tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post5333828950516950604..comments2024-02-28T11:29:36.860-05:00Comments on just up the pike: recapping last night's long branch sector plan public hearingDan Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10594208011755406956noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post-50320383968749742922013-02-18T12:19:35.792-05:002013-02-18T12:19:35.792-05:00There seems to always be a disconnect between impr...There seems to always be a disconnect between improving quality of life and fear of displacement by less affluent populations. I live in Adelphi and I drive up and down University BLVD frequently. It resembles another country. It is like going through a worm hole and ending up in South America! I understand the need for affordable housing and I support that. On the other hand, to make that happen, are we to just let things be? After all, isn't it the goal of every immigrant or low-income individual to gain upward mobility and move on to bigger and better things? Should the Four Corners area be a clearing house for incoming immigrants on that journey forever remaining in the state it is in? What about the residents around University BLVD who chose to live in a place where they feel has upward potential? I agree that anything new or better invariably will be more expensive which will displace those still found at the beginning stages of upward mobility. I also agree that there are cycles with neighborhood revitalization that push certain groups out. For a lot of homeowners, the Purple Line will be that catalyst for redevelopment along University BLVD. And perhaps the transformation of Columbia Heights can be an example of the possibilities in the Four Corners area. With the Explosive growth and popularity of DC, the inner beltway suburbs are experiencing pressure to grow and change as well. I think this growth should be embraced and taken advantage of to improve all of our lives. Even those that may be displaced may benefit from affordable redeveloped enclaves.adelphi_skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15280902548303026408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post-88867024315181091332013-02-01T18:14:37.586-05:002013-02-01T18:14:37.586-05:00Robert,
Your house and every other house in the ...Robert, <br /><br />Your house and every other house in the neighborhoods around Silver Spring are worth more than they were 10 years ago because they're within close reach of millions of dollars of new retail and residential development. Woodside Park may not be any denser (though in the grand scheme of things, having homes on 1/3-acre lots less than a mile from one of the region's biggest job and transit centers doesn't make a lot of sense), but the area as a whole is.<br /><br />If higher density wasn't necessary for revitalization, there wouldn't be so little recent investment in Long Branch - current zoning has restricted building heights in the business district to 30-50 feet, shorter than many buildings in the surrounding area. Developers felt it wasn't financially feasible to invest there, so they didn't.Dan Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10594208011755406956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30306615.post-1468487437294617402013-02-01T18:05:18.139-05:002013-02-01T18:05:18.139-05:00re your tweet "Geren Road resident calls for ...re your tweet "Geren Road resident calls for "rejuvenation" of #longbranch, but no higher density. Again, one doesn't happen without the other."<br /><br />Revitalization doesn't require higher density. Just look at most of the single family residential neighborhoods around downtown Silver Spring. They haven't had higher density but over the years they have had lots of additions and upgrades to the old 1920s through 1960s homes. These neighborhoods are stronger and better than ever without higher density changing their character.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00180733496678026590noreply@blogger.com