to a better jobs-housing balance in this job-rich community and help reduce auto-dependence. The development will also help reduce auto-dependence by providing a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape, bicycle racks and better connections to the residential neighborhood to the rear. In addition, both new buildings will be designed and built to achieve LEED certification. Keeping the church in its current location will not only benefit the surrounding neighborhood, but also reduce the consumption of land in the outlying areas of the region.
Each quarter the Smart Growth Recognition jury reviews project proposals in the Washington area that are under review or subject to review by local government agencies. Since the recognition program began in 2002, the jury has recognized more than 50 proposals in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. To learn more, visit www.SGAlliance.org.
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