One More Time: Extension Granted For Project Planned For Florida Avenue and North Capitol Street

• June 13th 2018

by Nena Perry-Brown

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The repeated delays for the redevelopment of the vacant lot at the corner of Florida Avenue and North Capitol Street NW (map) have been highly scrutinized since a planned-unit development that would bring 85-95 residential units to the site was initially approved for the site in 2007.

Now, the Zoning Commission has bent its own rules and unanimously voted to extend that approval for one more year.

A series of five two-year extensions for the development have been approved over the years. Owned by Joe Mamo, the site previously housed a gas station and the applicant has cited that extensive environmental remediation of contaminants is necessary to prepare the site for groundbreaking.

While the most recent application was for a two-year extension, the Office of Planning and the local ANC both stated no objection to a one-year extension. In a brief deliberation on Monday, the zoning commissioners voiced their discomfort with flouting what is  colloquially known as the "Herb Franklin rule" against excessive time extensions, but were understanding of the mitigating circumstances surrounding the site and interested in seeing whether development would proceed after the new extension expires.

Bonstra | Haresign is the architect of the development, which was approved to have 85-95 apartments above 4,998 square feet of cellar-level retail; there would also be 41 below-grade vehicular parking spaces. 

That intersection is also slated for additional residential development, with a city-owned parcel having been awarded for a mixed-income affordable development earlier this year.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/one-more-time-an-extension-granted-to-85-unit-project-planned-for-florida-a/14111.