Micro-Unit Hotel Proposed near Mount Vernon Square Would Have No Parking

• June 24th 2015

by Tianna Mañón

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DC’s micro-sized, parking-free developments are multiplying.

Developers of a micro-hotel planned near Mount Vernon Square went before the Board of Zoning Adjustment on Tuesday to make their case for building a project with no parking for its guests.

Douglas Development argued the planned hotel at 1011 K Street NW (map) was similar to SB-Urban’s Blagden Alley project, which was approved by the BZA with no parking this spring. Why? According to Douglas, the targeted guests of its hotel are the same as SB-Urban’s targeted residents: Millennials without cars.

As first reported by Washington Business Journal, Douglas is almost certainly partnering with Marriott to build one of the hotel giant’s micro Moxy brands, described as “stylish, high energy, and affordable.” In its filing, Douglas describes the hotel’s targeted travelers as seeking “affordability” and calls them “stylish and self-serve.” It also uses renderings that match Moxy’s aesthetic.

The 200-room, 13-story hotel would require 64 parking spaces; Douglas would provide none. There isn’t a feasible way to build the required parking on-site, the developer argued — and besides, the company said, most of its travelers would arrive via public transportation.

“I understand the situation, but this thing is starting to multiply and multiply and mushroom,” said Lloyd Jordan, the board’s chair. The BZA asked Douglas to come back before the board with more evidence for the requested parking variance.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/microunit_hotel_proposed_near_mt_vernon_square_would_have_no_parking/10038.