Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
BZA approves height variances for two Alton Place Northwest homes after construction measurement errors
Loading...
Summary
The District of Columbia Board of Zoning Adjustment approved area variances for two newly built houses at 3566 and 3564 Alton Place NW after finding construction and permitting measurement discrepancies created practical difficulties for homeowners.
The District of Columbia Board of Zoning Adjustment voted to approve area variances for two adjacent properties on Alton Place NW on Oct. 15, 2025, allowing each detached single-family house to remain at its existing built height despite exceeding Subtitle D height limits.
The board approved application No. 21348 for 3566 Alton Place NW, which seeks a variance to allow a 42-foot, four-story detached principal dwelling, and application No. 21347 for 3564 Alton Place NW, which seeks a variance to allow a 43-foot, four-story detached principal dwelling. Both approvals were unanimous among the three members voting at the decision meeting.
Homeowners Tony Barisi (application 21348) and Seema Gandhi (application 21347) told the board they purchased brand-new houses in 2022 after certificates of occupancy were issued and later discovered major construction and inspection defects requiring extensive rebuilding. Barisi said the developer’s as-built grade and changes to the building footprint shifted the height measurement point after construction, producing a taller structure than the originally approved plans indicated. “We purchased the property with all the … inspections passed,” Barisi said. “When they finished constructing the property, they did not bring the ground level over to where the submitted plan said they were.”
Philip Bradford of the Office of Planning recommended approval for both variances, saying the projects were built taller because the grade and measurement point changed through multiple permit iterations and that granting the variances was the most reasonable path to resolve the homeowners’ difficulties. “Given the issues the applicant is facing here, we believe that granting the area variance for height is the most reasonable path forward,” Bradford said, citing his staff reports (Exhibits 20 and 19).
Board Chair Fred Hill said the cases presented an “extraordinary and exceptional situation” tied to practical difficulties and that he did not expect substantial detriment to the public good from allowing the homes to remain as built. Vice Chair Carl Blake and Commissioner Rob Miller concurred, noting reliance on the developer and apparent Department of Buildings permitting errors. Blake said the relief corrects an administrative oversight and does not authorize increased density.
The board recorded both votes as approved on motions made by Chair Hill and seconded by Vice Chair Blake. Staff recorded the votes as 3–0–2 for each application.
Both cases included an Advisory Neighborhood Commission report (ANC 3F) in the record; the board gave great weight to the Office of Planning recommendations and the ANC’s submissions. No members of the public testified in either case during the decision meeting.
The board said it would consult with the Office of Zoning to determine whether to issue full or summary orders and noted that a full order is required when a decision is adverse to a party or differs from the Office of Planning recommendation.
Votes at a glance: Application 21348 (3566 Alton Place NW): motion to approve passed; recorded vote 3–0–2. Application 21347 (3564 Alton Place NW): motion to approve passed; recorded vote 3–0–2.
