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ANCs, neighborhood groups and local developers back 901 Monroe plan as transit‑oriented housing opportunity
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Summary
Supporters — ANCs, neighborhood civic leaders, developers and transit advocates — told the Zoning Commission the 901 Monroe Street project would deliver transit‑oriented housing, activate Monroe Street with retail and help revive nearby commercial strips, while noting compromises already made to respond to community feedback.
Supporters of the 901 Monroe Street Planned Unit Development told the D.C. Zoning Commission the proposal advances transit‑oriented development and housing density in a location close to the metro and bus hub, and that the developer has revised the plan to respond to neighborhood concerns.
Jack Hermes — introduced himself as the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for ANC 5A04 — told commissioners campus factions including Catholic University support more housing and jobs for students. “I would encourage the board to vote in favor,” he said, noting the project would supply housing needed for students and nearby workers.
Gordon Chaffin, executive director of Friends of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, cited the site’s proximity to the trail and bike infrastructure and said the project would minimize single‑occupant vehicle trips. “This project is a slam dunk in terms of the fundamentals of housing and transit‑oriented development,” he said.
BNCA president Dawn Moray (testifying as BNCA president) said the civic association supports development subject to stronger neighborhood-oriented assurances. She presented a summary of the BNCA’s April 2025 listening session and recommended several dispositions — including maintaining alley massing and creating direct front doors on Lawrence Street — which were incorporated into the ANC resolution (Exhibit 77).
Several nearby residents and supporters — Martin Weldon, Dale Scott Smizak, Michael Lambright and Steve Ferrell — described walking and working in the neighborhood and argued additional nearby housing could have supported local businesses (citing the closures of Brooklyn’s Finest and Brooklyn Pine). “This project represents a significant step” toward pedestrian comfort and neighborhood activation, Michael Lambright said, citing the site’s walkable access to Metro, the trail and a new grocery store.
Supporters also said the council’s 2021 Comprehensive Plan amendment and the adjusted Future Land Use Map make the medium‑density designation appropriate for a metro‑adjacent site. Counsel for the applicant highlighted changes made after community engagement: undergrounding utilities on Monroe, adding retail/live‑work space, providing direct Lawrence Street entrances, restricting residents from Residential Permit Parking (RPP) eligibility, and offering a strengthened construction management plan.
Gordon Chaffin and other supporters asked the commission to weigh the large‑scale public benefits: the applicant is proposing 15% inclusionary zoning, family‑sized units (3‑bedrooms), and streetscape improvements intended to connect Monroe Street market and Twelfth Street retail.
Ending: Supporters acknowledged unresolved issues with neighbors but asked the commission to approve the PUD or require conditions, arguing that the public benefits — housing close to transit, undergrounding utilities, and pedestrian improvements — are balanced by revisions already made in response to community feedback.
