10-Unit Hill East Project Gets Lukewarm Reception from Zoning

• April 9, 2015

by Tianna Mañón

Rendering of proposed project.

A 10-unit residential project planned above the Pennsylvania Avenue restaurant La Lomita received pushback at a hearing before the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) this week.

The mixed-use development proposed for 1330-1336 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (map) would sit about 500 feet from the entrance to the Potomac Avenue Metro.

But the project — which is seeking permission to proceed with no parking and an increased floor area ratio (FAR) — met resistance at its BZA hearing. The board questioned La Lomita’s owner, Samuel Fuentes, about why the proposed building needed to be so large.

“I’m a small business owner and without the relief, we cannot pursue the project and updates,” Fuentes told board members.

The board didn’t quite buy it.

“You could build a lot less building and still meet the needs of what the zone plan would like,” board member Michael Turnbull said. “You’re really going overboard by trying to get this FAR and density in this project. … I don’t think you’ve done enough exploring and with some tweaking architecturally you can make this project work without relief.”

Neighbors have previously objected to the scale of the proposed building and the lack of parking at the project.

The board told La Lomita to come back with more proof that the building and site conditions require the relief requested. The second hearing on the project was scheduled for April 28.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/hill_easts_mixed-use_la_lomita_project_gets_lukewarm_reception_from_zoning/9746