20-Unit Residential Project Planned For Petworth Funeral Home

• May 1, 2015
• 5 Comments

by UrbanTurf Staff

Rendering of project planned for 3831 Georgia Avenue

The Murillo Malnati Group (MMG) has plans on the boards for a six-story, 20-unit residential development on the site of Latney’s Funeral Home on Georgia Avenue. The new building would include approximately 1,488 square feet of ground floor retail with the residential units on floors two through six.

The developers of the project at 3831 Georgia Avenue NW (map) are looking for a variance from the off-street parking requirements.

“The site’s irregular, long, and narrow shape, small land area, sloping topography, and corner lot location create an exceptional condition that severely limits the ability to provide more than two on-site parking spaces,” documents filed with the Board of Zoning Adjustment read. “The site’s small size and narrow dimensions also preclude the Applicant from providing below-grade parking spaces, since a minimum width of 60 feet is required in a parking garage to provide a row of parking spaces and associated drive aisles.”

Under zoning requirements, the development would normally require ten parking spaces. The architect for the project is Bonstra|Haresign.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/20-unit_residential_project_planned_for_georgia_avenue_funeral_home/9838

5 Comments

1. rjmarvel said at 11:19 pm on Friday May 1, 2015:
   I'm all for development but the funeral home and its turret is kind of an anchor of that corner. Its sad that the developer made no effort to retain any of it. If Che Billy is history I definitely think the funeral home should be nomiated for some type of historic preservation.

1. LionOfLeDroit said at 5:15 pm on Saturday May 2, 2015:
   Agree with the comment above. I'm all for development of this corner, but the developer should have attempted to (at least) incorporate the facade and turret of the existing Victorian building. Will be a shame to lose this historic architectural gem on Georgia Ave.

1. Everestnw said at 8:03 pm on Monday May 4, 2015:
   Obviously, I agree with everyone. We've been in Petworth for four years and have watch the character and the history slowly erode with pop ups and dismantling and poorly conceived renovations and construction projects. I pray that it stops before PW and GA Ave looks like our bedroom neighbors in Silver Spring.

1. yogeshu said at 8:19 pm on Monday May 4, 2015:
   I am no believer of Vaastu-Sastra or Feng-shui concepts, buy building a home over funeral home is weird and rare elsewhere in USA.

1. skidrowedc@gmail.com said at 8:30 pm on Monday May 4, 2015:
   I'm not big on 11th-hour landmarking actions, but the idea of this bland design replacing a unique gem like the existing building cannot stand. Neighbors, it's pretty easy to get a landmark nomination going! For better and for worse, the economics of Petworth in general and Georgia Avenue in particular don't generally support high-quality new architecture (unlike, say, on 14th Street). Until then, you need some protection, and historic designation is about the only tool you've got.