Georgetown Church Design Clears Zoning After Negotiating with Neighbors

• September 10, 2014

by Lark Turner

Image via Google Maps.

A Georgetown project that once incited raucous opposition from its neighbors sailed through a Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) hearing on Tuesday without a single person showing up to protest the application.

What changed with the project? Well, just about everything.

The original application, which we wrote about a few months ago, proposed turning the rectory of Alexander Memorial Baptist Church at 2709 N Street NW (map) into a large 6,000 square foot house, and converting the remainder of the church into two units. The proposal also called for constructing a townhouse on an adjacent, empty lot.

Here’s a look at what was first proposed:

The revised plan has nixed the construction of the new townhouse on Lot 805, the bone of contention between SGA Companies — the project’s developer — and the neighbors. Instead, the existing church buildings will be converted into three units.

As a result of SGA’s pivot, ANC 2E, which initially opposed the application, decided to support it, as did the BZA. A variance that would allow the project to be turned into three units was unanimously approved with no discussion from the applicant, members of the board or the public.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/alexander_memorial_baptist_church_design_clears_zoning_after_negotiating/8958