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Contested conversion of 1253 Moore St NE to four units continued after opposition from neighbors and ANC
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Summary
Neighbors and the ANC urged the BZA to require more information and delay a decision on application 21361, a proposal to convert 1253 Moore Street NE into a four‑unit apartment house, citing shadows, privacy and alleged inaccuracies in the record.
Neighbors and the ANC urged the Board of Zoning Adjustment on Oct. 29 to require more information and to delay a decision on application 21361, a proposal to add a third story and rear addition and convert 1253 Moore Street NE to a four‑unit apartment house.
The applicant, represented by architect Adam Parvalo and owner Mashud Olayinka, said the parcel meets the lot‑area threshold for four units (3,633 square feet vs. the 3,600‑square‑foot minimum spelled out in Subtitle U for the zone) and presented plans and shadow analyses. Neighbors and ANC representatives, however, said the filing contained inaccuracies, that the Office of Planning’s report understated potential impacts, and that the application relied on precedent set by a nearby conversion that remains contested in the community.
Speaker concerns included: - Shadow and light impacts on neighboring interiors and yards, particularly for 1251 and 1257 Moore Street, citing the applicant’s own shadow study as showing material evening impacts. - Privacy and proximity: neighbors objected to a Second/Third Floor side‑yard projection that would reduce side clearances to 3 feet in places and argued that an area‑way/stair for a cellar unit would create new visibility and privacy exposures to adjacent properties. - Process and record accuracy: ANC 5D and community members flagged inconsistencies in the submission (wrong street names and measurements) and late or changing exhibits; they said the ANC needed more time to deliberate and requested a postponement.
The board denied the postponement but directed a structured follow‑up: the applicant to file supplemental materials by Nov. 5; opposing parties and the ANC may submit responses by Nov. 12; the BZA set a continued hearing for Dec. 10. Chair Fred Hill and other board members emphasized the need for corrected, complete materials and said the board would weigh Office of Planning analysis and the ANC’s formal position when Wthe filings arrive.
The board noted this is a high‑interest matter because it raises questions about lot coverage, the conversion of single‑family housing into multiple units, and neighborhood precedent. The continued schedule gives the ANC and neighbors time to formalize a position and allows the applicant to supply any corrected sketches, underpinning/structural reports, and clearer shadow/solar studies the community requested.
