Redevelopment of Park Road Church Property Gets Board of Zoning Adjustment Support
(Rendering by Arcadia Design)
Yesterday, July 22nd, the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) considered the zoning variances requested to redevelop the former New Community Baptist Church property located at 625 Park Road while incorporating the historic church structure. After hearing testimony from the applicant, the Office of Planning (which opposed the relief), representatives from Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1A (supporting of the project), and residents the BZA voted unanimously to support the BZA application. This is a significant step forward for this development. Prior to the BZA hearing, ANC 1A voted unanimously at its July meeting to support the project. (You can read a related post on UrbanTurf).
The core issue related to this property has been to balance the competing needs of preserving the historic church with the desire to add density and more housing to the area. The plan as approved achieves this, as the new building along with adaptively reusing the former church will create a 38-unit development (the ANC had previously considered and supported a 41-unit project).
Since first presented to ANC 1A, the front of the building has been set back a few more feet, the third level is now in line with neighboring rowhouses, and the three units along Park Road will now have individual entrances facing the street. As the church structure is set back from the street, this also creates a grassy court that otherwise would not exist. (Those interested in watching the BZA hearing can do so at this link).
The redevelopment of 625 Park Road will significantly help revitalize that section of the community.
(Rendering by Arcadia Design)
Tags: Development, historic preservation, housing
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
Park View, D.C. 
July 23, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Excited about this. Right now there is so much litter and so many rats in the yard. Can’t wait for construction to start.
July 23, 2014 at 10:48 pm
Any news about Park (sucky) Morton
July 24, 2014 at 4:02 pm
Is there parking planned for these 38 units? I’m confused, or rather completely ignorant, as to whether parking is required. I only remember the drama about parking and zoning variances for 3612-3614 Park Pl NW, turning 2 rowhouses into 5 or 6 units, and how many parking spaces were created. Here we’re talking about 38 units and as I listen through the BZA hearing linked on this post, I’m not hearing anything about parking, only “rear yard relief”.
So my question is: is parking required by zoning, and did they ask/receive a variance to reduce the number of parking spots required?
July 26, 2014 at 6:09 pm
Park Rd between Georgia and Morton canNOT handle anywhere near an additional 38 cars (or more). I therefore second this question: What do we know about parking for this building?
July 28, 2014 at 10:45 pm
Park in your property, please. Leave the street for those with no parking pads. Or move. PG is nice
January 14, 2015 at 7:01 am
[…] overall plan for the church property as of July 2014 is to incorporate the structure into a condo development that will have a total of 38 living units. […]
July 31, 2017 at 7:02 am
[…] rowhouse at 633 Park Road is making good progress. Work began in earnest in January 2017 following approval from the Board of Zoning Adjustment in July […]